XML sitemaps vs IndexNow
Short answer
Sitemaps and IndexNow solve different problems and can be used together. Sitemaps are a pull mechanism that crawlers read on their own schedule, while IndexNow pushes change notices to participating engines. Google does not participate in IndexNow.
At a glance
Section titled “At a glance”| XML sitemap | IndexNow | |
|---|---|---|
| Model | Pull — crawler fetches a file | Push — site pings an endpoint |
| Specification | sitemaps.org protocol | indexnow.org |
| Discovery | sitemap: in robots.txt, or submission in webmaster tools | HTTP request with a key hosted on your site |
| Limits | 50,000 URLs or 50 MB (uncompressed) per file | Up to 10,000 URLs per POST request |
| Signals | URL list, optional lastmod | “This URL was added, updated or deleted” |
| Supported | Not a participating engine |
When to use which
Section titled “When to use which”- Always: a sitemap listing only canonical, indexable URLs, with accurate
lastmod. - Add IndexNow when freshness on Bing and other participating engines matters (news, prices, frequently updated docs).
- Neither guarantees crawling or indexing.
Not established
Section titled “Not established”Whether IndexNow submissions change how quickly content is cited in AI answers on participating platforms. We know of no published measurement.