Google Indexing API

Written by Paul Hoda, SEO consultant since 2005. Last updated 8 November 2026.

What it is

Normally Google finds new and changed pages through crawling, following links and reading sitemaps.

Each page then waits its turn to be fetched, which can take hours or days. For most content that delay is fine. Keeping an accurate XML sitemap is usually enough. The Indexing API is a shortcut for two specific content types: job adverts, which expire, and livestream videos, which are only relevant for a short time.

Each request tells Google one of two things:

• URL_UPDATED: a page is new or has changed and should be crawled.
• URL_DELETED: a page has been removed, so it can be dropped from the index.

Which pages qualify

Google’s documentation limits the API to pages containing JobPosting markup or BroadcastEvent markup embedded in a VideoObject. For job sites and recruiters it can help listings appear in Google’s job search features quickly and disappear once filled.

Many people have used it to push ordinary blog posts or product pages. Google has warned against this. It has said requests for unsupported content may be ignored, and that misuse of the API, such as using multiple accounts to exceed quota, can lead to access being revoked. Its documentation also notes that submissions undergo spam detection.

How to set it up

1. Create a project in Google Cloud and enable the Indexing API.
2. Create a service account and download its key.
3. Add the service account’s email address as an owner of the property in Google Search Console.
4. Send authenticated requests when job or livestream pages are published, updated or expire.
5. Stay within the default daily quota, or request more through Google if you genuinely need it.

Some job board platforms and plugins handle this automatically.

What to use instead for other pages

• Keep your sitemap up to date with honest lastmod dates.
• Link new pages from relevant, frequently crawled pages using internal linking.
• Use the URL Inspection tool to request indexing of a small number of important pages.
• For Bing and others, consider IndexNow.
• Fix the underlying reasons pages are not indexed, such as weak or duplicate content, rather than trying to force them in.

If important pages are regularly slow to be indexed, that is usually a signal about site quality, crawl budget or weak internal links. Pushing notifications harder does not change how Google judges a page once it has crawled it. Many pages reported as discovered or crawled but not indexed in Search Console are simply ones Google did not consider valuable enough to store.

Common misunderstandings

• A successful API response means Google received the notification, not that the page will be indexed.
• The API does not improve rankings.
• Adding fake job markup to qualify ordinary pages breaks Google’s structured data guidelines.

Further reading: Google’s Indexing API quickstart.

Key Takeaways

• The Google Indexing API notifies Google of new, updated or removed pages.
• It officially supports only job posting and livestream pages.
• Using it for other content is against Google’s guidance and may be ignored.
• Setup needs a Google Cloud service account added as a Search Console owner.
• A successful request does not guarantee indexing or better rankings.

Related Terms

• IndexNow
• Indexing
• URL Inspection Tool
• XML Sitemap
• Google Search Console
• Schema Markup

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