diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 7e40622..e5f6bfe 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -35,11 +35,14 @@ jobs:
       - name: 'CGL'
         run: Build/Scripts/runTests.sh -n -p ${{ matrix.php }} -s cgl
 
-      - name: 'Execute functional tests'
-        run: Build/Scripts/runTests.sh -p ${{ matrix.php }} -d mysql -s functional
+      - name: 'Execute unit tests'
+        run: Build/Scripts/runTests.sh -p ${{ matrix.php }} -s unit
 
-      - name: 'Execute functional tests'
+      - name: 'Execute functional tests with MariaDB'
         run: Build/Scripts/runTests.sh -p ${{ matrix.php }} -d mariadb -s functional
 
-      - name: 'Execute functional tests'
+      - name: 'Execute functional tests with SQLite'
+        run: Build/Scripts/runTests.sh -p ${{ matrix.php }} -d sqlite -s functional
+
+      - name: 'Execute functional tests with Postgres'
         run: Build/Scripts/runTests.sh -p ${{ matrix.php }} -d postgres -s functional
diff --git a/Classes/Middleware/ApiKeyVerificationMiddleware.php b/Classes/Middleware/ApiKeyVerificationMiddleware.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..367ec4c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Classes/Middleware/ApiKeyVerificationMiddleware.php
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+<?php
+
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+/*
+ * This file is part of the package jweiland/indexnow.
+ *
+ * For the full copyright and license information, please read the
+ * LICENSE file that was distributed with this source code.
+ */
+
+namespace JWeiland\IndexNow\Middleware;
+
+use Psr\Http\Message\ResponseInterface;
+use Psr\Http\Message\ServerRequestInterface;
+use Psr\Http\Server\MiddlewareInterface;
+use Psr\Http\Server\RequestHandlerInterface;
+use TYPO3\CMS\Core\Http\HtmlResponse;
+use TYPO3\CMS\Core\Site\Entity\SiteInterface;
+
+/**
+ * Serves the IndexNow API key verification file at /{apiKey}.txt
+ *
+ * IndexNow requires a verification file at the root of the website
+ * whose filename and content match the configured API key. This
+ * middleware dynamically serves that endpoint, using the API key
+ * stored in the extension configuration,
+ * removing the need to manually create or update a static file.
+ *
+ * @see https://www.indexnow.org/documentation
+ */
+final readonly class ApiKeyVerificationMiddleware implements MiddlewareInterface
+{
+    public function process(ServerRequestInterface $request, RequestHandlerInterface $handler): ResponseInterface
+    {
+        $site = $request->getAttribute('site');
+        if (!$site instanceof SiteInterface) {
+            return $handler->handle($request);
+        }
+
+        $apiKey = (string)$site->getSettings()->get('indexnow.apiKey', '');
+        if ($apiKey === '') {
+            return $handler->handle($request);
+        }
+
+        $serverParams = $request->getServerParams();
+        $requestPath = parse_url($serverParams['REQUEST_URI'] ?? '/', PHP_URL_PATH) ?? '/';
+        $path = ltrim($requestPath, '/');
+        $sitePath = ltrim($site->getBase()->getPath(), '/');
+        if ($sitePath !== '' && str_starts_with($path, $sitePath)) {
+            $path = ltrim(substr($path, strlen($sitePath)), '/');
+        }
+
+        if ($path !== $apiKey . '.txt') {
+            return $handler->handle($request);
+        }
+
+        return new HtmlResponse(
+            $apiKey,
+            200,
+            [
+                'Content-Type' => 'text/plain; charset=utf-8',
+                'Content-Length' => (string)strlen($apiKey),
+                'Cache-Control' => 'public, max-age=86400',
+            ],
+        );
+    }
+}
diff --git a/Configuration/RequestMiddlewares.php b/Configuration/RequestMiddlewares.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..736d286
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Configuration/RequestMiddlewares.php
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+<?php
+
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+/*
+ * This file is part of the package jweiland/indexnow.
+ *
+ * For the full copyright and license information, please read the
+ * LICENSE file that was distributed with this source code.
+ */
+
+use JWeiland\IndexNow\Middleware\ApiKeyVerificationMiddleware;
+
+return [
+    'frontend' => [
+        'jweiland/indexnow/api-key-verification' => [
+            'target' => ApiKeyVerificationMiddleware::class,
+            'after' => [
+                'typo3/cms-frontend/site',
+            ],
+        ],
+    ],
+];
diff --git a/Configuration/Sets/IndexNow/config.yaml b/Configuration/Sets/IndexNow/config.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..482063e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Configuration/Sets/IndexNow/config.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+name: jweiland/indexnow-default
+label: 'IndexNow - Default Set'
diff --git a/Configuration/Sets/IndexNow/settings.definitions.yaml b/Configuration/Sets/IndexNow/settings.definitions.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e64f588
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Configuration/Sets/IndexNow/settings.definitions.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+categories:
+  indexnow:
+    label: 'IndexNow'
+settings:
+  indexnow.apiKey:
+    label: 'LLL:EXT:indexnow/Resources/Private/Language/locallang_db.xlf:settings.indexnow.apiKey.label'
+    description: 'LLL:EXT:indexnow/Resources/Private/Language/locallang_db.xlf:settings.indexnow.apiKey.description'
+    category: 'indexnow'
+    type: string
+    default: ''
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index f781d30..872cbed 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -77,18 +77,21 @@ engines.
 Notify batch mode
 : If enabled, the search engine will be notified using batch mode. This means that modified URLs are sent in a single request. A maximum of 10,000 URLs can be sent per batch
 
