Sitemap ping endpoints: deprecated, and people still use them

Sitemap ping endpoints: deprecated, and people still use them

That old trick of hitting google.com/ping?sitemap= — Google shut it down. Worth a tool-style autopsy.

What used to work:
— A GET to the ping URL nudged a sitemap re-read

Where it falls short now:
— Google deprecated and removed the endpoint — it does nothing today, and old scripts still firing it just waste a request
— Bing deprecated its equivalent too, steering you to IndexNow instead

What actually replaces it:
— Reference sitemaps in robots.txt (Sitemap: line) — both engines auto-discover
— Submit once in GSC/Bing Webmaster; they re-crawl on their own schedule
— Use IndexNow for genuine instant notification on Bing-family

Pros (of the modern path): zero maintenance, auto-discovery
Cons: no manual 'recrawl now' button for Google anymore

Best for: cleaning dead ping calls out of your deploy scripts.
NOT for: anyone hoping a URL forces a Google re-crawl — that lever is gone.