How to Integrate IndexNow API with Node.js — Step-by-Step Guide for Instant SEO Indexing

What is IndexNow?

IndexNow is this cool open protocol that lets websites instantly tell search engines (like Bing, Yandex, and others) when you add, update, or delete stuff. It's a pretty neat way to help search engines keep their indexes current. (In-Depth Guide to How Google Search Works)

Prerequisites

• You'll need a Node.js project, and make sure you've got axios installed.

• You gotta have access to your website’s root directory, 'cause that's where we'll put the key.

• And of course, a public-facing domain (like https://www.example.com).

Step 1: Generate Your IndexNow API Key

So, you need an api key to prove your domain is yours.

• Go ahead and generate a key. The official docs say it should be a UTF-8 key, and while they don't specify a length, a common practice is to use a 32-character key. (Generate Random UTF8) You can use an online generator, or if you're feeling code-y, use this Node.js snippet:

const crypto = require('crypto'); 
const key = crypto.randomBytes(16).toString('hex'); 
console.log("Generated IndexNow Key:", key);

Example Key:
4262631fe57245bd9bd1cef01d1c3fa4

Step 2: Host the API Key on Your Site

Now, you gotta create a .txt file. Name it using your key and stick it in the root of your website.

• Filename: 4262631fe57245bd9bd1cef01d1c3fa4.txt

• Content inside file: Just the key itself (4262631fe57245bd9bd1cef01d1c3fa4)

• URL: https://www.example.com/4262631fe57245bd9bd1cef01d1c3fa4.txt

Quick Note: If you decide to put the key file somewhere else, that's fine, but you'll need to tell IndexNow where it is using the keyLocation parameter when you submit URLs.

Step 3: Submit URLs via Node.js Script

File Structure

Here's a simple way to organize your project:

  ├── config.js
  ├── indexnow.js     <-- This is where the IndexNow magic happens 
  └── submit.js       <-- This is for running and testing the submission

config.js

Let's set up some basic config:

module.exports = { 
  indexNow: {
    agent: 'my-custom-agent',
    source: 'my-website-source'
  }
}; 

indexnow.js — Core Logic

This is the main part of the script:

const crypto = require('crypto');
const axios = require('axios');
const config = require('./config');

function getDomainFromUrl(url) {
  try {
    const parsedUrl = new URL(url);
    return parsedUrl.hostname;
  } catch (e) {
    console.error('Invalid URL:', url);
    return null;
  }
}

async function submitToIndexNow(siteUrl, indexNowKey, urlList) {
  try {
    // Basic checks to make sure we have everything
    if (!siteUrl || !indexNowKey || !urlList || !Array.isArray(urlList)) {
      throw new Error('Missing required parameters');
    }

    // If there are no URLs, we can just skip it
    if (urlList.length === 0) {
      return { status: 'skipped', message: 'No URLs to submit' };
    }

    // Make sure the URLs are absolute
    urlList = urlList.map((url) => siteUrl.replace(/\/$/, '') + "/" + url);
    const siteDomain = getDomainFromUrl(siteUrl);
    if (!siteDomain) throw new Error('Invalid site URL');

    const data = {
      host: siteDomain,
      key: indexNowKey,
      // Construct the keyLocation assuming it's in the root
      keyLocation: `${siteUrl.replace(/\/$/, '')}/${indexNowKey}.txt`,
      urlList: urlList
    };

    const headers = {
      'Content-Type': 'application/json',
      // Creating a user-agent, just for good measure
      'User-Agent': `${config.indexNow.agent}/${crypto.createHash('md5').update(siteUrl).digest('hex')}`,
      'X-Source-Info': `https://${config.indexNow.source}/1.0/`
    };

    // Sending the request to the IndexNow API
    const response = await axios.post('https://api.indexnow.org/indexnow', data, { headers });

    return {
      status: 'success',
      statusCode: response.status,
      message: `Successfully submitted ${urlList.length} URLs`
    };

  } catch (error) {
    // Handling potential errors during the submission
    const errorMessage = error.response ? 
      `HTTP ${error.response.status}: ${error.response.statusText}` : error.message;
    return {
      status: 'error',
      error: errorMessage,
      message: 'Failed to submit URLs'
    };
  }
}

module.exports = {
  submitToIndexNow,
  getDomainFromUrl
};

submit.js — Run the Submission

This is the file you'll run to actually send the URLs.

const { submitToIndexNow } = require('./indexnow');

// Your API key and the URLs you want to submit
const apiKey = '4262631fe57245bd9bd1cef01d1c3fa4';
const urls = [
  'blog/passwordless-authentication-guide',
  'blog/resistant-cryptography-migration'
];
const siteUrl = 'https://www.example.com';
// Calling the function to submit
submitToIndexNow(siteUrl, apiKey, urls)
  .then(result => {
    console.log('📬 Submission Result:', result);
  })
  .catch(err => {
    console.error('❌ Unexpected error:', err.message);
  });

Step 4: Verify Submission in Bing Webmaster Tools

After you've run the script, you can check if everything went through okay.

• Head over to https://www.bing.com/webmasters/indexnow

• If you haven't already, add and verify your domain.

• You can use the URL inspection tool there to see the submission status.

References

• Official IndexNow Documentation

• API Endpoint