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Bing Webmaster Tools for WordPress: set-up in 10 minutes

Published 27 October 2026

Bing Webmaster Tools is Microsoft's free service for site owners. It shows whether Bing can crawl and index your pages, lets you submit your sitemap and reports the searches that bring people to your site. For a WordPress site, set-up usually takes about ten minutes.

Bing Webmaster Tools: set-up at a glance

Bing Webmaster Tools set-up in five stepsFive numbered steps: sign in, import from Google Search Console or add the site, verify ownership, submit the sitemap, then check reports.1Sign inUse a Microsoft, Google or Facebook account2Import or add your siteImport from Google Search Console, or type the address3Verify ownershipImported sites verify automatically; otherwise meta tag or DNS4Submit your sitemapUsually yoursite.com/sitemap.xml5Check reportsCrawl problems, indexed pages and search performance
The usual order of set-up. Most of it takes a few minutes; Bing may take a while to show data afterwards.

What is Bing Webmaster Tools and what is it for?

It is the Bing equivalent of Google Search Console. You tell Bing which site is yours, and it shows you how it sees it: which pages are indexed, which have crawl problems, and which searches show your site. It does not change your site and it does not cost anything.

Bing is smaller than Google, so most small sites will see far less traffic from it. It is still worth ten minutes, because the set-up is simple and the crawl reports are a useful second opinion on technical problems.

How do I sign up for Bing Webmaster Tools?

Go to Bing Webmaster Tools and sign in with a Microsoft, Google or Facebook account. Use an account you will keep, such as a business address rather than a personal one, so you do not lose access to the site later.

Can I import my site from Google Search Console?

Yes, and it is the quickest route. Choose the import option, sign in to Google, and pick the site from your Search Console account. Bing can bring in your verified sites and sitemaps, so you skip verification. If you do not have Search Console yet, set that up first.

How do I verify my WordPress site with Bing?

If you add the site by typing its address, Bing asks you to prove you own it. Three options are usual:

  1. Meta tag. Bing gives you a line of code to put in your site's head section. Many WordPress SEO plugins have a field for it in their webmaster tools settings.
  2. DNS record. Add a CNAME record at your domain registrar. It does not touch WordPress at all, which makes it reliable if you change themes.
  3. XML file. Upload a small file to your site's root folder.

Pick one, save it, then press Verify in Bing. Leave the tag or record in place; removing it can undo verification.

How do I submit my sitemap to Bing?

Open the Sitemaps section, choose to submit a sitemap and paste its address. WordPress creates one by default at yoursite.com/wp-sitemap.xml, and SEO plugins often use yoursite.com/sitemap_index.xml instead. Open the address in your browser first to check it loads.

What can the crawl and index reports tell me?

Check three places after a few days:

  • The site explorer or indexing report, to see which pages Bing has indexed.
  • URL Inspection, to test a single page and see any problem Bing found.
  • Search Performance, for impressions and clicks by query and page.

Data can take days or weeks to appear on a new site. A page that is missing is usually blocked by a noindex setting, a robots rule or a redirect, and these are the same faults that stop pages showing in Google.

What is IndexNow?

IndexNow is an open protocol that lets a site tell participating search engines when a page has been added, changed or deleted, instead of waiting for them to crawl it. Bing supports it. Some WordPress plugins can send these pings for you. It speeds up notification, but it does not guarantee a page will be indexed or ranked.

Does Bing matter for ChatGPT and Copilot?

Microsoft's Copilot uses Bing's search index, and some other AI tools have also used Bing results. That makes a clean, indexed site in Bing a sensible thing to have. We cannot say how any assistant chooses its sources, and being in Bing does not promise a mention anywhere.

Frequently asked questions

Is Bing Webmaster Tools free?

Yes. It is free to use, with no paid tier needed for the reports described here.

Do I need Bing Webmaster Tools if I already use Google Search Console?

You do not need it, but it is quick and free. It shows how Bing crawls your site and can flag problems that Google reports differently.

Does a Bing sitemap replace the Google one?

No. The same sitemap file works for both. Submit it once in each tool.

How long until Bing shows data?

For a new site it can take days or weeks. If nothing appears after a few weeks, check that your pages are not set to noindex and that your sitemap address loads.

Where WdBasic fits

WdBasic checks the things both Google and Bing need: whether pages can be indexed, whether your sitemap works, and whether titles and descriptions are in place. Connect your site with our free WordPress plugin or start here. You approve each proposed change and can undo it. We cannot promise rankings or traffic on any search engine.

More in our SEO guides, or see the WordPress SEO service.