-### Host API Key file
+### API Key Verification File
 
-Create a file named `[API key].txt` with your API key as content and move it
-into your document root directory of your website server.
+IndexNow search engines [verify ownership](https://www.indexnow.org/documentation)
+by requesting a text file at `https://example.com/{apiKey}.txt` whose content
+matches the API key.
 
-#### Example
+This extension **serves the verification file automatically** from the
+configured API key — no manual file creation needed. Once you save the API key
+in the extension settings, the file is immediately available at
+`https://your-site.com/{apiKey}.txt`.
 
-If you chose `abc-ABC-123` as your API key you have to create a file named
-`abc-ABC-123.txt` and set `abc-ABC-123` as content of that file. Upload file
-`abc-ABC-123.txt` into the `/var/www/my-typo3-page/public` folder. Open
-`https://example.com/abc-ABC-123.txt` to make sure the file is public
-available and its content is `abc-ABC-123`.
+> **Note:** The verification file is served by a PSR-15 middleware that runs
+> early in the request pipeline. It only responds to root-level `.txt`
+> requests matching the configured key. All other requests pass through
+> unchanged.
 
 ### Task
 
@@ -131,14 +134,13 @@ var/log/typo3_indexnow_[hash].log
 
 ### IndexNow was informed, but search results are not updated
 
-The IndexNow provider will use your API key and request the file:
+The IndexNow provider will verify your API key by requesting
+`https://your-site.com/{apiKey}.txt`. This file is served automatically
+by the extension. If verification still fails, check:
 
-```text
-[API key].txt
-```
-
-with API key as content from your server. If it does not exist, validation
-fails and search engines will provide updated information much later.
+1. The API key is set in extension settings (`Settings` → `Configure extensions` → `indexnow`)
+2. The file is accessible: open `https://your-site.com/{apiKey}.txt` in a browser
+3. No caching proxy or WAF is blocking the `.txt` file request
 
 ### I have changed content, but there is no record in `tx_indexnow_stack`
 
@@ -205,8 +207,8 @@ Creating a new page or content element should call the IndexNow services.
 Currently, only modified pages and content elements will be processed. We
 should use the afterAllDatabaseOperations DataHandler hook instead.
 
-Nice to have: Add a section into EXT:reports, if file with API key is
-available.
+Nice to have: Add a section into EXT:reports to check IndexNow
+configuration health.
 
