A process for maintaining ongoing registration for pages on a given search
engine is disclosed. It is a method to actively cause an updating of a
specific Internet search engine database regarding a particular WWW
resource. The updated information can encompass changed, added, or
deleted content of a specific WWW site. The process comprises the steps
of having software tools at a local WWW site manually and/or
automatically keep an index of added, changed, or deleted content to a
particular WWW site since that WWW site was last indexed by a specific
Internet search engine. The software tools will notify a specific
Internet search engine of the URLs of specific WWW site resources that
have been added, changed, or deleted. The Internet search engine will
process the list of indices of changes, additions or deletions provided
by a web site, or add the URL of resources that require indexing or
re-indexing to a database and visit the WWW site to index added or
re-index changed content when possible. The benefit to the Internet is
the creation of an exception-based, distributed updating system to the
Internet search engine as opposed to the cyclical and repetitive
inquiring by the Internet search engine to visit all WWW sites to find
added, changed, or deleted content. Overall Internet transmissions are
reduced by distributing the update and indexing functions locally to web
sites and away from the central Internet search engine.