Search Console & Webmaster Tools
Bing Webmaster Tools: what it does, what it costs
Free first-party data from the engine behind Copilot, and nobody uses it.
What Bing Webmaster Tools is
Bing Webmaster Tools is the Bing equivalent of Search Console: verify a site and you get first-party query and click data, indexation status, crawl diagnostics and manual URL submission. It is free, verification takes minutes, and it can import your Search Console properties so setup is close to a single click.
The reason to care more than Bing's traffic share suggests is Copilot. Microsoft's assistant is grounded substantially in Bing's index, so this console is the closest thing to a first-party report on the surface that feeds it. If AI visibility matters to you and you have not verified for Bing, you are guessing about a channel you could be measuring.
It also ships tools Google's console does not: Site Scan is an on-demand technical audit rather than a passive report, Keyword Research returns Bing's own search volumes, and IndexNow submits new URLs the moment you publish. One dated caveat — Microsoft is retiring the legacy SOAP and POX APIs on 31 August 2026, so anything built on them needs migrating to the REST API.
What you can use it for
- Get first-party query and click data for Bing, and by extension for Copilot's index
- Run an on-demand technical audit with Site Scan rather than waiting for a report
- Submit new URLs instantly through IndexNow instead of waiting to be crawled
- Check Bing's own keyword search volumes, free
The features that matter for SEO
Each one says what it does and the SEO job it serves. A vendor feature list without that second half tells you nothing you could not read on their own site.
Site Scan
Crawls your site on demand and reports common technical SEO issues, with aggregated error counts across the whole site.
An on-demand audit inside a free webmaster console, which Search Console does not offer. Useful as a second opinion on a crawler's findings.
Keyword Research
Returns the phrases people search and Bing's own volume figures for them.
A free volume source that is not Google's, which is worth having when you are sanity-checking a paid tool's estimates.
IndexNow
Submits new and updated URLs to Bing the moment they change, including through a WordPress plugin.
The safe submission protocol. Unlike Google's Indexing API there is no penalty risk, so it can be fired on every publish.
Performance reports
Reports impressions, clicks and positions for your verified site.
First-party rather than modelled, and the only such data available for the index behind Copilot.
Backlink analysis
Reports the links Bing has discovered to your site.
A free second link index. Smaller than the paid tools, and occasionally surfaces links they have not crawled.
Search Console import
Imports verified properties and settings from Google Search Console.
Removes the setup friction that is the actual reason most sites never verify for Bing.
Pricing and limits
Starting price: Free Checked 19 August 2026 Vendor’s own pricing page
| Plan | Price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Bing Webmaster Tools | $0 /mo |
|
Strengths and limitations
Strengths
- Free, with verification in minutes and Search Console import to skip the setup
- First-party data for the index behind Microsoft Copilot
- Site Scan gives an on-demand audit that Search Console has no equivalent for
- IndexNow submission carries no penalty risk, unlike Google's Indexing API
- Bing's own keyword volumes, free, as a cross-check on paid estimates
Limitations
- Bing's traffic share is a fraction of Google's, so this is confirmation rather than direction for organic
- Legacy SOAP and POX APIs are being retired on 31 August 2026 — anything built on them needs migrating to REST
- Keyword volumes are Bing's, so they do not substitute for Google data
- Reporting on Copilot specifically is limited; you infer AI exposure from index data rather than reading it directly
Who it is for, and who should skip it
Worth it if
- Every site. It is free and takes ten minutes
- Anyone measuring AI visibility, given Copilot's reliance on Bing
- Cross-checking a paid tool's volume estimates against a second source
Alternatives to Bing Webmaster Tools
Each one answers when it is the better choice, which is the only thing a list of competitors is useful for.
- Google Search Console Choose it when you only have time for one. Google's share makes it the priority — but do both, since both are free.
- Otterly.ai Choose it when you need to measure Copilot answers directly rather than inferring exposure from index data.
- CrawlWP Choose it when you want IndexNow submission automated from inside WordPress on every publish.
Sources and verification
Last verified 19 August 2026 1 days ago
Pricing 19 August 2026 Features 19 August 2026
- Bing Webmaster Tools product page Official site verifies pricing, features, availability checked 19 August 2026
- Bing Webmaster Tools Official site verifies availability checked 19 August 2026
What changed
- 19 August 2026 — Microsoft is retiring the legacy SOAP and POX APIs on 31 August 2026 and directing developers to the REST APIs. Anything integrated against the old endpoints will stop working.
Questions
Is Bing Webmaster Tools worth setting up?
Yes, for two reasons that have nothing to do with Bing's traffic share. It is the only first-party report on the index behind Microsoft Copilot, and it ships tools Search Console does not — an on-demand Site Scan, Bing's own keyword volumes and IndexNow. Setup takes minutes and can import your Search Console properties.
Is IndexNow safe to use?
Yes. Unlike Google's Indexing API, which is intended for narrow content types and carries a manual action risk if abused, IndexNow is designed for general submission and can be fired on every publish without concern.
Does Bing Webmaster Tools show Copilot data?
Not directly. You get first-party data for Bing search, which is the index Copilot is substantially grounded in, so it is the closest proxy available for free. Measuring what Copilot actually says needs a dedicated AI-visibility tool.
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