Job site operators say Google’s Indexing API approval process has become a black box: requests are submitted, months pass, and no approval, rejection, or status update arrives.
The problem surfaced again in a Sept. 19 thread from SEO consultant Nick LeRoy, who runs SEOJobs.com and PPCJobs.com. LeRoy said neither property has received approval or a quota increase. Reports in Google’s Search Central Community stretch back to at least May.
That matters because Google’s own job posting structured data guide still recommends the Indexing API over sitemaps for job posting URLs. It says the API prompts Googlebot to crawl pages sooner. Yet the API’s quickstart explains the default 200 quota is for onboarding and testing, and anything beyond that requires additional approval for usage and resource provisioning.
Approval requests with no visible status
LeRoy and job board consultant Alexander Chukovski say they have visibility into more than 100 job board applications combined. Their hypothesis: Google hasn’t approved any submissions in 2026. LeRoy has been careful to note he cannot confirm the number is zero.
Forum reports echo the pattern. Operators describe submitting forms multiple times over six to nine months with no response. Others say they received no acknowledgment, reference number, or status indicator. A Belgian job board reported that an August 21 request still had no resolution by September 10.
Google’s quota page says only that quota may increase or decrease based on the document quality. It offers no stated review timeframe and no clear way to check whether a request is pending, approved, or rejected.
The 200 vs 404 confusion
Some operators report that a publish request returns HTTP 200, but a follow-up getMetadata call for the same URL returns 404. Google defines a 200 narrowly: it means Google may try to recrawl this URL soon. The 404 is not linked to approval status in Google’s error docs. A Google Diamond Product Expert suggested the 404 is a strong sign the project hasn’t been approved, but Product Experts are volunteers and not official Google spokespeople.
Why this matters for SEO teams
If you run a job board, the recommended fast path is stuck in limbo. The practical risk is slower discovery for job postings, which are highly time-sensitive. Waiting on an API approval you may never get can quietly hurt performance while competitors with existing approvals keep indexing faster.
Google’s John Mueller responded to earlier complaints by saying he wasn’t aware of any particular issues, but acknowledged: “I’m not aware of any particular issues, but I know the indexing API is inundated by bloggers trying to act like legitimate sites, so I imagine they’re just a bit more cautious nowadays.”
That suggests spam pressure may be slowing reviews, but it doesn’t explain the silence for legitimate job boards.
What to do while you wait
- Keep the sitemap in place. Google’s own guide still recommends submitting a sitemap for full site coverage. Don’t treat the API as your only crawl lever.
- Document your requests. Save submission dates, screenshots, and any follow-up attempts. If approvals move later, you’ll have a clear timeline.
- Watch the quota page and changelog. A process change would likely appear first on Google’s Indexing API quota page or documentation changelog.
- Test with the default quota. A 200 response can still be useful for validating your technical setup, but don’t mistake it for production-level coverage.
The big takeaway: if your job site is waiting on an Indexing API approval, plan as if the current quota is all you have. Build a strong sitemap workflow, monitor your coverage reports, and keep pressure on the approval form without making it the backbone of your indexing strategy.
Source: Search Engine Journal