 ## Support
 
diff --git a/Resources/Private/Language/locallang_db.xlf b/Resources/Private/Language/locallang_db.xlf
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1030851
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Resources/Private/Language/locallang_db.xlf
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" standalone="yes"?>
+<xliff version="1.2" xmlns="urn:oasis:names:tc:xliff:document:1.2">
+	<file source-language="en" datatype="plaintext" original="messages">
+		<body>
+			<trans-unit id="settings.indexnow.apiKey.label">
+				<source>IndexNow API Key</source>
+			</trans-unit>
+			<trans-unit id="settings.indexnow.apiKey.description">
+				<source>Per-site API key for the IndexNow search engine verification endpoint. Obtain a key at https://www.indexnow.org/.</source>
+			</trans-unit>
+		</body>
+	</file>
+</xliff>
diff --git a/Tests/Unit/Middleware/ApiKeyVerificationMiddlewareTest.php b/Tests/Unit/Middleware/ApiKeyVerificationMiddlewareTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..05213c0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Tests/Unit/Middleware/ApiKeyVerificationMiddlewareTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,154 @@
+<?php
+
+/*
+ * This file is part of the package jweiland/indexnow.
+ *
+ * For the full copyright and license information, please read the
+ * LICENSE file that was distributed with this source code.
+ */
+
+namespace JWeiland\IndexNow\Tests\Unit\Middleware;
+
+use JWeiland\IndexNow\Middleware\ApiKeyVerificationMiddleware;
+use PHPUnit\Framework\Attributes\Test;
+use PHPUnit\Framework\MockObject\MockObject;
+use Psr\Http\Message\ResponseInterface;
+use Psr\Http\Server\RequestHandlerInterface;
+use TYPO3\CMS\Core\Http\ServerRequest;
+use TYPO3\CMS\Core\Site\Entity\Site;
+use TYPO3\CMS\Core\Site\Entity\SiteSettings;
+use TYPO3\TestingFramework\Core\Unit\UnitTestCase;
+
+class ApiKeyVerificationMiddlewareTest extends UnitTestCase
+{
+    private ApiKeyVerificationMiddleware $subject;
+
+    private RequestHandlerInterface&MockObject $handlerMock;
+
+    protected function setUp(): void
+    {
+        parent::setUp();
+
+        $this->handlerMock = $this->createMock(RequestHandlerInterface::class);
+        $this->subject = new ApiKeyVerificationMiddleware();
+    }
+
+    protected function tearDown(): void
+    {
+        unset(
+            $this->subject,
+            $this->handlerMock,
+        );
+
+        parent::tearDown();
+    }
+
+    private function makeSite(string $base, string $apiKey): Site
+    {
+        return new Site(
+            'test',
+            1,
+            ['base' => $base],
+            SiteSettings::createFromSettingsTree(['indexnow' => ['apiKey' => $apiKey]]),
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[Test]
+    public function processPassesThroughWhenNoSiteAttributePresent(): void
+    {
+        $handlerResponse = $this->createMock(ResponseInterface::class);
+        $this->handlerMock->expects(self::once())->method('handle')->willReturn($handlerResponse);
+
+        $request = new ServerRequest('https://example.com/some-key.txt', 'GET', 'php://input', [], ['REQUEST_URI' => '/some-key.txt']);
+        $response = $this->subject->process($request, $this->handlerMock);
+
+        self::assertSame($handlerResponse, $response);
+    }
+
+    #[Test]
+    public function processPassesThroughWhenNoApiKeyConfigured(): void
+    {
+        $handlerResponse = $this->createMock(ResponseInterface::class);
+        $this->handlerMock->expects(self::once())->method('handle')->willReturn($handlerResponse);
+
+        $site = new Site('test', 1, ['base' => 'https://example.com/'], SiteSettings::createFromSettingsTree([]));
+        $request = (new ServerRequest('https://example.com/some-key.txt', 'GET', 'php://input', [], ['REQUEST_URI' => '/some-key.txt']))
+            ->withAttribute('site', $site);
+        $response = $this->subject->process($request, $this->handlerMock);
+
+        self::assertSame($handlerResponse, $response);
+    }
+
+    #[Test]
+    public function processPassesThroughNonTxtRequest(): void
+    {
+        $handlerResponse = $this->createMock(ResponseInterface::class);
+        $this->handlerMock->expects(self::once())->method('handle')->willReturn($handlerResponse);
+
+        $site = $this->makeSite('https://example.com/', 'my-api-key');
+        $request = (new ServerRequest('https://example.com/some-page', 'GET', 'php://input', [], ['REQUEST_URI' => '/some-page']))
+            ->withAttribute('site', $site);
+        $response = $this->subject->process($request, $this->handlerMock);
