What Google removed
On October 16, Google deleted the Indexing API approval form and the instructions that told developers to request approval. The changelog says the quota page was updated “to reflect the current quota limits and process” and to remove an outdated form. It does not say whether the approval requirement itself has changed.
Before the update, the quota page explained that the API offers a default quota for testing and requires extra approval for usage. A section titled “Request quota and approval” linked to the form and said the quota could change depending on document quality. Both are gone. The quickstart also no longer lists approval as a setup step, and the usage page dropped the notes about requesting a higher quota.
What still stands
The quota page still lists the default limits, and the API remains restricted to pages with JobPosting structured data or BroadcastEvent embedded in a VideoObject.
- 200 publish requests per day, counting updates and removals.
- 180 metadata requests per minute.
- 380 requests per minute across all endpoints.
The daily limit resets at midnight Pacific Time. Google still says spam policies apply and warns against bypassing submission limits, “such as by using multiple accounts.”
A 2024 clarification now looks like the setup
Google already clarified the testing language in September 2024, saying the goal was “to better explain that the default quota is for initial setup and testing.” That wording is now the only guidance left. The approval section had been the bridge from test access to production usage, and its removal leaves that bridge unbuilt.
The API’s place in your indexing stack
Google’s job posting guide, last updated September 8, still recommends the Indexing API over sitemaps for individual job posting URLs, while a sitemap covers full-site discovery. That split is the practical play: reserve the 200 daily publish requests for the newest or highest-value listings and let the sitemap carry the rest.
Why this matters for job boards
In September, job board operators said they had waited months for responses to approval requests. The updated docs don’t explain how to apply, what happens to pending applications, or whether a project that never received approval can now use the default quota for live job postings or livestreams.
Removing the form without a replacement is awkward for teams that already submitted it. The docs now offer no guidance on whether pending applications will be reviewed, whether teams should resubmit somewhere else, or whether the default quota can now serve live URLs. That is the difference between an updated process and a missing one.
What to do now
Think of the default quota as a sandbox, not a production pipeline. Check your current quota in Google API Console, test against the 200-publish-per-day ceiling, and keep a sitemap fallback for full-site coverage.
Watch the quota page and changelog for a new approval mechanism. If you have a pending request, document your current access and avoid workarounds like multiple accounts.
Source: Search Engine Journal
