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Indexing Submission

Submit URLs to Google and Bing for faster indexing. Monitor status and confirm new or updated pages are discovered before the next routine crawl cycle.

Written by Mike

Submit URLs to Bing for Faster Indexing

The Indexing Submission tool (powered by IndexNow) lets site owners notify the Bing search engine about new or updated pages instantly. Instead of waiting for Bing's regular crawl — which can take days or weeks to detect changes — you submit URLs directly and Bing prioritizes them for crawling. Up to 10,000 URLs per submission, free for all Serpstat users.

What you can achieve:

  • Get new and updated pages indexed by Bing faster: Submit URLs the moment you publish or update content — Bing crawls them in priority instead of waiting for its regular crawl schedule.

  • Remove deleted pages from Bing's index quickly: Submit the URLs of deleted pages so Bing can reflect the removal in search results faster than its standard crawl cycle allows.

  • Submit large URL batches efficiently: Send up to 10,000 URLs in a single submission — faster than any manual or API-based alternative for large-scale content updates.

Getting Started

  1. In Serpstat, go to Tools → Indexing Submission.

  2. Enter your domain name in the format site.com or www.site.com (without http/https).

  3. Click Generate API key to create your IndexNow key. Copy the key.

  4. Place the API key in a .txt file at the root of your site. The filename must match the key value exactly — for example: {your-key}.txt. The file must be UTF-8 encoded. This step verifies that you own the domain.

  5. Paste the same key into the API key (IndexNow) field.

  6. Add the list of URLs you want to submit — one URL per line, up to 10,000.

  7. Click Send URLs. You will see a confirmation message once the submission is processed. Check results in Bing Webmaster Tools — changes may take some time to appear in search results.

Key Metrics Explained

  1. IndexNow API key: A unique key that verifies you own the domain you're submitting URLs for. Bing checks that the key file exists at your site root before accepting the submission.

  2. URL list: The pages you want Bing to crawl in priority. Include any page that has been added, updated, or deleted since Bing last crawled it.

  3. Submission confirmation: After clicking Send URLs, Serpstat shows whether the submission was accepted or is being processed. This confirms the URLs were sent — not that they are already indexed.

  4. Bing Webmaster Tools: The definitive place to verify submission results. After submitting, check your Bing Webmaster Tools account to see crawl and indexing status for the submitted URLs.

Pro Tip: Build a Submission Routine for Content-Heavy Sites

For sites that publish frequently, a regular IndexNow submission routine keeps Bing's index up to date — without relying on its crawl schedule.

  1. Export your recently published or updated URLs from your CMS at the end of each week (or after each major content push).

  2. Paste the URL list into Indexing Submission and send — the process takes under a minute for up to 10,000 URLs.

  3. Cross-check coverage in Bing Webmaster Tools weekly to confirm that submitted URLs are being crawled.

  4. The goal: Keep Bing's index current with minimal manual effort — especially useful for news sites, blogs, and e-commerce catalogs with frequent updates.

⚠️ Important: Indexing Submission sends URLs to Bing only (via the IndexNow protocol). It does not affect Google indexing. For Google, use Google Search Console's URL Inspection and indexing request features. The tool is free for all registered Serpstat users.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Does this tool submit URLs to Google?
​A: No — Indexing Submission uses the IndexNow protocol, which currently covers Bing. For Google, use the Google Search Console URL Inspection tool or the Indexing API.
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Q: Why do I need to place a key file on my site?
​A: The key file proves domain ownership. Bing requires this verification before accepting URL submissions to prevent unauthorized parties from submitting URLs on behalf of your domain.
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Q: How long does it take for Bing to crawl and index submitted URLs?
​A: Bing prioritizes submitted URLs for crawling, but indexing time varies. Check Bing Webmaster Tools after 24–48 hours to see crawl status for submitted URLs.
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Next Steps

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