How Can IR Teams Use IndexNow for Investor Relations After Earnings?
IndexNow for investor relations is a URL notification protocol that tells Microsoft Bing about a changed earnings page. Bing Webmaster Tools can help an IR team inspect discovery and indexing. Microsoft Copilot may later use Bing web search, while ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Google AI Mode, and SEC EDGAR use separate systems.
IndexNow does not correct an investor answer. It reports that a URL changed. An IR team must track crawling, indexing, citation, and answer correction as separate events.
What is IndexNow and what does it do?
IndexNow is an open protocol that lets a website report a new, updated, or deleted URL to participating search engines. The notification may prompt discovery. It does not promise that a search engine will crawl or index the page.
A site sends the changed URL, its host, and a verification key to an IndexNow endpoint. The official IndexNow documentation explains the request format, key verification, response codes, and methods for submitting multiple URLs.
For an IR team, IndexNow belongs near the end of the publishing process. The team publishes the current earnings release, checks the live page, and then reports the exact changed URL.
Where does IndexNow fit in the publishing process?
IndexNow fits after publication and technical review. An IR team should not submit a draft, a blocked page, or a page that still contains unverified information.
A practical order is:
- Publish the HTML earnings release.
- Compare the release with the filed exhibit or report.
- Confirm that the public URL works without a login.
- Confirm that Bingbot is not blocked.
- Verify the IndexNow key file.
- Submit each new or materially updated URL.
- Record the request and its response.
- Check crawling, indexing, citations, and answers separately.
IndexNow supplements internal links and an XML sitemap. It does not replace either one.
Which search engines receive an IndexNow request?
An IndexNow request is for search engines that participate in the protocol. The current list appears on the official IndexNow site.
Google is not listed as a participating search engine. An IndexNow request does not submit a page to Google Search, Google AI Overviews, or Google AI Mode. Google describes how its AI search features use normal search requirements in its documentation for AI features and websites.
ChatGPT also uses its own crawling and search systems. An IR team should treat IndexNow as a participating search engine discovery step, not a notice to every AI engine.
Last checked: 2026-11-03.
How does the IndexNow key work?
An IndexNow key helps verify that the submitting site controls the relevant host. The site publishes a text file containing the key and includes that key in the submission request.
The IndexNow documentation explains where the key file can appear and how its location affects eligible URLs. The submitted URLs must follow those host and key location rules.
Before submission, open the key file in a browser. Confirm that the file is public and contains the expected key. Check that a firewall, content delivery network rule, or bot setting does not block access.
Can IndexNow help Microsoft Copilot find a new earnings release?
IndexNow can notify Bing that a new earnings release exists. This may support later retrieval in a Microsoft Copilot experience that uses Bing web search. IndexNow cannot require Microsoft Copilot to retrieve, cite, or correctly summarize the release.
Microsoft documents how web search can provide current public information to Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat and agents. The exact behavior depends on the Copilot product, the question, and the available search results.
The path from submission to a corrected answer contains several separate stages. A failure at any stage can leave an old answer unchanged.
What is the difference between crawling and indexing?
Crawling means that a search bot fetched a URL. Indexing means that the search engine processed the page and made it eligible for retrieval.
IndexNow sends a change notice before either result is confirmed. A successful submission response does not prove that Bingbot fetched the page. It also does not prove that Bing indexed the current text.
Use Bing Webmaster Tools to inspect available crawl and indexing information. Keep the submission record separate from later crawl or index evidence.
What is the difference between indexing and citation?
Indexing makes a page eligible for retrieval. Citation means that an AI answer names or links to the page as a source.
An indexed earnings release may not appear in a Microsoft Copilot answer. Bing may rank another source above it. The question may also retrieve a different page or passage.
A citation is evidence that the answer used or presented a source. It is not proof that every statement in the answer matches that source. The guide to Microsoft Copilot citations for investor relations explains how IR teams can inspect citations and compare them with filing evidence.
What is answer correction?
Answer correction occurs when the generated response states the current fact. A current citation and a correct answer are related, but they are not the same result.
