URL Inspection API
The URL Inspection API is Google Search Console's official API for programmatically querying the indexing status of individual URLs and requesting re-inspection. The quota is 2,000 inspections per property per day. Critical for monitoring large sites and accelerating indexing of newly-published or recently-updated URLs.
Also called: GSC URL Inspection API, Indexing API (deprecated for general use) · Last updated: May 27, 2026 · By Joseph W. Anady
Why it matters.
The URL Inspection API is the most-overlooked GSC feature for sites managing more than a few pages. Manual URL inspection in the GSC UI is rate-limited to roughly 10-12 requests per day. The API lifts this to 2,000 per day per property — enough to inspect a 200-page site daily, or to systematically inspect new pages within hours of deploy.
How it works.
The API requires Google Cloud project credentials (typically a service account with siteFullUser permission on the GSC property). Each inspection returns indexing verdict (PASS/NEUTRAL/FAIL), coverage state (Submitted+indexed / Discovered-not-indexed / URL-unknown / etc.), last crawl time, indexing state, and additional metadata. The API is read-only — it doesn't directly trigger crawling, but the act of inspection often nudges Google to re-evaluate the URL.
2026 reality check.
URL Inspection API has not been deprecated despite GSC UI shifts. Quota: 2,000/day per property, 600/min, no auth-account daily limit beyond per-property. Service account authentication is the standard pattern. The separate 'Indexing API' (which Google launched for JobPosting and BroadcastEvent only) is NOT a replacement for URL Inspection API — they serve different purposes.
Data points
- Quota: 2,000 inspections/day per property, 600/min
- Service account authentication is standard pattern
- Returns indexing verdict, coverage state, last crawl time, indexing state
- Does NOT directly trigger indexing — triggers recrawl scheduling
- TDG's inspect-batch.py at ~/Code/tdg-tools/ implements rate-limiting + state tracking
First-hand insight from ThatDeveloperGuy.
ThatDeveloperGuy uses the URL Inspection API extensively. Our inspect-batch.py script at ~/Code/tdg-tools/inspect-batch.py inspects up to 1,900 URLs/day per property, tracks state in ~/.tdg-inspect-state.json to avoid re-inspecting recent URLs, and rate-limits to 590/min to stay under the per-minute quota. Inspection triggers measurable indexing acceleration — we see new URLs move from 'URL unknown' to 'Discovered' to 'Indexed' faster on inspected URLs than on uninspected ones.
How TDG approaches it
TDG's inspect-batch.py pulls all URLs from segmented sitemaps, filters by priority (/tools/, /reference/, /glossary/, /authors/), skips URLs inspected within 14 days, rate-limits to 590/min, tracks state for quota management. Runs daily via cron. Inspection-triggered recrawl typically moves new URLs through indexing pipeline 30-50% faster than passive crawl.
Common mistakes.
- Confusing URL Inspection API with the Indexing API (different services)
- Hitting the 2,000/day quota by inspecting same URLs repeatedly
- Skipping rate limiting (will get blocked at 600/min)
- Not tracking inspection history (wastes quota on recently-inspected URLs)
- Expecting inspection to trigger immediate indexing (it triggers recrawl scheduling, not immediate indexing)
FAQ.
How do I get URL Inspection API access?
Create a Google Cloud project, enable the Search Console API, create a service account, download the JSON key, add the service account email as an owner/full-user on your GSC property.
What's the daily quota?
2,000 inspections per GSC property per day. 600 inspections per minute. No per-account quota beyond the per-property limit.
Does inspection trigger indexing?
Indirectly. Inspection triggers Google to re-evaluate the URL's indexing status, which often accelerates recrawl scheduling. Not a direct 'index this now' trigger.
Is URL Inspection API free?
Yes — included with GSC access. No Google Cloud billing required for the inspection itself (you do need a Cloud project for the service account, but the project is free at the API quota level).
Can I use it from a web browser?
No — service-account authentication requires server-side use. Browser-based OAuth flows work but require user consent each session, less practical for batch processing.
Maintained by Joseph W. Anady at ThatDeveloperGuy. Back to glossary · Suggest a term