---
metadata:
- name: generator
content: Diplodoc Platform v5.50.6
alternate:
- https://gs.yandex.com.tr/support/webmaster/en/indexnow/key.md
- https://gs.yandex.com.tr/support/webmaster/tr/indexnow/key.md
---
> **Documentation Index:** Fetch the complete configuration index at https://gs.yandex.com.tr/support/webmaster/en/llms.txt
# Key for user verification
To send URLs, you need to verify that you are the owner of the site for which you send data. To verify this, use a special key: you need to generate it and place a file with it on your site. Yandex checks the key in every API request. The contents of the file and its location should be known only to you and the search engine.
{% note info %}
If your site has subdomains, use a separate key for each subdomain.
{% endnote %}
No special tool is required to generate the key — you can create it manually or copy a randomly generated key from the [IndexNow](https://www.indexnow.org/documentation) website. Each time you refresh the page, the IndexNow site generates a new key — you can use any of them.
Some CMS may also support IndexNow.
## Key requirements {#requirement}
- Only [UTF-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UTF-8) encoding is supported.
- The minimum number of characters in the key is 8, the maximum is 128.
- The key can contain characters `a-z`, `A-Z` , `0-9`, `-`.
- Use a TXT file or another format with text data. The file must not contain HTML markup. Example:
## How do I place a file with a key? {#how-to}
You can place the file:
{% list tabs %}
- In the root directory of the site (recommended)
In this case, the file name must strictly match the key value. For example, the `https://www.example.org/EdD8dkmdNLlxREi2LkhJjYOH2kyQbJqM3cBKT5fX.txt` file that contains the `EdD8dkmdNLlxREi2LkhJjYOH2kyQbJqM3cBKT5fX` key.
- In any site directory
In this case, you need to send the file location in the [keyLocation](https://gs.yandex.com.tr/support/webmaster/en/indexnow/reference.md#key-loc) variable in every API request. A request with the key can contain only pages located in the same directory as the key.
For example, the `http://example.com/catalog/key12457EDd.txt` key is valid only for the URLs of the pages located in `http://example.com/catalog/` and invalid for pages hosted in `http://example.com/help/`.
{% endlist %}
## Questions and answers {#qanda}
{% cut "How do I check that the key is correct?" %}
Send the addresses and check the response code. Code 202 Accepted means that the new key is awaiting verification. Make sure that the key is correct, wait a little while, and send a few more addresses.
A change to code 200 OK means that the key is correct and the addresses have been submitted. If the code remains 202 Accepted, wait a bit longer and send a few more addresses until the code changes to 200 OK.
If the code changes to 4XX, see the description in the [table](https://gs.yandex.com.tr/support/webmaster/en/indexnow/reference.md#another-cods).
{% endcut %}
{% cut "Can I use multiple keys for verification?" %}
Yes, if you use several CMS, you should use a separate key for each. Place different key files in the root directory of the site.
{% endcut %}
{% cut "Can I use one key for multiple sites?" %}
Yes, you can reuse the same key on two or more domains.
{% endcut %}
{% cut "When do I need to change the key?" %}
You don't have to change the key. You can change the key if it becomes known to third parties.
{% endcut %}
{% cut "Contact support" %}
If you have a question about how the tool works, choose the appropriate one:
{% list tabs radio %}
- Indexed pages are not included in the search
See the recommendations in the [Why is it taking so long for pages to appear in search results?](https://gs.yandex.com.tr/support/webmaster/en/robot-workings/robot.md#not-in-search) section.
{% cut "Pages are sent for reindexing, but do not appear in the search" %}
{% endcut %}
- Indexed pages should be removed from the search
Use the recommendations on how to [remove site pages or individual sections from search results](https://gs.yandex.com.tr/support/webmaster/en/yandex-indexing/removing-from-index.md). Search results are updated within two weeks.
{% cut "Pages were not excluded from the search after two weeks" %}
{% endcut %}
- Another question about using the IndexNow protocol for site indexing