SKILL.md
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Overview
IndexNow notifies search engines (mainly Bing) of new or updated URLs to speed up indexing.
Implementation Steps
1. API Key and Verification
- Generate API key (e.g., UUID)
- Create verification file:
https://example.com/{key}.txt
- File content: the API key string
- Configure key and URL in your IndexNow client
2. Submission Methods
Method
When to use
Single URL
New or updated page
Batch
Many URLs at once (e.g., after deploy)
Relative paths
Convert to full URLs before submitting
3. Best Practices
Practice
Note
When to submit
New pages, major content updates, meta changes
When not to
Minor edits; let natural crawling handle
Frequency
Once per deploy; avoid excessive submissions
Priority
Submit high-value commercial pages first
4. CI/CD Integration
npm run build
npm run indexnow:all5. Single Source of Truth (URL List)
- Use same config as sitemap: Import URL list from central config (e.g.,
site-pages-config.ts) or sitemap generation logic.
- Avoid: Separate hardcoded URL lists for IndexNow—leads to inconsistency and missed URLs.
- Feed: If you have RSS/feed, it can also consume from the same config to stay in sync.
Supported Search Engines
- Bing: Primary support
- Yandex: Supports IndexNow
- Google: Does not use IndexNow; use Sitemap + Search Console
Verification
- Check Bing Webmaster Tools for indexing status
- Monitor submission logs for errors
Common Issues
Issue
Fix
Domain verification fails
Ensure URL uses correct domain
API key error
Verify key and verification file match
Network errors
Retry; API can be intermittent
Output Format
- Setup steps: Key generation, verification file
- Submission flow: Single vs. batch
- Integration: CI/CD or manual script
- References: IndexNow docs
Related Skills
- xml-sitemap: Share same URL list from central config
- indexing: Broader indexing strategy