🗺️ Overview: How OTTO Indexing Works
OTTO offers two separate indexing methods to help search engines discover and process your pages faster. Understanding the difference between them helps you choose the right setup — or use both together for maximum coverage.
- Google Cloud Indexing (via JSON key): Uses the Google Indexing API to submit URLs directly to Google. This method requires you to upload a service account JSON key.
- IndexNow: A protocol supported by Bing, Yandex, and other search engines (and increasingly used for AI search indices) that instantly notifies participating engines when a page is added or updated. No JSON key is required.
Both methods are available inside OTTO under the Instant Indexing section. You can enable one or both depending on your goals.
⚙️ Setting Up Google Cloud Indexing
To use the Google Indexing API with OTTO, you need to create a Google Cloud service account and upload its JSON key. Follow the steps below.
- Go to the Google Cloud Console and sign in with the Google account that owns your Google Search Console property.
- Create a new project (or select an existing one), then navigate to APIs & Services → Library and enable the Web Search Indexing API.
- Go to APIs & Services → Credentials and click Create Credentials → Service Account. Fill in a name and click Done.
- Open the service account you just created, go to the Keys tab, click Add Key → Create new key, select JSON, and download the file.
- In Google Search Console, go to Settings → Users and permissions and add the service account email address (found in the JSON file as "client_email") as an Owner.
- In Search Atlas, navigate to OTTO SEO in the left sidebar, open your OTTO session, and locate the Instant Indexing section.
- Click the Google Cloud option, then upload your downloaded JSON key file when prompted.
- Once uploaded, OTTO will validate the key and begin submitting URLs to the Google Indexing API automatically when fixes are deployed.
Important: The service account must be added as an Owner in Google Search Console — Editor access is not sufficient for the Indexing API to work.
⚡ Setting Up IndexNow
IndexNow requires no credentials or JSON file. OTTO generates and manages your IndexNow key automatically.
- In Search Atlas, navigate to OTTO SEO in the left sidebar and open your OTTO session.
- Locate the Instant Indexing section and click the IndexNow toggle to enable it.
- OTTO will handle key generation and URL submissions automatically whenever changes are deployed on your site.
IndexNow submissions reach Bing, Yandex, and other participating engines, and also support faster discovery by AI search indices. It works alongside Google Cloud indexing — enabling both is recommended for the broadest coverage.
🗂️ How Sitemap Indexing Fits In
Your sitemap does not need to be changed or re-uploaded to use OTTO's indexing features. OTTO reads your existing sitemap to identify URLs but submits pages directly via the Indexing API or IndexNow — not by re-submitting your sitemap. You should keep your sitemap up to date in Google Search Console as usual, but no special sitemap changes are required for OTTO indexing to work.
If your sitemap is missing pages you want indexed, fix those gaps in your CMS or sitemap plugin first, then let OTTO handle direct submission once the pages appear.
🛠️ Troubleshooting Common Issues
- JSON key upload fails or shows an error: Confirm the Web Search Indexing API is enabled in your Google Cloud project and that the service account is listed as an Owner (not just an Editor) in Search Console.
- URLs are not being submitted: Make sure at least one indexing method (Google Cloud or IndexNow) is toggled on in the Instant Indexing section of your OTTO session.
- IndexNow toggle is greyed out: Ensure your OTTO session is fully activated and your site is verified. Refresh the page and try again.
- Google API quota errors: The Google Indexing API has a default daily limit of 200 URL submissions. If you hit this limit, submissions will resume the following day. Contact Google Cloud Support to request a quota increase for large sites.
💡 Best Practices
- Enable both Google Cloud and IndexNow for the widest engine coverage.
- Keep your Google service account JSON key secure — do not share it publicly.
- Monitor your OTTO SEO dashboard regularly to track how many pages have been submitted and whether Googlebot has crawled your recent fixes.
- Re-deploy OTTO fixes after major site changes so new URLs are submitted automatically.
If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.