An answer could cite the current release while also using information from another source. The IR team should capture the full answer, every visible citation, the check time, and the relevant filing passage.
IndexNow cannot prove that an answer changed. Only a later, dated answer check can show that result.
How should an IR team submit an updated URL?
An IR team should submit the exact public URL after the page is live, accurate, and open to crawlers. The site owner can use an IndexNow integration or send the request described in the official documentation.
The Bing IndexNow page provides Microsoft’s IndexNow information. The protocol documentation provides request formats for one URL and for a list of URLs.
Do not submit only the homepage when the earnings release changed. Submit the exact release URL. Submit another company-controlled page only when that page also changed.
What are the submission steps?
The submission process should leave a record that another team member can review.
- Copy the canonical URL from the live earnings release.
- Confirm that the URL opens without a login.
- Confirm that the page returns a successful response.
- Compare the page with the filed release or exhibit.
- Confirm that the IndexNow key file works.
- Submit the exact changed URL.
- Record the submission time in UTC.
- Save the submitted URL and service response.
- Inspect crawl and index evidence later.
The IndexNow documentation defines the possible service responses. Record the actual response rather than translating it into a claim that Bing crawled or indexed the page.
When should IR submit a URL again?
IR should submit a URL again after a material change to that page. A material change could include a corrected figure, a replaced table, or an added statement from the filed release.
Do not resubmit an unchanged URL every day. IndexNow is designed for URLs that are new, updated, or deleted, as stated in the official protocol documentation.
Record the reason for each repeat submission. That note helps the team distinguish a page correction from a duplicate request.
Should teams submit the HTML release, filing link, sitemap, or all 3?
IR teams should submit changed HTML pages on hosts the company controls. They should keep the SEC filing link on the page and maintain the XML sitemap through its separate process.
| Item | Recommended action | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| HTML earnings release | Submit when new or updated | The company controls the host, page, and IndexNow key. |
| IR newsroom index | Submit only if it changed | The page may contain a new release link or summary. |
| Earnings hub | Submit only if it changed | The page may now point to the current release. |
| SEC EDGAR filing URL | Do not submit with the company key | The company does not control the sec.gov host or its key file. |
| XML sitemap | Maintain and submit separately | A sitemap lists site URLs. IndexNow reports specific URL changes. |
The HTML release and filing have different roles. The HTML page presents the release on a company-controlled host. The filing provides the primary record used to check financial statements and disclosures.
Why should the filing link remain on the page?
The filing link gives investors and reviewers a direct path to the primary record. It also helps the IR team show which filed document supports the release.
Financial facts should be checked against SEC EDGAR and the company’s official IR materials. A news article should not replace the filing as the source of truth.
The IndexNow request should cover the company-controlled release URL. The release can then link to the relevant Form 8-K, Exhibit 99.1, Form 10-Q, or Form 10-K when applicable.
What role does the XML sitemap play?
An XML sitemap gives search engines a structured list of site URLs. It supports site discovery, while IndexNow reports that a specific URL was added, changed, or deleted.
Keep the sitemap current and include the canonical earnings release URL. Manage the sitemap through the site’s normal publishing process and the relevant webmaster tools.
Do not send the sitemap URL as a substitute for the changed release URL. The sitemap and IndexNow can work together, but they serve different purposes.
What should the team check before submission?
The IR team should check access, accuracy, HTML content, canonical signals, internal links, and key verification. A URL notification cannot repair a page that is incorrect or unavailable to crawlers.
Use this checklist:
- The public URL loads successfully.
- The page does not require a login.
- Robots.txt does not block Bingbot from the page.
- Firewall and bot rules allow Bingbot.
- The main release text appears in the HTML.
- The page matches the filed release or exhibit.
- The canonical tag points to the current release URL.
- Internal links point to the canonical URL.
- The IndexNow key file works on the correct host.
- The XML sitemap contains the canonical URL.
- Older releases have clear labels that distinguish them from the current release.
- Any PDF and HTML versions agree.
The guide to earnings release structured data for AI search explains how page markup can identify the release and its published information.
Should the release exist only as a PDF?
