Publisher Indexing API Quickguide
The Publisher Indexing API is a lightweight HTTP API that you can request via a Cron job, serverless function, or even just in the browser.
The API uses a method Google has confirmed provides real-time updates for publishers in Google - meaning as soon as you call the API, Google will be notified of your new content.
To use the API you need an RSS feed - then either fetch the API when you publish, or on a schedule.
Endpoints
The API has three endpoints available to use with paid accounts:
/api/ping
Immediately triggers Google to fetch your RSS feed to get the latest update
/api/rss
Checks your RSS feed for updates, and requests a crawl if it finds one
/api/sitemap
Checks your news sitemap for updates, and requests a crawl if it finds one
How to call the API
Calling the API is as simple as requesting a URL. Eg:
https://api.pubindex.dev/api/rss?feed=https://example.com/feed/&api-key=abcdefghijklmno
This is an example API request using cURL, with the API key in a HTTP header:
curl -H "api-key: abcdefghijklmno" https://api.pubindex.dev/api/rss?feed=https://example.com/feed/
Fetch as you publish
Fetching the API at the same time you publish is an ideal option for smaller-medium sized publisher sites with feeds/sitemaps that update instantly.
When you publish new content, call the API and Google will be notified of your new content.
You can add the API into your publishing workflow, so that it is called after you publish or update.
Recommended endpoint: /api/ping
Fetch on a schedule
Fetching the API on a schedule is perfect for larger publisher sites behind CDNs/caching systems such as CloudFront that update more slowly.
You can call the API on a schedule for each feed or sitemap you need to monitor using a huge range of different methods.
The API works fully serverside, so you can call it from a serverless function eg via AWS Lambda, or a Cron job on a server.
Recommended endpoint: /api/rss