rank-math/reset-indexing-key generates a new IndexNow API key. It refuses without confirm: true.
It is only needed if the current key has leaked or is being rejected.
Before you run it
The key file URL changes with the key, and search engines will reject submissions with HTTP 403 until they can fetch the new file — which is not instant. The previous key cannot be restored, so a reset done by mistake cannot be undone by resetting again. Only do this if the current key has leaked or is being rejected.
At a glance
| Ability | rank-math/reset-indexing-key |
| Toolset | Rank Math — toolset/rank-math |
| Group | Rank Math › Instant Indexing |
| Requires | Rank Math SEO, active on the site |
| Capability | manage_options |
| Safety | Destructive — deletes stored values, and refuses to run without confirm: true |
| Repeatable | Idempotent — running it twice leaves the same result |
| Ships in | AcrossAI Abilities Manager 0.0.34 and later |
How it works
IndexNow verifies ownership by asking the site to host a file named after the key, at the site root, containing the key. A submission carries the key; the search engine fetches the file to confirm the site really holds it.
Resetting changes both the key and the file name. The old file becomes irrelevant and the new one has to be reachable before any submission will be accepted — so there is a window, however short, where submissions fail with 403.
That window is longer than it sounds if anything caches the site root aggressively, or if the file is served from somewhere the new one does not land.
The previous key is gone. There is no rotation with a grace period here, which is why this is not something to do speculatively.
Idempotent in the sense that each call produces a valid working state — but each call also produces a different key, so calling twice is two resets and two windows of failure.
Input
| Name | Type | Required | What it is |
|---|---|---|---|
confirm | boolean | Yes — must be true | The irreversibility gate. Without it the call is refused before anything is touched. |
What comes back
| Name | Type | What it is |
|---|---|---|
key | string | The new key. |
key_url | string | Where the key file must be reachable. |
success | boolean | Whether the call completed. |
message | string | A one-line summary of what happened, suitable for showing a human. |
error_code | string | Present only on failure — a stable machine-readable reason, such as a missing field, a wrong field type or an unmet confirmation. |
Example
Ask your assistant:
Our IndexNow key leaked — generate a new one.
It resolves to one call:
{
"ability": "rank-math/reset-indexing-key",
"parameters": {
"confirm": true
}
}Worth knowing
- Submissions fail with 403 until the new key file is reachable.
- The old key cannot be restored.
- Check the key file URL loads before submitting anything.
- Only needed on a leak or persistent rejection.
Related abilities
- Get IndexNow Submission Log — confirm submissions recover
- Submit URLs to IndexNow — test after the reset
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