---
title: Use Google Instant Indexing API with SEOPress
url: "https://www.seopress.org/support/guides/google-indexing-api-with-seopress/"
lang: en-US
updated: 2025-07-10
---

# Use Google Instant Indexing API with SEOPress

Note that you must first create a Google Console project before you can follow this tutorial. [More info on the official documentation](https://developers.google.com/assistant/sdk/guides/library/python/embed/config-dev-project-and-account).
Officially, the Google Indexing API should only be used to crawl pages that contain structured data of type `JobPosting` or `BroadcastEvent` in a `VideoObject` element. This can work for any type of URL, but use sparingly and only if you have major indexing concerns.

## Activate the Google Indexing API from Google Cloud Console

Sign in to [Google Cloud Console](https://console.developers.google.com/).

Using the main navigation menu (click the hamburger icon), click on **APIs & Services**, **Library**, search for **Web Search ****Indexing API (indexing.googleapis.com)**, click on it from the search results, and **enable it**.

[![Google Indexing API activation](https://www.seopress.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/google-web-indexing-api.png)](https://www.seopress.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/google-web-indexing-api.png)

*Google Indexing API activation*

You will be redirect after the activation to this API.

[![Google Indexing API Credentials](https://www.seopress.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/google-indexing-api-credentials.png)](https://www.seopress.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/google-indexing-api-credentials.png)

*Google Indexing API Credentials*

From the left menu, click on **Credentials**, then from the right panel, click on the **Create credentials** button. Choose the “**Service account**” option.

[![Create a service account for the Indexing API](https://www.seopress.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/google-indexing-api-service-account.png)](https://www.seopress.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/google-indexing-api-service-account.png)

*Create a service account for the Indexing API*

The first step is to enter a **name** and a **description** of your choice, then click **Create**.

[![Create a service account - step 1](https://www.seopress.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/google-indexing-api-service-account-step-1.png)](https://www.seopress.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/google-indexing-api-service-account-step-1.png)

*Create a service account – step 1*

Second step, choose **Owner** from the dropdown list and click **Continue** button.

[![Create a service account - step 2](https://www.seopress.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/google-indexing-api-service-account-step-2.png)](https://www.seopress.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/google-indexing-api-service-account-step-2.png)

*Create a service account – step 2*

Simply click **Done** at last step.

[![Create a service account - step 3](https://www.seopress.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/google-indexing-api-service-account-step-3.png)](https://www.seopress.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/google-indexing-api-service-account-step-3.png)

*Create a service account – step 3*

From the **Service accounts** table, click on the newly service account to **edit** it.

[![Service accounts list for Indexing API](https://www.seopress.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/google-indexing-api-service-accounts-list.png)](https://www.seopress.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/google-indexing-api-service-accounts-list.png)

*Service accounts list for Indexing API*

Click on **Keys** tab, **Add key**, **Create a new key**.

[![Service account edition, Keys tab - Google Indexing API](https://www.seopress.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/google-indexing-api-service-account-key.png)](https://www.seopress.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/google-indexing-api-service-account-key.png)

*Service account edition, Keys tab – Google Indexing API*

[![Service account edition, Add key - Google Indexing API](https://www.seopress.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/google-indexing-api-service-account-create-key.png)](https://www.seopress.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/google-indexing-api-service-account-create-key.png)

*Service account edition, Add key – Google Indexing API*

From the popup, choose **JSON** as key type and click **Create**.

[![Create your private key for Google Indexing API](https://www.seopress.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/google-indexing-api-service-account-create-private-key.png)](https://www.seopress.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/google-indexing-api-service-account-create-private-key.png)

*Create your private key for Google Indexing API*

Your browser will start downloading a **JSON** file.

Close the popup.

## Add your service account as a site owner to Google Search Console

Now go [Google Search Console](https://search.google.com/search-console/).

Select the desired website property from the list.

Then, from the left navigation panel, click on **Settings**.

Under **Property settings**, click on **Users and permissions**.

[![Google Search Console settings](https://www.seopress.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/google-search-console-settings.png)](https://www.seopress.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/google-search-console-settings.png)

*Google Search Console settings*

Click **Add user** button.

Enter the **email address** provided by the **Service account previously created**.

Make sure to select “**Owner**” from the **Permission** field to prevent 403 error when submitting the URLs for indexing.

[![Google Search Console settings - New user](https://www.seopress.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/google-search-console-settings-new-user.png)](https://www.seopress.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/google-search-console-settings-new-user.png)

*Google Search Console settings – New user*

This email can be retrieved from **Google Cloud Console**, **IAM & Admin**, **Service Accounts**, your service account, **Details** tab. Or by opening your downloaded JSON file, **client\_email** line.

Choose **Owner** and click **Add**.

## Configure SEOPress to link your WordPress site with Google Indexing API

Sign in to your **WordPress admin** and go to **SEO**, **Instant Indexing** settings page, **Settings** tab.

Open your **JSON file** previously downloaded with a **text editor** (eg: Notepad on Windows or TextEdit on Mac).

Select **all it’s content with CTRL+A** (CMD+A on Mac) and **copy** it.

Then **paste** it to **Google Indexing API key** field.

**Save** changes.

[![Google Search Console settings tab, SEOPress PRO](https://www.seopress.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/seopress-google-search-console-json-key.png)](https://www.seopress.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/seopress-google-search-console-json-key.png)

*Google Search Console settings tab, SEOPress PRO*

## Index your content

From **SEO**, **Instant Indexing**, **General** tab, select a **search engine**, the **action to run**, and enter up to **100 URLs** to the “**Submit URLs for indexing**” textarea field.

[![Instant indexing general tab - SEOPress Free](https://www.seopress.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/seopress-instant-indexing-general.png)](https://www.seopress.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/seopress-instant-indexing-general.png)

*Instant indexing general tab – SEOPress Free*

Then click **Submit URLs to Google & Bing**.

The page reloads.

You should see a success message in the response section if all went well.

## Automatically request indexing with IndexNow API

Since version 5.5 of SEOPress, you can now automatically notify search engines each time a post, page or post type is published, updated or deleted.

To activate this option, just go to the **Setting** tab of **Instant Indexing** and check “**Enable automatic URL submission for IndexNow API**“.

**Save changes**.

That’s it!

[![Instant Indexing > Settings tab - SEOPress Free](https://www.seopress.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/05-02-instant-indexing-settings-tab-seopress-free-scaled.png)](https://www.seopress.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/05-02-instant-indexing-settings-tab-seopress-free-scaled.png)

*Instant Indexing > Settings tab – SEOPress Free*

## FAQ

### Is there any quotas?

Yes! 200 requests per day for Google, 10,000 for Bing.

### Is this completely Free?

Yes, Google and Bing doesn’t no charge anything.

### Should I still use a XML sitemaps?

Yes, absolutely! These APIs are still experimental and doesn’t replace your XML sitemaps.

### How long do I have to wait before seeing my URLs in the search results?

As always it depends on search engines but it should take few minutes, max few hours in general.

### Will this improve my ranking?

Search engines will crawl and index your content faster. However, like any URL, it depends of your content, backlinks etc.

### 401 error?

You Google JSON key is probably incorrect from the Settings tab. Delete it and add it again. Save changes.

### 403 error?

Make sure the Google Cloud user added to Google Search Console has the correct permissions: “**Owner**“.