# SEO Indexnow > Submit recently added, updated, deleted, or sitemap-listed URLs to the IndexNow API for SEO workflows. Use when a user asks to integrate IndexNow, publish an IndexNow key file, submit URLs after a site update or deployment, notify search engines from a sitemap, create GitHub Actions or Dokploy/server post-deploy automation, debug IndexNow API or workflow errors, or reuse IndexNow automation across websites. - Skill: `byte886/seo-indexnow` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 8 files) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add byte886/seo-indexnow` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/byte886/seo-indexnow/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Marketing & Growth - Author: byte886 (https://skillmd.com/u/byte886) - Updated: 2026-09-21 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/byte886/seo-indexnow --- # SEO IndexNow ## Core Workflow Use this skill for IndexNow setup and submission work. Treat IndexNow as a change notification system for participating search engines, not as a Google indexing guarantee and not as a replacement for XML sitemaps or Google Search Console. 1. Inspect the site first. - Identify the production origin, canonical URL policy, sitemap location, deployment path, and where public static files are served. - Check existing CI/CD and deployment ownership before wiring automation. A build or image-publish job is not production proof unless that same job proves the live site changed. - Prefer the live sitemap after deployment when submitting production URLs. - If the site has multiple hosts or subdomains, handle each host separately with its own key file and payload. 2. Add or verify the key file. - Use a user-provided key when available. Do not invent a persistent key unless the user asks for setup from scratch. - If the user has an existing reusable personal key, store it outside the skill at `~/.codex/indexnow/default-key.txt`. The bundled script reads this file automatically when `--key`, `--key-file`, and `INDEXNOW_KEY` are not provided. - When preparing another owned site, use `--ensure-public-key-file ` to create or verify `/{key}.txt` from the selected key. - Place the key file where the framework serves site-root static assets. The preferred public URL is `https://example.com/{key}.txt`. - Verify that the live key file returns HTTP 200 as plain text and contains exactly the key. 3. Select URLs. - For routine updates, submit only URLs that were added, changed, redirected, or deleted. - For a small site-wide refresh, migration, canonical rewrite, or new IndexNow setup, submitting all canonical sitemap URLs is acceptable. - Do not submit non-canonical, noindex, redirected, cross-host, staging, localhost, query-parameter tracking, or private URLs unless the user explicitly requests it and the protocol allows it. 4. Submit through the bundled script. - Start with `--dry-run` and inspect the URL count and host. - Use the live sitemap URL for production submission. - Record HTTP statuses. Treat 200 and first-use 202 as accepted; handle 429 by waiting according to `Retry-After`. - Use `--timeout-ms` for slow or unreliable networks instead of letting live checks hang. 5. Verify after submission. - Confirm the live sitemap still lists the intended canonical URLs. - Confirm the key file remains reachable. - State clearly that IndexNow receipt does not guarantee crawling or indexing. ## Deployment Trigger Pattern Prefer triggering IndexNow only after the production deployment is serving the new sitemap and key file. - Do not place production submission immediately after a build or container-image publish unless that same job also proves production has updated. - For GHCR, Docker, Dokploy, or similar pull-and-restart deployments, use a post-deploy hook, manual post-deploy workflow, or `repository_dispatch` event fired after the new container is live. - Keep the submission job separate from the image-publish job when production rollout is controlled outside GitHub Actions. - In the submission job, fetch the live sitemap and live key file. This prevents notifying IndexNow about URLs that exist only in source or in an unpublished image. - When adding or debugging GitHub Actions automation, read `references/github-actions.md` and prefer copying `assets/github-indexnow-workflow.yml` instead of rewriting inline submission code. - When adding Dokploy or server-side post-deploy automation, read `references/github-actions.md` and prefer copying `assets/trigger-indexnow-dispatch.sh` into the deployment hook. The hook must verify the live key file and sitemap before dispatching. - If the user asks whether deployment triggered IndexNow, check workflow runs first. If there is no `workflow_dispatch` or `repository_dispatch` run, the deployment system did not trigger it; verify the live key/sitemap, then do a manual non-dry-run backfill only when appropriate. ## Bundled Script Use `scripts/submit-indexnow.mjs` from this skill to avoid rewriting API calls. Dry-run from a live sitemap: ```bash node ~/.codex/skills/seo-indexnow/scripts/submit-indexnow.mjs \ --site-url https://example.com \ --sitemap https://example.com/sitemap.xml \ --key-file ./public/.txt \ --dry-run ``` Prepare another owned site using the personal default key: ```bash node ~/.codex/skills/seo-indexnow/scripts/submit-indexnow.mjs \ --site-url https://example.com \ --sitemap https://example.com/sitemap.xml \ --ensure-public-key-file ./public \ --dry-run \ --skip-key-check ``` Submit after deployment: ```bash node ~/.codex/skills/seo-indexnow/scripts/submit-indexnow.mjs \ --site-url https://example.com \ --sitemap https://example.com/sitemap.xml \ --key-file ./public/.txt ``` Submit an explicit changed-URL list: ```bash node ~/.codex/skills/seo-indexnow/scripts/submit-indexnow.mjs \ --site-url https://example.com \ --urls-file changed-urls.txt \ --key-file ./public/.txt \ --dry-run ``` Useful options: - `--key `: read the key from the command line instead of a file. - `INDEXNOW_KEY=`: read the key from the environment. - `~/.codex/indexnow/default-key.txt`: personal default key file, read automatically when no explicit key source is provided. - `--ensure-public-key-file `: create or verify `/{key}.txt` before continuing. - `--key-location `: use a non-root public key file URL. - `--skip-key-check`: skip live key-file verification, useful before deployment or with local sitemap testing. - `--endpoint `: override the default `https://api.indexnow.org/indexnow`. - `--limit `: submit or dry-run only the first `n` URLs. - `--timeout-ms `: bound HTTP fetch, key-check, and submit waits. Default is 30000. ## GitHub Actions Template Use `assets/github-indexnow-workflow.yml` when the site should submit through GitHub Actions after production deployment. 1. Copy it to `.github/workflows/indexnow.yml`. 2. Replace `SITE_URL` and `INDEXNOW_KEY`. 3. Ensure the matching key file is committed to the framework public root. 4. Run the workflow manually with `dry_run: true`, then after production deployment with `dry_run: false`. 5. Wire the deployment system to send `repository_dispatch` with event type `production-deployed` only after the live key file and sitemap are reachable. Use `assets/trigger-indexnow-dispatch.sh` when Dokploy, a VPS, SSH script, Docker host, or other server-side deployment system needs to trigger the GitHub workflow after production is live. Configure `SITE_URL`, `INDEXNOW_KEY`, `GITHUB_REPOSITORY`, and `GITHUB_TOKEN` in the deployment environment, not in source code. ## References - Read `references/protocol.md` when implementing or debugging payloads, status codes, rate limits, or API behavior. - Read `references/framework-placement.md` when deciding where to put the key file in a specific framework or hosting setup. - Read `references/github-actions.md` when creating, triggering, or debugging GitHub Actions IndexNow automation.