API reference
The Google Indexing API, explained by a tool that runs it all day
Most write-ups of the Indexing API either oversell it as a magic indexing button or dismiss it because the docs say "job postings only". Both are wrong in ways that cost you time. Here is what it does, what it costs you in quota, and where it fits next to sitemaps and IndexNow.
The quotas you will actually hit
Two different APIs, two different jobs. Confusing them is the single most common mistake we see.
| API | Limit | Scoped per | What it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indexing API | 200 requests / day | Cloud project | Asking Google to crawl a URL now |
| URL Inspection API | 2,000 queries / day | Search Console property | Reading Google's current verdict on a URL |
| URL Inspection API | 600 queries / minute | Search Console property | Burst ceiling on the same endpoint |
| Sitemaps | No practical limit | Property | Bulk discovery of every URL you publish |
Setting it up
1
Create a Cloud project and enable the API
Google Cloud Console, then enable both the Indexing API and the Search Console API. The 200/day quota attaches to this project.
2
Create a service account and download its key
A JSON key file. Treat it like a password — it grants submission rights on every property that trusts it.
3
Grant it Owner in Search Console
Add the service-account email as an Owner on your property. Anything less than Owner will not authorise submission.
4
Submit, then verify separately
Publishing a URL notification does not tell you whether anything was indexed. That answer comes from the URL Inspection API, on its own quota, some time later.
Indexing API vs IndexNow vs sitemap
These are complements, not alternatives. A serious setup runs all three — which is what we do per URL.
| Indexing API | IndexNow | Sitemap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reaches Google | Yes (eligible types) | No | Yes |
| Reaches Bing / Yandex | No | Yes | Yes |
| Speed | Minutes to hours | Minutes | Days |
| Setup | Service account + Owner access | One key file | One XML file |
| Cost | Free, quota-capped | Free | Free |
| Best for | Individual urgent URLs | Every change, every non-Google engine | Complete coverage of the whole site |
Straight answers about the Indexing API
Can I use the Indexing API for normal pages?
Officially no — Google documents it for JobPosting and BroadcastEvent pages only. In practice many sites call it for other page types, and Google is free to ignore or throttle those requests. We submit through it because it sometimes helps and never hurts, but we lead with sitemaps and treat any Indexing API result as a bonus rather than the plan.
What is the daily quota?
The default is 200 publish requests per day per Google Cloud project. You can request an increase. Because the cap is per project rather than per site, adding more projects is how you scale — we run a pool of service accounts and pin each site to the least-loaded one.
Is the URL Inspection API the same thing?
No, and the difference matters. The Indexing API asks Google to crawl. The URL Inspection API reports what Google currently thinks about a URL. Submission and verification are different APIs with different quotas — 2,000 inspections per day per property.
Do I need a service account?
Yes. You create one in Google Cloud, enable the Indexing API, then add its email as an Owner on your Search Console property. Ownership is what authorises submission — there is no API key shortcut.
Will this get my site penalised?
There is no evidence that calling the Indexing API for ineligible page types carries a penalty; the documented behaviour is that the request is ignored. What does carry risk is any tool promising guaranteed indexing, because the only way to promise that is to lie.
Run all three channels without wiring any of them.
We pool service accounts so you are not capped at one project's 200 a day, submit to IndexNow in the same pass, and verify with URL Inspection afterwards. See pricing.
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