Google Rewrites Indexing API Quota Docs, Drops 2024 Approval Language but Keeps 200 a Day Default

Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates, 17 October 2026.

Google has rewritten three pages of its Indexing API documentation, removing language that described the default quota as a testing allowance that needed separate approval before production use. The Search Central documentation changelog entry dated 16 October 2026 says the quota page was updated "to reflect the current quota limits and process" and to remove an outdated form. The quota and pricing page, the quickstart and the Using the API page all now carry a last-updated date of 16 October.

The default numbers have not moved. A Google Cloud project still gets 200 publish requests a day, and the API is still limited to job posting and livestream pages.

What changed

Google's changelog only mentions the quota page. Search Engine Roundtable compared the old and new versions of all three pages and reported several other removals: the statement that the default quota was for onboarding and testing, a "Request quota and approval" section with a link to the request form, a line saying quota could go up or down based on document quality, and a quickstart section that recommended the Indexing API over sitemaps for sites with many short-lived pages.

We checked the live pages on 17 October 2026. None of the three pages now mentions an approval step, and the quickstart no longer has a sitemaps section. The quota page lists three defaults and says the API costs nothing to use.

Quota (per Google Cloud project)	Default value	What it covers
DefaultPublishRequestsPerDayPerProject	200 per day	Publish requests, both URL_UPDATED and URL_DELETED
DefaultMetadataRequestsPerMinutePerProject	180 per minute	Read-only getMetadata requests
DefaultRequestsPerMinutePerProject	380 per minute	All endpoints combined

The quota page says the daily quota resets at midnight Pacific Time, so new quota can take up to 24 hours to take effect. It tells developers to view their quota in the Google API Console. It no longer links to a form for asking for more.

What did not change

The scope of the API is the same. The quickstart and the Using the API page both still say the Indexing API may only be used for pages that carry JobPosting structured data or BroadcastEvent embedded in a VideoObject. Search Engine Roundtable noted that the restriction to job postings and livestreams is still in place even though other text around it was cut.

The anti-abuse language also stays. The quickstart says every submission goes through spam detection, and that using several accounts or other means to get past quota limits can lead to access being revoked. The Using the API page repeats that Google's spam policies apply to content sent through the API and tells developers not to get around submission limits with multiple accounts.

How the docs got here

The approval language that Google has now removed was spelled out in 2024. The same changelog shows a 4 September 2024 entry clarifying that the default quota was for setting up the Indexing API and explaining how to request approval and quota. That entry also corrected the per-minute figure for all endpoints to 380, saying it had always been 380. A 11 September 2024 entry added that submissions are subject to spam detection and that attempts to exceed quotas may result in revoked access.

The 2024 wording suggested a two-stage process: a small default quota for testing, then a review before real use. The October 2026 rewrite drops that framing and presents the 200 a day figure as the standing default. Google has not said whether the approval review itself has ended or whether only the documentation was tidied.

Developers quoted by Search Engine Roundtable were split. One said a new service account still gets the same 200 a day default, so nothing had changed in practice. Another reported a test in which a publish call returned HTTP 200 but a follow-up metadata call returned 404, which he read as a sign that the submission never reached Google's queue. Neither report has been confirmed by Google.

What this means for SEO teams

• Use it only for the content it supports. The documentation still limits the Indexing API to job posting and livestream pages. Sending ordinary pages through it is outside Google's stated use and falls under the spam detection Google describes.
• Plan around 200 publish calls a day per project. Removals count against the same daily quota as updates, so a large job board that expires thousands of listings needs to prioritise which URLs to send.
• Batch where you can. The quickstart says up to 100 calls can be combined into one HTTP request, which reduces connections but not quota use.
• Check that submissions land. After a publish call, use the getMetadata endpoint to confirm Google recorded the notification. An HTTP 200 on publish means Google "may try to recrawl" the URL, according to the Using the API page, not that it will.
• Keep sitemaps. The removed quickstart section had recommended sitemaps for full-site coverage alongside the API. Google has not announced any change to how it handles sitemaps, and nothing in the current docs suggests the API replaces them.
• Do not create extra projects to get more quota. Google says using multiple accounts to exceed limits can get access revoked.

Conclusion

Google's 16 October rewrite removes the 2024 language that treated the Indexing API's default quota as a test allowance requiring approval, along with the request form and the sitemaps comparison. The defaults (200 publish requests a day, 180 metadata reads a minute, 380 requests a minute overall) and the job posting and livestream restriction are unchanged.

Google has not explained whether the approval review still exists behind the scenes. Until it does, teams using the API should treat the published defaults as their working limit and verify each submission with the metadata endpoint.

Questions and answers

What did Google change in the Indexing API documentation?

On 16 October 2026 Google updated the quota and pricing page, the quickstart and the Using the API page. Its changelog says the quota page now reflects current limits and process and no longer includes an outdated form. Text describing the default quota as a testing allowance needing approval no longer appears.

What is the Indexing API's default quota now?

The quota page lists 200 publish requests per day per project (covering both URL_UPDATED and URL_DELETED), 180 getMetadata requests per minute and 380 requests per minute across all endpoints. The API is free to use.

Can the Indexing API be used for any page?

No. The quickstart and Using the API pages still say it may only be used for pages with JobPosting structured data or BroadcastEvent embedded in a VideoObject.

Can I use several Google Cloud projects to get more quota?

Google's documentation says using multiple accounts or other means to exceed quota limits may result in access being revoked, and that all submissions go through spam detection.

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