Notify Bing of Pricing and Content Updates with IndexNow: Setup and AI Citation Checks

Send the URL that changed

An IndexNow submission identifies a page you added, updated, or deleted. It tells search engines where a change occurred. Participating search engines share submissions, saving you from sending the same URL to each engine. (IndexNow documentation)

For a pricing update, the workflow looks like this:

1. Publish the new price and its effective date on the pricing page
2. Submit that page's URL through IndexNow

After receiving the notification, the engine decides whether and when to retrieve the page. Retrieval timing depends on factors including scheduling and quality signals. (IndexNow FAQ)

Keep your sitemap and add update notifications

A sitemap lists URLs on your site. IndexNow identifies the ones that changed. Bing recommends using both, with the sitemap's lastmod field reflecting the date the page content actually changed. This field records the page's last modification time. (Bing's guide to sitemaps in AI-powered search)

Keep your existing sitemap and add IndexNow notifications to the process that publishes or updates pages.

Set up a CMS integration or use the API

Use an existing integration on platforms such as WordPress

A content management system, or CMS, lets you edit and publish pages. Platforms such as WordPress and Wix support IndexNow through built-in features or SEO plugins. If your existing CMS or plugin supports IndexNow, enable its integration using the product's instructions. (IndexNow FAQ)

After enabling the integration, try checking its submission history following an article publication or update. An entry for the changed URL shows that automatic submission is working. You can then rely on the integration for routine notifications.

For a custom site configure a key file and URL submission

A custom website can use the IndexNow API, the endpoint your site's code calls to send a notification. Manual setup requires a key that proves control of the site and the URL of the changed page. (Bing's IndexNow setup guide)

For an illustrative key of example-key-1234, name the file example-key-1234.txt and put example-key-1234 inside it. Publish the file at your site's root, with the filename directly after the domain as shown below.

File URL: https://example.com/example-key-1234.txt
File contents: example-key-1234

Save the file using UTF-8 text encoding. For your real configuration, generate your own key. Use the same key for the filename before .txt and for the file contents. (Bing's IndexNow setup guide)

The following submission URL notifies engines of a change to https://example.com/pricing. The url= parameter contains the changed page's URL and key= contains your key. The page URL uses %3A for : and %2F for /, a conversion called URL encoding. (IndexNow FAQ)

https://api.indexnow.org/indexnow?url=https%3A%2F%2Fexample.com%2Fpricing&key=example-key-1234

Replace the example page URL and key with your own, then open the submission URL in a browser or HTTP client to send it. The endpoint returns a numeric HTTP response code. HTTP 200 means the URL was received. A 202 means receipt with key validation pending; a 403 indicates an invalid key. For a 403, verify that the corresponding key file is publicly available and contains the same key, then correct any mismatch. (IndexNow documentation)

For everyday use, add this submission to the site's publishing process. Triggering it when the updated page is publicly available removes the need for someone to submit each URL manually.

Submit pages whose prices or terms have changed

New articles, pricing or stock changes, and deleted pages all qualify for IndexNow submissions. Submit the changed page's URL as illustrated below. (IndexNow FAQ)

Published change	URL to submit
A new article	The article URL
Updated pricing or plan details	The changed pricing page
New service regions or eligibility terms	The page whose terms changed
A deleted page for a discontinued product	The deleted product URL

Updating the pricing page can still leave old prices in a comparison article or FAQ. Revise other pages that state the same price, then submit the URLs you actually changed. If you revise both Japanese and English versions, submit both URLs.

For deciding how often to revise content, see our guide to AI citation freshness and update frequency.

Trace old prices in AI answers to the cited source

A 200 response tells you the engine received the URL. Search result updates and new AI citations need to be assessed through the information in those results and answers. (IndexNow documentation)

If an AI answer still shows an old price, try opening its citation link. Whether it points to your pricing page or another article determines what to investigate and correct.

• Your updated pricing page: Correct any old prices remaining in its copy or pricing table. To investigate Bing retrieval, use URL Inspection in Bing Webmaster Tools, its site management tool, to check indexing status and retrieval errors. (Bing URL Inspection guide)
• Another article on your site: Update the old price in its comparison table or FAQ and submit that article's URL
• A third-party comparison: Request an update, providing the official pricing page and effective date

The third-party site's owner controls changes to its article. Submitting your pricing URL leaves the amount in that other article unchanged.

To compare answers before and after an update, keep the prompt, region, and AI service consistent, use the same web search setting, and record answer timestamps and cited URLs. Comparing Japanese-language answers about Japanese contracts keeps other countries' prices outside the comparison.

Tell Bing when prices and articles change with IndexNow

IndexNow lets you tell Bing and other participating engines when you publish an article or change a price. Choose a CMS integration or add the notification API to your publishing process according to how your site is built.

The page you submit should state the current price and applicable terms. Check that its pricing table matches the surrounding copy and that it explains when the price takes effect and which customers it applies to. Review access and the page's explanations so search engines can retrieve it and readers can make an informed decision.

Please Cite Me! is a reporting tool for SEO agencies that checks whether a page is properly published and whether its content is complete. Its page audit helps you review access and whether readers can understand, verify, and cite the information on the page.

Use it to audit the pricing page or article whose update you are submitting through IndexNow.

Analyze a page with Please Cite Me! →