+
+        self::assertSame($handlerResponse, $response);
+    }
+
+    #[Test]
+    public function processPassesThroughSubdirectoryTxtRequest(): void
+    {
+        $handlerResponse = $this->createMock(ResponseInterface::class);
+        $this->handlerMock->expects(self::once())->method('handle')->willReturn($handlerResponse);
+
+        $site = $this->makeSite('https://example.com/', 'my-api-key');
+        $request = (new ServerRequest('https://example.com/subdir/my-api-key.txt', 'GET', 'php://input', [], ['REQUEST_URI' => '/subdir/my-api-key.txt']))
+            ->withAttribute('site', $site);
+        $response = $this->subject->process($request, $this->handlerMock);
+
+        self::assertSame($handlerResponse, $response);
+    }
+
+    #[Test]
+    public function processPassesThroughForNonMatchingTxtFile(): void
+    {
+        $handlerResponse = $this->createMock(ResponseInterface::class);
+        $this->handlerMock->expects(self::once())->method('handle')->willReturn($handlerResponse);
+
+        $site = $this->makeSite('https://example.com/', 'my-api-key');
+        $request = (new ServerRequest('https://example.com/other-file.txt', 'GET', 'php://input', [], ['REQUEST_URI' => '/other-file.txt']))
+            ->withAttribute('site', $site);
+        $response = $this->subject->process($request, $this->handlerMock);
+
+        self::assertSame($handlerResponse, $response);
+    }
+
+    #[Test]
+    public function processReturnsApiKeyFileForMatchingRequest(): void
+    {
+        $this->handlerMock->expects(self::never())->method('handle');
+
+        $site = $this->makeSite('https://example.com/', 'my-api-key');
+        $request = (new ServerRequest('https://example.com/my-api-key.txt', 'GET', 'php://input', [], ['REQUEST_URI' => '/my-api-key.txt']))
+            ->withAttribute('site', $site);
+        $response = $this->subject->process($request, $this->handlerMock);
+
+        self::assertSame(200, $response->getStatusCode());
+        self::assertSame('text/plain; charset=utf-8', $response->getHeaderLine('Content-Type'));
+        self::assertSame('public, max-age=86400', $response->getHeaderLine('Cache-Control'));
+        self::assertSame('10', $response->getHeaderLine('Content-Length'));
+        self::assertSame('my-api-key', (string)$response->getBody());
+    }
+
+    #[Test]
+    public function processHandlesSiteWithSubdirectoryBase(): void
+    {
+        $this->handlerMock->expects(self::never())->method('handle');
+
+        $site = $this->makeSite('https://example.com/de/', 'my-api-key');
+        $request = (new ServerRequest('https://example.com/de/my-api-key.txt', 'GET', 'php://input', [], ['REQUEST_URI' => '/de/my-api-key.txt']))
+            ->withAttribute('site', $site);
+        $response = $this->subject->process($request, $this->handlerMock);
+
+        self::assertSame(200, $response->getStatusCode());
+        self::assertSame('my-api-key', (string)$response->getBody());
+    }
+}
diff --git a/composer.json b/composer.json
index 64a0aa5..f57def4 100644
--- a/composer.json
+++ b/composer.json
@@ -8,6 +8,10 @@
 		{
 			"name": "Stefan Froemken",
 			"email": "sfroemken@jweiland.net"
+		},
+		{
+			"name": "Hoja Mustaffa Abdul Latheef",
+			"email": "hlatheef@jweiland.net"
 		}
 	],
 	"require": {
diff --git a/ext_conf_template.txt b/ext_conf_template.txt
index 2fcecf5..28d71a0 100644
--- a/ext_conf_template.txt
+++ b/ext_conf_template.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-# cat=basic; type=string; label=LLL:EXT:indexnow/Resources/Private/Language/ExtConf.xlf:apiKey
-apiKey =
 # cat=basic; type=string; label=LLL:EXT:indexnow/Resources/Private/Language/ExtConf.xlf:searchEngineEndpoint
 searchEngineEndpoint = https://www.bing.com/indexnow
 # cat=basic; type=boolean; label=LLL:EXT:indexnow/Resources/Private/Language/ExtConf.xlf:notifyBatchMode
diff --git a/ext_emconf.php b/ext_emconf.php
index 9f02632..1c52eae 100644
--- a/ext_emconf.php
+++ b/ext_emconf.php
@@ -11,10 +11,10 @@
     'title' => 'Index now',
     'description' => 'TYPO3 extension to inform various search engines over IndexNow endpoint about content updates',
     'category' => 'service',
-    'author' => 'Stefan Froemken',
-    'author_email' => 'sfroemken@jweiland.net',
-    'state' => 'experimental',
-    'version' => '0.0.9',
+    'author' => 'Stefan Froemken, Hoja Mustaffa Abdul Latheef',
+    'author_email' => 'projects@jweiland.net',
+    'state' => 'stable',
+    'version' => '0.0.10',
     'constraints' => [
         'depends' => [
             'typo3' => '12.4.31-13.4.99',