Hello,
We apologize for the issue you are facing with the 403 Forbidden error when trying to use the IndexNow API. This error typically occurs when the text file containing the API key has not been created automatically, which can sometimes be due to a plugin conflict.
Here are a couple of steps you can take to resolve this issue:
Method One: Change the API Key in Rank Math
- Navigate to Rank Math SEO → Instant Indexing → IndexNow API Settings → API Key.
- Click on the Change Key button to regenerate your API key.

Method Two: Check API Key Location
- After changing the API key, clear the cache and check if your API key is accessible to search engines by clicking on the Check Key button available under the API Key location.

- If the new tab displays your API key, it means it will be served to search engines for verification.
- If it redirects to a 404 page, you may need to create a txt file in the root directory of your website manually.
Check the History
You can also check the IndexNow History tab in Rank Math’s Instant Indexing to see all submitted URLs and their response codes. A “200 – OK” response code indicates successful submission, while a “403” indicates an issue with the API key.

If these steps do not resolve the issue, please reply to this ticket with any additional details or errors you encounter, and a human agent from our support team will assist you further.
Thank you for raising this concern!
Sources:
How to Fix 403 Forbidden Error with IndexNow » Rank Math
Hello,
Thank you for contacting us and sorry for any inconvenience that might have been caused due to that.
For initial troubleshooting, please change the API key and clear your website’s cache.
Once done, ensure that the API URL is opening fine and try submitting URLs again.
Here’s a link for more information:
https://rankmath.com/kb/fix-403-forbidden-error-indexnow/#num-2-1-change-api-key
However, it looks like you’re currently using the Rank Math PRO plugin on your websites, but the account you have used to open this ticket is the Rank Math free version.
Please search and forward a receipt from FastSpring.com so we can locate your account and verify it.
Let us know how it goes. Looking forward to helping you.
Hello,
Since we did not hear back from you for 15 days, we are assuming that you found the solution. We are closing this support ticket.
If you still need assistance or any other help, please feel free to open a new support ticket, and we will be more than happy to assist.
Thank you.