Glossary
IndexNow vs XML sitemap: what's the difference?
An XML sitemap lists your URLs for search engines to fetch on their own schedule (pull). IndexNow lets you notify participating engines the moment URLs change (push). Google uses sitemaps but not IndexNow; Bing, Yandex and others support both. Most sites should use both.
Side by side
| XML sitemap | IndexNow | |
|---|---|---|
| Model | Engines read it periodically | You notify on change |
| Yes | No | |
| Bing and others | Yes | Yes |
| Setup | Generate file, submit, list in robots.txt | Key file plus HTTP request |
| Best for | Complete URL inventory | Fast discovery of changes |
Using both
Keep an accurate sitemap for every engine, and send IndexNow pings when you publish, update or delete pages. Many platforms and CDNs can ping automatically.
Example
After publishing a batch of pages, a team submits the new sitemap in Google Search Console and sends one IndexNow request for all the URLs; Bing shows them received the same day.
When each matters most
Sitemaps matter most for sites with many pages or weak internal linking, since they give engines a full list. IndexNow matters most for sites that change often, like news, listings and catalogues, where waiting for a recrawl means stale results. A site publishing a batch of new pages benefits from both on the same day.
FAQ
Does IndexNow help with Google?
Not directly; Google doesn't participate.
Do I still need a sitemap with IndexNow?
Yes, especially for Google.
Is IndexNow faster?
For participating engines, usually yes.
How many URLs can one IndexNow request include?
Up to 10,000.
Can IndexNow tell engines a page was deleted?
Yes; submit the URL and engines will see it returns 404 or 410.