Indexing API

In today’s digital world, fast indexing of web pages is a key factor in ensuring their visibility in search engines. Google offers a tool called Indexing API, which allows website owners to promptly notify the search engine about the addition or removal of pages. In this article, we will explore how to set up Google Indexing API to accelerate the indexing of your website.

What is Google Indexing API?

Google Indexing API is an application programming interface (API) that enables website owners to directly inform Google about changes on their sites. This is particularly useful for pages that are frequently updated or have a short lifespan, such as job postings or event announcements.

When Should You Use Indexing API?

If you are facing issues with long indexing times for new pages, Indexing API can help speed up the process. It is important to note that this tool officially supports pages with JobPosting or BroadcastEvent markup, embedded in a VideoObject. However, many specialists have successfully used it for other types of pages as well.

What Do You Need to Set Up Indexing API?

1. Connect Indexing API to Google Search Console.
2. Create a new JSON key.
3. Install and configure a script on Node.js.
4. Run the script to submit URLs for indexing.

Once the initial setup is complete, you will only need to update the URL list file and rerun the script to send new pages for indexing.

Step-by-Step Guide to Setting Up Google Indexing API

1. Creating a Service Account and JSON Key

Step 1: Go to Google Cloud Platform and create a new project.
Step 2: In the “API & Services” section, select “Service Accounts” and create a new service account, assigning it the “Owner” role.
Step 3: After creating the service account, go to the “Keys” section and generate a new JSON key.
Step 4: Download the generated JSON key to your computer.

2. Configuring the Crawling Script

Download the script from GitHub and replace the service_account.json file with your downloaded JSON key.

3. Linking the Script to Google Search Console

Add the email from your JSON key as site owner in Google Search Console.

4. Installing Required Libraries

Install Node.js on your computer. Open the terminal, navigate to the folder with the script, and execute the following commands:

bash

npm install request npm audit fix npm audit fix --force

5. Running the Script

1. Open the urls.txt file and add the URLs of the pages you want to index (up to 100 at a time).
2. In the terminal, navigate to the script folder and run the command:

bash

node index.js

If the script executes successfully, you will see the message “200 OK”, indicating that the request was successfully sent.

Using Google Indexing API can significantly speed up the indexing process for new or updated pages on your website, ensuring their quick appearance in search results. By following the step-by-step guide above, you can set up this tool on your own and enhance your website’s visibility on Google.