Search Engine Notifications

Automatically notify search engines when your sitemap updates for faster indexing

Google Ping Deprecated: Google deprecated their sitemap ping endpoint in June 2023. The endpoint no longer functions. For Google, use our Google Search Console integration instead. For Bing, Yandex, and other search engines, use IndexNow (see below).

IndexNow (Recommended)

IndexNow is an open protocol that allows you to instantly notify participating search engines when your content changes. With a single API call, you can notify Bing, Yandex, Naver, Seznam.cz, and other search engines.

Supported Search Engines

  • Microsoft Bing - Full support
  • Yandex - Full support
  • Naver - South Korea's leading search engine
  • Seznam.cz - Czech Republic's leading search engine
  • Yep - Privacy-focused search engine

Google does not support IndexNow. For Google, connect your Google Search Console account and we'll automatically submit your sitemaps via their API.

Enabling IndexNow

Via API

First, enable IndexNow for your domain:

curl -X POST https://dash.sitemaphost.app/api/domains/{domainId}/indexnow/enable \
  -H "X-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY"

Then, when generating sitemaps, IndexNow will be used automatically:

curl -X POST https://dash.sitemaphost.app/api/sitemap/generate \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "X-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -d '{
    "domain": "sitemap.yoursite.com",
    "urls": [...],
    "indexNow": true
  }'

How IndexNow Works

  1. Enable IndexNow -- Enable IndexNow for your domain. We generate a unique API key for you.
  2. Key file is served automatically -- We host the verification key file at your domain (e.g., https://sitemap.yoursite.com/abc123.txt).
  3. You update your sitemap -- Generate or update your sitemap via API or dashboard.
  4. Search engines are notified -- We submit your URLs to IndexNow, which shares them with all participating engines.

IndexNow API Endpoints

EndpointMethodDescription
/api/domains/:id/indexnow/enablePOSTEnable IndexNow and generate key
/api/domains/:id/indexnowGETGet IndexNow status
/api/domains/:id/indexnow/regeneratePOSTRegenerate the API key
/api/domains/:id/indexnowDELETEDisable IndexNow

Google Search Console Integration

Since Google deprecated their ping endpoint, the best way to notify Google about sitemap updates is through their Search Console API. When you connect your Google Search Console account, SitemapHost will automatically submit your sitemaps.

To connect your Google Search Console account, go to Settings and click "Connect Google Search Console".

Legacy: Google Ping (Deprecated)

No Longer Functional: The Google ping endpoint (https://www.google.com/ping) was deprecated in June 2023 and no longer processes sitemap submissions. The pingGoogle parameter is kept for backwards compatibility but has no effect.

Previously, Google accepted sitemap ping requests at:

GET https://www.google.com/ping?sitemap=https://sitemap.yoursite.com/sitemap.xml

This endpoint is no longer monitored by Google. Use the Google Search Console integration instead for Google notifications.

For maximum search engine coverage, we recommend:

  • Enable IndexNow for Bing/Yandex coverage
  • Connect Google Search Console for Google
  • Include sitemap URL in your robots.txt
  • Use accurate lastmod dates in your sitemap

Next Steps