Google Indexing API quota documentation was updated on 16 October 2026 to reflect current limits and the approval process. The update matters most to job boards and livestream publishers with short-lived pages. It does not turn the Indexing API into a general shortcut for indexing blog posts, product pages or service pages.
Google limits the API to pages containing JobPosting structured data or BroadcastEvent embedded in a VideoObject. Eligible site owners should treat the revised quota page as an operational checklist: confirm the page type, project ownership, submission volume, document quality and monitoring before requesting more capacity.
What Google changed in October 2026
Google’s Search documentation changelog says it updated the quota page to show the current limits and process and removed an outdated form. The current default quota is intended for initial onboarding and testing, while additional use requires approval and resource provisioning.
The official quota documentation lists three defaults: 200 publish requests per project per day, 180 metadata requests per project per minute and 380 total requests per project per minute. Daily quota resets at midnight Pacific Time, and a change can take up to 24 hours to become effective.
Confirm that your pages are eligible
The first question is not how much quota you need. It is whether the URLs qualify. Google says the API can only be used for JobPosting pages or livestreaming pages with BroadcastEvent inside VideoObject structured data. Ordinary articles, category pages, local service pages and standard product pages are outside the documented scope.
Do not create irrelevant markup simply to qualify. Structured data must describe visible page content accurately and follow the applicable feature guidelines. If a page does not represent a real job or eligible livestream event, use normal crawling and indexing methods such as crawlable links and sitemaps.
Understand each quota before planning volume
Quota
Default limit
What counts
Planning check
Publish requests
200 per project per day
Both URL_UPDATED and URL_DELETED
Count new, changed and removed eligible URLs
Metadata requests
180 per project per minute
Read-only getMetadata calls
Cache results and avoid repeated polling
Total requests
380 per project per minute
Calls across all endpoints
Apply rate limits and retry controls
Batch requests
Up to 100 calls per batch
Each URL still consumes quota
Batching reduces connections, not quota usage
A successful HTTP response confirms receipt of the notification; it does not guarantee indexing or removal. The metadata endpoint reports the last notification Google received, not when the URL entered or left the index. Monitoring should separate API delivery, crawl activity and actual Search visibility.
Estimate daily demand correctly
Build a seven- or fourteen-day baseline. Count eligible URLs created, materially updated and removed each day, then note peak periods. A job board may update closing dates or remove expired roles; a livestream publisher may add and end events. Include legitimate retries, but do not multiply projects or accounts to avoid limits.
Compare the total with the 200-request testing allowance. If normal production demand exceeds it, document why, which page types generate the requests and how quality is controlled. Google says quota can increase or decrease based on document quality, so volume alone is not a convincing case.
Prepare the site before requesting more quota
Verify ownership in Search Console, enable the API in the correct Google Cloud project, create the approved service account and confirm that authentication works. The service account must be connected to the relevant Search Console property with suitable permission.
Then validate a sample of eligible pages. Check that required structured data matches visible content, URLs return a successful status, canonical signals are consistent and expired pages follow the correct removal workflow. Kayaar’s VideoObject audit provides related checks for supported video properties, while the SEO indexing audit helps identify rendering and visibility problems outside the API itself.
Use update and removal notifications carefully
Send URL_UPDATED when an eligible page is added or its content changes. Send URL_DELETED after the page has been removed from the server and should leave the index. Google’s usage guide shows the supported endpoint, request types, metadata check and batch format.
One update request contains one URL. A batch can combine up to 100 calls, but every URL counts separately against quota. Use batching to reduce connection overhead, not to bypass limits. Google specifically warns against circumventing submission limits through multiple accounts.
Design monitoring and error handling
Log the URL, request type, response code, timestamp, project and retry count. Treat 400 errors as malformed requests, 403 errors as permission or ownership problems and 429 errors as a quota signal. Use controlled backoff rather than immediate repeated submissions.
Sample eligible URLs in Search Console and server logs to check whether Googlebot can fetch them. Do not use notification status as an indexing report. A wider technical SEO reporting audit can help separate delivery, crawling, indexing and performance metrics.
Keep normal indexing systems in place
Google recommends sitemaps for broader site coverage even when eligible short-lived pages use the API. Maintain accurate XML sitemaps, crawlable internal links, stable canonicals and useful content. Do not remove foundational SEO controls after an API implementation.
For non-eligible pages, use Search Console inspection for limited diagnostics rather than attempting to automate unsupported submissions. If widespread pages are not indexed, investigate quality, duplication, rendering, status codes, internal links and crawl access. Kayaar’s website due-diligence checklist shows how indexing risk fits into a wider technical review.
Run a controlled implementation
Confirm that every submitted URL is an eligible job or livestream page.
Measure creation, update and deletion volume over a representative period.
Validate structured data, ownership, authentication and server responses.
Test within the default quota and log every notification and error.
Request additional capacity only with evidence of quality and legitimate demand.
A production owner should review quota use, document quality and failure rates regularly. For an independent technical review, use Kayaar’s contact page with the affected templates, Search Console property and project details.
Key takeaway
The October update clarifies the Google Indexing API quota process; it does not expand eligibility. Use the API only for supported JobPosting and BroadcastEvent pages, treat 200 daily publish requests as initial testing capacity and request more only after verifying quality, ownership and legitimate production volume.
FAQs
What is the default Google Indexing API publish quota?
Google documents a default of 200 publish requests per project per day for initial onboarding and testing.
Can the Indexing API submit ordinary blog posts?
No. Google limits the API to eligible JobPosting pages and livestream pages using BroadcastEvent within VideoObject.
Does batching increase the available quota?
No. A batch can contain up to 100 calls, but every submitted URL still counts separately against quota.
Does an HTTP 200 response guarantee indexing?
No. It confirms that Google received the notification and may recrawl the URL; it does not guarantee indexing.
When should a site request additional quota?
Request more after validating eligibility, document quality, ownership and real production volume that exceeds the testing allowance.