An IR team should provide a readable HTML release when its publishing system supports one. The team can also provide a PDF when needed.
The HTML page should contain the information investors need without requiring a file download. It should also link to the filing and any official PDF version.
If the team corrects one version, it should review every other public version. Submit each company-controlled URL that received a material change.
How should IR document whether the current release appears later?
IR should keep dated records of the answer, cited sources, and filing evidence. A screenshot without the question, time, and source details does not provide a complete comparison.
Create one record for each tested investor question. Include:
- Engine name
- Exact question
- Date and time in UTC
- Full answer text
- Cited URLs
- Relevant filing passage
- Accuracy result
- IndexNow submission event, when relevant
- Later check result
Use the same question wording for each later check. Changing the question can change retrieval and weaken the comparison.
What result should the team report to management?
The team should report each stage separately. This prevents a submitted URL from being presented as a corrected investor answer.
| Stage | Evidence to record |
|---|---|
| Crawled | Available Bingbot fetch or webmaster evidence |
| Indexed | Available Bing indexing evidence |
| Cited | Dated answer capture that includes the release URL |
| Corrected | Dated answer text that matches the filing evidence |
A crawl is not an index entry. An index entry is not a citation. A citation is not proof that the generated answer is correct.
This separation gives the CFO, disclosure committee, and communications team a clearer account of what changed.
When should the team check again?
IndexNow does not provide a guaranteed pickup or answer correction time. The IR team should choose a repeatable review schedule that fits its reporting process.
Record every check, including checks where the release does not appear. Do not replace an earlier result with a later screenshot.
Use a stable set of realistic investor questions. The guide to AI answer correction timing explains why discovery, indexing, citation, and answer changes can occur at different times.
What can IndexNow not guarantee?
IndexNow cannot guarantee crawling, indexing, ranking, citation, or answer correction. It also cannot submit a company page directly to systems that do not participate in the protocol.
IndexNow cannot:
- Force Bingbot to fetch a page
- Require Bing to index a page
- Set the page’s search ranking
- Require Microsoft Copilot to cite the release
- Correct a figure in a generated answer
- Remove an old third-party page
- Submit a URL to Google’s systems
- Submit a URL to ChatGPT’s systems
- Promise a pickup or correction time
IndexNow addresses one part of the process. It reports that a URL changed. The IR team must still inspect the page, review available search evidence, test investor questions, and compare each answer with the filing.
How should IR fit IndexNow into the release process?
IR should make IndexNow a documented publishing step after the release passes accuracy and access checks. One assigned owner should submit changed URLs and record each result.
A practical workflow is:
- Publish the HTML release and filing link.
- Verify the page against the filed materials.
- Check access, canonical tags, internal links, and structured data.
- Submit each changed company-controlled URL.
- Save the request record and service response.
- Inspect available crawl and index evidence.
- Test the same investor questions later.
- Record the answer text and citations.
- Compare the answer with the filing passage.
- Report crawling, indexing, citation, and correction separately.
This workflow gives management evidence without overstating what a URL notification can do.
See the sample Investor Answer Audit to view how MS House records an answer, its source, the filing evidence, and the recommended owner.
IndexNow for investor relations: FAQ
Does IndexNow work for Google AI Overviews?
No. An IndexNow request does not submit a URL to Google. Google AI Overviews and Google AI Mode use Google’s own crawling and indexing systems.
Can I submit a sec.gov filing URL to IndexNow?
No. An IR team cannot verify control of sec.gov with its IndexNow key. Submit the HTML release on the company domain and link from it to the SEC filing.
How many URLs should an IR team submit after earnings?
Submit each new or materially updated URL on a host the company controls. This may include the HTML release, newsroom index, and earnings hub. Maintain the XML sitemap separately.
Does IndexNow correct a wrong figure in Microsoft Copilot?
No. IndexNow notifies participating search engines about a changed URL. A corrected answer still depends on crawling, indexing, retrieval, citation, and answer generation.
Should IR resubmit the same release URL every day?
No. Submit a URL when it is new, updated, or deleted. Submit it again after a material page correction, not merely because another day passed.