Bing Webmaster Tools AI Performance Reports Go Live

02/11/26
Source: Search Engine Roundtable by barry@rustybrick.com (Barry Schwartz). Read the original article

TL;DR Summary of Bing Webmaster Tools Launches AI Performance Report Public Preview

The new AI Performance report in Bing Webmaster Tools is now publicly available, offering detailed insights into how your content is cited across Microsoft Copilot and AI-generated Bing answers. It highlights metrics like total citations, page-level citation activity, and grounding queries used by AI to source content. While still in preview, this tool provides valuable data on content visibility in AI responses, with expanded features expected in 2026.

Optimixed’s Overview: Unlocking AI-Driven Content Insights with Bing’s Latest Webmaster Tools Update

Introduction to Bing’s AI Performance Report

Bing Webmaster Tools has introduced a fresh, user-friendly design alongside the public preview of its AI Performance report. This innovative report enables website owners and SEO professionals to gain unprecedented visibility into how their content is utilized by Microsoft’s AI systems, including Microsoft Copilot and AI-generated summaries in Bing search results.

Key Features and Metrics Explained

  • Total Citations: Displays the overall number of times your site is referenced as a source in AI-generated answers during the selected period, reflecting your content’s presence in generative AI outputs.
  • Average Cited Pages: Shows the daily average number of unique pages from your site cited across various AI platforms, offering insight into citation breadth rather than ranking or authority.
  • Grounding Queries: Represents the key phrases the AI uses internally to retrieve content for citations. This metric is still evolving and does not correspond directly to user search queries.
  • Page-Level Citation Activity: Breaks down citation counts by individual URLs, helping identify which specific pages are most referenced by AI answers.
  • Visibility Trends Over Time: Provides a timeline view of how your site’s citation activity changes, making it easier to detect patterns and trends.

Implications for SEO and Content Strategy

This report equips webmasters with actionable data to comprehend how AI models incorporate their content into generative search experiences. While it does not include click data or ranking specifics, understanding citation frequency and grounding queries can guide content optimization efforts for AI-driven search visibility.

Currently, the data is not accessible via API, but Microsoft has acknowledged this limitation and plans to expand API support in future releases. Industry experts have welcomed the update, highlighting its potential to deepen insight into AI’s role in content discovery.

Future Outlook

As Bing continues to refine these metrics and expand available data, SEO practitioners should anticipate enhanced capabilities to track and optimize their content’s performance in AI-powered search environments. The full suite of features and richer data integration is expected to roll out in 2026, marking a significant step forward in AI-informed SEO strategies.