IndexNow key generator

This generator needs JavaScript. Without it, any string of 8 to 128 letters, digits and dashes is a valid key; the steps below still apply.

The key is made in your browser with crypto.getRandomValues. It is not sent to mowteng or anyone else, so nobody else knows it until you publish the file.

How the key file works

1. Download the file. It is named after the key and contains only the key, which is what the IndexNow protocol checks.
2. Upload it to your site's root. It must open at https://your-site/<key>.txt and return the key as plain text. On most static hosts, put it in the folder that becomes the site root, such as public/.
3. Submit a URL. Open the test URL above, or send changed URLs from your assistant. Participating engines (Bing, Yandex, Seznam, Naver, Yep and others) share every submission. Google does not take part.

Reading the response

• 200 or 202: accepted. 202 means the key file has not been checked yet.
• 403: the key is not valid: the file is missing, or its contents differ from the key.
• 422: a URL does not belong to the site, or the key does not match it.
• 429: too many requests. Submit only pages that were added, changed or removed.

A 200 tells engines to look. It does not mean the page will be indexed.

Or let your assistant do all of it

With mowteng connected, indexnow_setup makes a key for your site, gives you the file and says where it goes, then checks that it is live. After that, indexnow_submit sends changed URLs without you passing the key, and asks before it sends.

If you already made a key here or in an SEO plugin, your assistant can pass that key instead. The IndexNow setup guide covers the details.