When should a live video page send an Indexing API update?

Definition: A live video page should send a Google Indexing API update when its stream goes live, when streaming stops and the page markup has been updated with endDate, and whenever a markup change needs to be reported. Google documents this workflow for pages that use BroadcastEvent inside VideoObject structured data.

Key facts

• Google's Video structured data documentation says to use the Indexing API so Google crawls a livestream page at the right time.
• The three documented notification events are stream start, stream end after the page receives endDate, and a markup change that needs notification.
• Google says the Indexing API supports livestream videos, and the API documentation limits crawling to pages with BroadcastEvent embedded in VideoObject or with JobPosting markup.
• An update request uses URL_UPDATED and the fully qualified page URL in a POST request to Google's publish endpoint.
• A successful HTTP 200 response means Google may try to recrawl the URL soon. It does not report that the URL has been indexed.

Which live video events require an update?

Google's LIVE badge guidelines name three events for an Indexing API call. The first is when the video goes live. The second is when the video has stopped streaming and the page's markup has been updated to indicate its endDate. The third is any markup change for which Google needs to be notified.

The end event has a separate markup requirement. Google requires endDate once the video has finished and is no longer live. If the expected end is unknown before the stream starts, the documentation recommends an approximate end time. A past or present endDate indicates that the stream ended, while a future value indicates a scheduled end.

What should the page markup contain?

The live event is represented by BroadcastEvent in the publication property of VideoObject. Google defines isLiveBroadcast as true when the video is, has been, or will be streamed live. startDate records when the livestream starts or is expected to start. Both date properties use ISO 8601 format.

"publication": {
  "@type": "BroadcastEvent",
  "isLiveBroadcast": true,
  "startDate": "START_TIME",
  "endDate": "END_TIME"
}

The page should expose the updated markup before the end notification is sent. Google’s wording joins the stopped-streaming event to the markup update that indicates endDate, so the notification describes the page state that Google is asked to recrawl.

How is the update sent?

Google's Indexing API instructions require a POST request to https://indexing.googleapis.com/v3/urlNotifications:publish. The body identifies the page and uses URL_UPDATED:

{
  "url": "CONTENT_LOCATION",
  "type": "URL_UPDATED"
}

The request must use application/json as its Content-Type. Google permits one URL in an update request or up to 100 requests in a batch. When page contents change, the API documentation says to submit another update notification. The same documentation says that a successful HTTP 200 response means Google may try to recrawl the URL soon.

The API is restricted to pages with BroadcastEvent embedded in VideoObject or pages with JobPosting. A status request can show when Google received a notification, but Google says that it does not tell the site owner when a URL is indexed or removed.

Related terms

• Structured data
• Googlebot-Video
• What thumbnail data does Google require for VideoObject markup?

FAQ

Should you send one update for the whole livestream?

No. Google lists separate notification points for going live, stopping after the endDate markup is updated, and later markup changes that need notification.

Should the end notification come before the page changes?

Update the page markup to show endDate when the stream has stopped, then notify Google. That sequence follows Google's live video guideline.

Does an HTTP 200 response confirm indexing?

No. Google says the response means it may try to recrawl the URL soon. Its status request reports submitted notifications rather than when Google indexes or removes the URL.

Sources

1. Google Search Central, "Video (VideoObject, Clip, BroadcastEvent) structured data", 24 September 2026
2. Google Search Central, "Using the Indexing API", 16 October 2026

---

Check how a page reads to answer engines. Open the GEO score analyzer