Bing Search Console
Bing Search Console is Microsoft’s free webmaster platform for verifying sites, submitting sitemaps, and monitoring how pages appear in Bing search results.
Key takeaways
- Bing Search Console is free and essential for Bing SEO.
- Verify your site before using any features.
- Submit a sitemap to speed up URL discovery.
- Check crawl and performance reports regularly to fix issues.
- It complements Google Search Console – use both for full visibility.
It helps you understand how Bing sees your site and fix issues that may limit visibility.
What people use it for
- Verify site ownership – Prove you control the site via HTML meta tag, XML file, DNS record, or CNAME.
- Submit sitemaps – Help Bing discover and crawl important URLs faster.
- Monitor search performance – See queries, clicks, impressions, and top pages in Bing results.
- Identify crawl errors – Spot blocked pages, broken links, or missing tags.
- Manage crawl settings – Control crawl rate and geo-targeting.
- Submit individual URLs – Request immediate indexing for new or updated pages.
Quick workflow
- Go to Bing Webmaster Tools and sign in with a Microsoft account.
- Add your site by entering the root URL.
- Verify ownership using one of the methods (HTML meta tag is fastest).
- Submit your XML sitemap under Sitemaps.
- Review Crawl and Performance reports to spot issues.
- Use URL Submission to push new pages for indexing.
When not to start here
- You only care about Google traffic – Bing Search Console shows Bing data only; use Google Search Console for Google.
- You haven’t verified ownership – No reports or indexing features work without verification.
- You want a single dashboard for all search engines – You’ll need both Bing and Google tools separately.
- You expect instant results – Indexing and data updates take time, especially for new sites.
Alternatives
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| Google Search Console | Free tool for Google search data and indexing. |
| Ahrefs Webmaster Tools | Free site audit and backlink analysis. |
| Semrush Site Audit | Paid tool with crawl and SEO issue detection. |
Next step
FAQ
Is Bing Search Console free?
Yes, Bing Search Console (Bing Webmaster Tools) is completely free to use.
How do I verify my site in Bing Search Console?
You can verify ownership using an HTML meta tag, XML file upload, DNS record, or CNAME record.
What is the difference between Bing Search Console and Google Search Console?
Bing Search Console shows data from Bing's index and crawl, while Google Search Console shows Google's data. They have different report layouts and features.
Can I submit a sitemap to Bing Search Console?
Yes, sitemap submission is a core feature to help Bing discover and crawl your URLs.
Related topics
Sources
- Microsoft Bing Webmaster Guidelines / Help — Primary source for features, verification methods, sitemaps, and Bing-specific reporting.
- Microsoft Bing Webmaster Tools — Official product entry point and the most authoritative source for account setup and site management.
- Google Search Central — Useful for comparing Search Console concepts and avoiding confusion between Google and Bing tooling.
- Bing Webmaster Tools Docs — Official FAQ-style documentation covering common setup and reporting questions.
Reviewed by Lucía Marín, Founding editor.