Bing's AI Performance report, explained
Bing Webmaster Tools is the only free tool that shows when an AI assistant cited your pages and what it searched for to find them. Here is what each number means, what it doesn't mean, and what Microsoft says to do about it.
Bing Webmaster Tools' AI Performance report counts how often your pages are cited as sources in Microsoft Copilot, AI summaries in Bing and some partner services. It shows total citations, which pages were cited, and grounding queries: the phrases the AI used to find your content. Microsoft launched it as a public preview on February 10, 2026.
What are the key facts about the report?
| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Launched | February 10, 2026, as a public preview | Bing Webmaster Blog |
| Covers | Microsoft Copilot, AI-generated summaries in Bing, select partner integrations | Bing Webmaster Blog |
| Main metric | Citations: times your content was shown as a source in an AI answer | Bing Webmaster Blog |
| Unique to it | Grounding queries, the phrases the AI used to retrieve your content | Bing Webmaster Blog |
| Added June 16, 2026 | Intents, Topics, Citation Share and Compare, in preview | Bing Search Blog |
| Not a ranking | Microsoft says the numbers don't show ranking, authority or placement | Bing Webmaster Blog |
| Respects | robots.txt and other content-owner controls | Bing Webmaster Blog |
Why does Bing's report matter if most of my traffic is Google?
Because Bing is where Microsoft's AI answers come from. The report covers Microsoft Copilot, the AI summaries on Bing and some partner services. Bing Webmaster Blog Bing's index also reaches other assistants; we cover which ones in Why Bing matters for AI answers.
It is also the most detailed free view of AI citations any big engine offers. Google's Search Console report counts impressions by page but shows no queries. Bing shows the queries.
What does each number mean?
Microsoft defines five parts of the dashboard. Bing Webmaster Blog
- Total Citations. How many times your content was shown as a source in AI answers in the chosen period. It says nothing about where in the answer you appeared.
- Average Cited Pages. The average number of different pages from your site cited per day.
- Grounding queries. The key phrases the AI used when it retrieved content that was then cited. Microsoft says this is a sample of citation activity, not the full list.
- Page-level citation activity. Citation counts for each URL, so you can see which pages are used most.
- Visibility trends. How your citations change over time.
Microsoft is careful to say what the numbers are not: cited pages do "not indicate ranking, authority, or the role of any page within an individual answer." Bing Webmaster Blog
What did the June 2026 update add?
On June 16, 2026 Microsoft began rolling out four more views, in preview, worldwide. Bing Search Blog
| View | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Intents | Groups the grounding queries by purpose, such as informational, commercial, navigational or local |
| Topics | Rolls related queries into themes, for example several solar-panel phrases into "Solar Energy" |
| Citation Share | Your share of all citations shown for the same grounding query |
| Compare | Lays a previous period over the current one |
Microsoft calls Citation Share "an observational metric – not a ranking system or a competitive scoreboard." It doesn't name the other sites. It also warns that citation patterns shift with model changes and freshness, so one change shouldn't be read as cause and effect. Bing Search Blog
What does Microsoft say to do with it?
Microsoft's own list, from the launch post: Bing Webmaster Blog
- Strengthen depth and expertise in the subjects you're already cited for.
- Improve structure and clarity. Microsoft names clear headings, tables and FAQ sections.
- Support claims with evidence: examples, data and cited sources.
- Keep content fresh and accurate.
- Keep text, images and video consistent about the same products or services.
It also points to two tools. IndexNow tells Bing and other participating engines when a page is added, updated or removed, which Microsoft says helps AI answers use the current version of a page. Bing Places for Business keeps a local business's address, hours and contact details current for AI answers to local questions. Bing Webmaster Blog
How should I use the report each month?
This is our routine, not Microsoft's.
- List your top cited pages. Check every fact on them: prices, hours, service areas, names.
- Read the grounding queries. For each common phrase, open the page it led to and check the page answers it in its first few lines. If no page answers it well, write one.
- Look for pages with zero citations that should have some, and check they are indexed in Bing.
- Turn on IndexNow if your site doesn't use it, so Bing hears about changes the day you make them.
- Use Compare, not single days, to judge whether a change helped.
What can't the report tell me?
- ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude and Google are not in it. It covers Microsoft's AI experiences and select partners. Bing Webmaster Blog
- Grounding queries are a sample, so a phrase missing from the list doesn't mean it never happened.
- Citations aren't clicks or rankings. Microsoft says so directly.
- It's a preview. Microsoft labels both the February launch and the June additions as preview features, so names and numbers may change.
For Google, see Search Console's AI Overviews report, explained. For the engines with no report at all, you have to ask them; our Prompt Simulator runs a question on 12 engines at once.
Sources
- Introducing AI Performance in Bing Webmaster Tools Public Preview — Bing Webmaster Blog. Read Oct 8, 2026.
- New AI Visibility Insights in Bing Webmaster Tools: Intents, Topics, Citation Share, Compare — Bing Search Blog. Read Oct 8, 2026.
Common questions
Is Bing's AI Performance report free?
It is part of Bing Webmaster Tools, which is free to use once you verify your site.
What is a grounding query?
Microsoft describes grounding queries as the key phrases the AI used when retrieving content that was then cited in an AI answer. The list is a sample of citation activity. Bing Webmaster Blog
Does a higher citation count mean I rank higher in Copilot?
No. Microsoft says the citation data does not indicate ranking, authority or placement within an answer. Bing Webmaster Blog
Does the report include ChatGPT?
No. It covers Microsoft Copilot, AI-generated summaries in Bing and select partner integrations. Bing Webmaster Blog
What is Citation Share in Bing Webmaster Tools?
The percentage of citations that went to your site out of all citations shown for the same grounding query. Microsoft calls it an observational metric, not a ranking or a competitive scoreboard, and it doesn't name the other sites. Bing Search Blog
Related pages.
See what every AI engine says about you, not just Google and Bing.
Neither report covers ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude or the Gemini app. The free AI visibility check asks them for you and shows where you're named and where you aren't.