Bing Webmaster Tools and IndexNow: why Bing matters more than you think
Bing Webmaster Tools explained: why AI assistants rely on Bing, how to add your website, what IndexNow is and what to check so Bing indexes your pages.
When we think of search engines, we think of Google, and almost nobody remembers Bing Webmaster Tools. Bing seems secondary, the search engine that comes with Windows. But today it plays a bigger role than it seems: Microsoft Copilot uses it and other assistants that search the web have relied on its index. If your website is not on Bing, you may be missing AI answers your clients are already reading.
Check whether you are in Bing Webmaster Tools
Type into bing.com: site:yourdomain.com. So if no pages appear, Bing has not indexed your website. It happens more than you would think with new or recently changed websites.
Bing Webmaster Tools
The equivalent of Google Search Console. Free and simple:
- Go to bing.com/webmasters with a Microsoft, Google or Facebook account.
- Add your website. If it is already in Google Search Console, you can import it from there in one click.
- Submit your sitemap.
- Check URL inspection to see whether Bing can read your pages.
What to look at in Bing Webmaster Tools
- Site Explorer: which pages are indexed.
- URL Inspection: whether a page is indexed and, if not, why. Here, in addition, you can test the live page and request indexing.
- URL Submission: to ask it to crawl new pages (with a daily quota).
- Recommendations: warnings about titles, descriptions and other details.
A real case: some websites get a single visit from Bing, made while the domain was not yet working, and Bing does not come back for months. From outside it looks like "Bing doesn't like you"; in reality, asking it to visit again was enough.
What IndexNow is
IndexNow is an open protocol for telling search engines, instantly, that you have published or changed a page. Instead of waiting for them to come by, you tell them. Bing and other search engines use it; however, Google, at the time of writing, does not.
It works like this:
- You generate a key and publish it in a file on your website to prove ownership.
- Every time you publish or change something, you send the list of addresses to IndexNow.
- Participating search engines receive the notification.
Fortunately, many CMSs and hosting services do it automatically. On a custom website it can be automated on publish.
Why Bing Webmaster Tools matters for AI
When an assistant searches the web to answer a question, it can only cite what it finds in the index it consults. If that index is Bing's and you are not in it, you do not exist for that answer, however good your website is. The rest in how to get recommended by ChatGPT.
How I do it
On websites I build at Nueva Página I register the website with Google and Bing and submit the sitemap. To see what else is included, see how I work.
Using Bing Webmaster Tools and IndexNow without fuss
The simplest approach is to follow the same order every time. First, add your website to Bing Webmaster Tools and submit the sitemap. Then, whenever you publish or change a page, notify IndexNow: that way Bing hears about it the same day instead of waiting to come back on its own.
In addition, the official IndexNow website explains the protocol with examples and lists the search engines that use it. Finally, check your coverage in Bing Webmaster Tools now and then, just as you would in Google Search Console. If a page is not indexed, URL inspection tells you why, and it is usually a quick fix.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need Bing if I am already on Google?
Yes, they are separate indexes. Being in one does not put you in the other, and signing up for Bing takes ten minutes.
Does IndexNow work for Google?
No, Google does not take part in IndexNow. For Google you use the sitemap and Search Console's URL inspection.
How long does Bing take to index a new website?
Usually anywhere from a few days to several weeks. Submitting the sitemap and URLs speeds it up.
Is it free to use?
Yes. Bing Webmaster Tools costs nothing, and you only need a Microsoft, Google or Facebook account to sign in.
Is a new website registered in Bing Webmaster Tools?
On Nueva Página websites, yes: at launch I register the site with Google and Bing and submit the sitemap. See how I work.