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

What is IndexNow?

IndexNow is an open protocol that allows websites to instantly notify search engines (like Bing, Yandex, etc.) whenever content is added, updated, or deleted. This helps search engines keep their index up to date.

Prerequisites

• A Node.js project with axios installed.

• Access to your website’s root directory (for hosting the key).

• A public-facing domain (e.g., https://www.example.com).

Step 1: Generate Your IndexNow API Key

You need an API key to verify your domain.

• Generate a 32-character UTF-8 key. You can use an online generator or 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

Create a .txt file named with your key and put it in the root of your website.

• Filename: 4262631fe57245bd9bd1cef01d1c3fa4.txt

• Content inside file: The key itself (4262631fe57245bd9bd1cef01d1c3fa4)

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

Note: You can host the key in another directory, but then you'll need to use the keyLocation parameter explicitly when submitting URLs.

Step 3: Submit URLs via Node.js Script

File Structure

  ├── config.js
  ├── indexnow.js     <-- IndexNow logic 
  └── submit.js       <-- Call and test submission

config.js

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

indexnow.js — Core Logic

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 {
    if (!siteUrl || !indexNowKey || !urlList || !Array.isArray(urlList)) {
      throw new Error('Missing required parameters');
    }

    if (urlList.length === 0) {
      return { status: 'skipped', message: 'No URLs to submit' };
    }

    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,
      keyLocation: `${siteUrl.replace(/\/$/, '')}/${indexNowKey}.txt`,
      urlList: urlList
    };

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

    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) {
    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

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

const apiKey = '4262631fe57245bd9bd1cef01d1c3fa4';
const urls = [
  'blog/passwordless-authentication-guide',
  'blog/resistant-cryptography-migration'
];
const siteUrl = 'https://www.example.com';
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

• Go to https://www.bing.com/webmasters/indexnow

• Add and verify your domain if not done already.

• Use the URL inspection tool to verify submission status.

References

• Official IndexNow Documentation

• API Endpoint