Tell Bing about every new page the moment it goes live
IndexNow page submission in Proofsource is for teams that publish fixes and new pages to win AI answers. Each new page Proofsource publishes for you is announced to Bing and other search engines that support IndexNow. Your key is created on the first publish, or you can reuse a key your site already serves, and Proofsource checks the key file before it relies on it.
| Place | What it does | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Your website · Webflow | Publishes approved fixes as CMS pages, checks each is live, and can undo | Connected |
| Bing and other search engines · IndexNow | Tells Bing about every new page | Key verified |
| Your email | Writes notes to list editors; you copy and send | Ready |
| Your CDN · Cloudflare | Reads logs to show which crawlers visit | Not connected |
IndexNow page submission, in short
The facts, ready to quote.
- Protocol
- IndexNow, the open protocol supported by Bing and other search engines
- When it runs
- For every new page Proofsource publishes for you
- Key
- Made on your first publish, or reuse a key your site already serves
- Verification
- Proofsource fetches the key file from your site's root and checks it
- Every attempt
- Logged with the result the search engine returned
- What it is not
- Not proof that an AI engine read, indexed or cited the page
IndexNow key and page submission. Proofsource sets up or reuses your IndexNow key, verifies the key file on your site, and announces new pages to Bing and other search engines through the protocol.
IndexNow, explained
IndexNow is an open protocol that lets a website tell search engines a URL is new or changed, instead of waiting for a crawler to find it. The site hosts a small key file at its root to prove ownership, then sends the changed URLs to an IndexNow endpoint. Bing and several other search engines take part, and one notice is shared among them.
Speed matters for AI visibility. When you publish a page to answer a buyer question, it cannot help until search engines know it exists, and several AI answers draw on search results, Microsoft Copilot on Bing's among them. Telling the engines straight away removes one wait from the loop of publish, get read, get quoted.
Proofsource does this for you whenever it publishes a page for your brand. It creates your IndexNow key on the first publish, or uses the key your site already serves once it has fetched and checked the file, then announces each new page and records the answer the endpoint gave. The limit is plain: a notice accepted by IndexNow says the engines were told, not that any AI engine read or cited the page.
How it works
Every new page Proofsource publishes for you is announced to Bing and other search engines through IndexNow, with your key set up and verified.
A key is set up
On your first publish Proofsource makes an IndexNow key. If your site already serves one, enter it instead.
The key file is checked
Proofsource fetches the key file from your site's root and only marks the key verified when the file holds it.
A page is published
When Proofsource publishes a fix to your site, such as a new comparison or answer page, the new URL is ready to announce.
Search engines are told
The new page is announced to Bing and other IndexNow search engines, and the result is logged.
Results are measured where it counts
Whether the page changes AI answers is measured separately, by asking the engines your buyer questions again.
See it in the product
Screens from the Proofsource app, drawn with sample data for an example brand.
Who it is for
Get new answer pages found faster
Every comparison or FAQ page Proofsource publishes is announced the moment it goes live.
Reuse the key you already have
If your site already hosts an IndexNow key, enter it and Proofsource uses it once the file checks out.
Keep Bing in the loop
New pages reach Bing without waiting for a crawl, which matters where answers draw on Bing's results.
One less step per client
Submission happens as part of publishing, for every client site Proofsource acts on.
Why it matters
No waiting for a crawl
Search engines hear about new pages when they go live.
Part of publishing
Nothing extra to remember: it runs with every page Proofsource publishes.
Verified, not assumed
The key file is fetched and checked before it is relied on.
Clear about what it proves
A notice is logged as a notice. Impact on AI answers is measured on its own.
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IndexNow page submission: Proofsource and other tools
Getting new content in front of crawlers quickly is something a few AI visibility tools describe. Here is what each says on its own site.
| Capability | Proofsource | Profound | Semrush | Ahrefs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Submit new content to crawlers | YesAnnounces each new published page through IndexNow | YesSubmit new content directly to AI crawlers for faster discoverySource | Not listed | Not listed |
| Runs as part of publishing fixes | YesAutomatic for every page Proofsource publishes for you | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
| Checks crawler access to your site | YesCrawler access checked on your live server | YesAgent Analytics: which AI bots access content, how often, real-time bot monitoringSource | YesSite Audit flags blocked AI botsSource | YesBot Analytics shows real-time AI crawler visits and top pagesSource |
Where each of them shines
Agent Analytics with crawler verification and direct content submission to AI crawlers. Compare in full
Site audits that flag blocked AI bots, a useful check that engines can reach the pages you submit. Compare in full
Real-time AI crawler analytics, so you can see whether crawlers pick up a new page. Compare in full
Questions about IndexNow page submission
What is IndexNow?
An open protocol that lets a website tell participating search engines, including Bing, that a page is new or has changed, so they do not have to wait to discover it.
When does Proofsource submit pages?
Whenever it publishes a new page to your site for you, such as an approved fix through your connected site builder.
Do I need to set anything up?
A key file has to be at your site's root. Proofsource creates your key on the first publish, and if your site already serves an IndexNow key you can enter it and Proofsource checks the file before using it.
Does IndexNow get my page into ChatGPT or Perplexity?
Not directly. IndexNow tells search engines about the page. Whether any AI answer then quotes it is a separate question, which Proofsource answers by asking your buyer questions on every engine your plan covers again.
Which search engines receive the notice?
Bing and the other search engines that take part in IndexNow share notices with each other.
What if my key file is missing?
Proofsource tells you the file is not there yet and where to put it. Until it is there, Bing may refuse the notice.
How is this different from Profound's content submission?
Profound offers direct submission to AI crawlers within its Agent Analytics. Proofsource announces pages through the open IndexNow protocol as part of publishing, then measures any change in AI answers separately.
Keep exploring
Try it on your own brand.
Proofsource is live: scan your brand and see IndexNow page submission at work with your own answers, competitors and sources.
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