The Genesis of IndexNow and Its Growing Adoption

Genesis of IndexNow

IndexNow is an open-source protocol launched in October 2021 by Microsoft and Yandex, designed to allow web publishers to instantly notify participating search engines when content on their websites is added, updated, or deleted. Traditionally, search engines rely on a “pull” model, where their crawlers periodically visit websites to discover new or changed content. IndexNow introduces a “push” model: instead of waiting for crawlers to find changes, publishers proactively inform search engines, enabling much faster indexing.

The protocol is intentionally simple: publishers generate a cryptographic key, place it on their server, and then use the IndexNow API to submit URLs whenever content changes. This submission is automatically shared with all search engines that support the protocol, eliminating the need to notify each one individually. The initial participating search engines were Microsoft Bing and Yandex, with Seznam joining later.

Growing Adoption and Industry Impact

Since its launch, IndexNow has seen significant adoption across various sectors. Major companies such as GoDaddy, the Internet Archive, and Condé Nast have integrated the protocol, highlighting its versatility for web hosting, digital archives, and media publishing. More recently, e-commerce and SaaS platforms like Amazon, Shopify, and Milestone have also adopted IndexNow, underscoring its value for real-time product and content discovery.

As of late 2024, over 3.5 billion URLs are submitted via IndexNow daily, and 18% of all new URLs clicked in web search results are processed through the protocol. This rapid uptake is driven by the protocol’s efficiency: it reduces the need for exploratory crawls, conserves server resources, and ensures that fresh content appears in search results much faster than traditional methods.

Technical and SEO Benefits

For publishers and SEO professionals, IndexNow offers several advantages:

• Faster Indexing: Changes are reflected in search results almost immediately after submission, which is critical for time-sensitive content like news or product updates.
• Reduced Crawl Overhead: By alerting search engines directly, publishers minimize unnecessary crawls, improving both site performance and crawl efficiency.
• Simplified Workflow: A single API call notifies all participating search engines, streamlining the submission process.
• Open and Collaborative: The protocol is open-source and encourages collaboration among search engines, fostering a more efficient and interconnected web ecosystem.

Current Participants and Future Prospects

While Microsoft Bing, Yandex, and Seznam are the primary search engines currently supporting IndexNow, Google has not yet joined but has expressed interest in testing the protocol. Adoption by additional platforms and industries suggests that IndexNow is becoming a foundational element of modern web indexing, with potential to further accelerate content discovery as more players participate.

Summary Table: Key Facts About IndexNow

IndexNow represents a significant shift in how content is discovered and indexed online, with growing adoption reflecting its practical benefits for publishers, platforms, and search engines alike.