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IndexNow.
IndexNow is an open protocol with which a website immediately informs search engines about new, changed or deleted pages instead of waiting for the next crawl. It was introduced in 2021 by Microsoft Bing and Yandex; as of 14 October 2026, Google does not take part.
IndexNow — Explained in Detail
Normally, search engines only learn about changes when their crawler next visits the page. IndexNow turns this around: with every change, the website sends a short notification with the affected address to an IndexNow endpoint. All participating search engines share these notifications with each other, so one notification is enough for all of them. To confirm that the notification comes from the website operator, a key is stored as a text file on the server.
Participating search engines include Bing, Yandex, Seznam, Naver and Yep. Google has tested the protocol but, as of 14 October 2026, does not use it; for Google, XML sitemaps and Search Console remain the route. IndexNow is still interesting for Switzerland, because the Bing index forms the basis for Microsoft Copilot and is used by other AI services as well.
An example: an event organiser publishes a new date and a price change at short notice. Without IndexNow, it can take days before Bing, and therefore Copilot, knows the new information. With IndexNow, the changed page is reported immediately and is usually fetched again much sooner. It is no guarantee of instant indexing, but it is a clear signal.
Setting up IndexNow
Many systems already include IndexNow: Cloudflare can activate it at CDN level, plugins exist for WordPress, and some shop systems report changes automatically. For custom websites, a small call after each publication plus the key file in the root directory is enough. Received notifications can be checked in Bing Webmaster Tools.
It makes sense to report genuine changes only. Reporting on every page view or for unchanged pages creates noise, and search engines may ignore such notifications.
IndexNow as part of GEO
For visibility in AI answers, freshness counts: an AI search that quotes outdated prices or opening hours does more harm than good. IndexNow is therefore a sensible building block when a website is being set up for Bing and Copilot, a source that is easily underestimated in Switzerland.
For websites we build from scratch, we set up IndexNow on request. Whether it is missing on an existing website is shown by the website audit.
Related Page
GEO Agency SwitzerlandFrequently Asked Questions About IndexNow
No, not as of 14 October 2026. Google has tested the protocol but continues to rely on its own crawling, XML sitemaps and Search Console. IndexNow works with Bing, Yandex, Seznam, Naver and other participating search engines.
New, changed or deleted pages are reported to the participating search engines immediately, instead of them waiting for the next crawl. This speeds up updates in the Bing index, which also feeds Microsoft Copilot.
Yes. The protocol is open and free of charge. All you need is a self-generated key stored as a text file on the website, and a mechanism that reports changes, such as a plugin, a CDN feature or a short call in your own code.
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