Bing Webmaster Integration
Connect your Bing Webmaster Tools account to automatically request indexing from Bing when you publish content to your website.
What You Get
Connecting Bing Webmaster enables:
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Automatic Indexing Requests | Request Bing to index new content immediately after publishing |
| Faster Discovery | Skip waiting for Bingbot to discover new pages naturally |
| Indexing Status | Track whether indexing requests were successful |
| Multi-Engine Reach | Bing powers search for Microsoft Edge, Yahoo, DuckDuckGo, and more |
Bing powers search results for multiple platforms including Microsoft Edge, Yahoo Search, DuckDuckGo, and Ecosia, making this integration valuable beyond just Bing.com traffic.
Prerequisites
Before connecting, ensure you have:
- A Microsoft account
- Your website added to Bing Webmaster Tools
- Verified ownership of your domain
Adding Your Site to Bing Webmaster Tools
If you haven’t added your site yet:
Go to Bing Webmaster Tools
Visit bing.com/webmasters and sign in.
Add Your Site
Click Add Site and enter your website URL.
Verify Ownership
Choose a verification method:
- DNS CNAME record (recommended): Add a CNAME record to your domain
- XML file: Upload a BingSiteAuth.xml file to your root
- Meta tag: Add a meta tag to your homepage
- Import from GSC: Auto-import from Google Search Console
Complete Verification
Follow the instructions and click Verify.
If you’ve already verified your site in Google Search Console, you can import it directly into Bing Webmaster Tools - verification transfers automatically.
Connecting Bing Webmaster
Navigate to Connections
Go to Settings → Connections in Asky.
Find Bing Webmaster
Locate the Bing Webmaster card.
Click Connect
Click the Connect button.
Sign In to Microsoft
You’ll be redirected to Microsoft:
- Sign in with your Microsoft account
- This should be the account that has Bing Webmaster access
Authorize Access
Review the permissions requested:
- Manage your Bing Webmaster data
- Submit URLs for indexing
Click Accept to authorize.
Complete Setup
You’ll be redirected back to Asky with Bing Webmaster connected.
How It Works
Automatic Indexing
When you publish content to WordPress or another connected CMS:
- Content is published to your website
- Asky automatically sends a URL submission to Bing
- The request status is tracked and displayed
What Gets Sent
For each published page, Asky sends:
- The page URL
- Your site URL (for verification)
Indexing Status
After publishing, you can see the indexing status:
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Requested | URL submission sent successfully |
| Failed | Request failed (see error details) |
| Pending | Waiting to send request |
A successful submission does not guarantee immediate indexing. Bing processes submissions based on their own crawl schedule and page quality assessment.
Managing the Connection
Viewing Status
The connection card shows:
- Connection status (Connected, Expired, Error)
- Connected Microsoft account
- Last activity
Disconnecting
To disconnect Bing Webmaster:
- Go to Settings → Connections
- Find Bing Webmaster
- Click Disconnect
- Confirm
Revoking Access
You can also revoke access from Microsoft:
- Go to Microsoft Account Privacy
- Navigate to Apps and services
- Find Asky and click Remove access
Troubleshooting
Connection Failed
“Authorization Failed”:
- Verify you’re signing into the correct Microsoft account
- Check you have Bing Webmaster access
- Ensure your site is added and verified
- Try disconnecting and reconnecting
“OAuth Error on First Login”:
If you see an OAuth error when logging in for the first time:
- This can happen when Microsoft needs to authenticate you first
- Simply click Connect again
- The second attempt should succeed
“Not Authorized”:
- Ensure your site is verified in Bing Webmaster Tools
- Check you’re using the same Microsoft account
- Verify the domain matches what’s in Bing Webmaster
Indexing Request Failed
“URL Not Verified”:
- Ensure the URL domain matches your verified site
- Check subdomain configuration (www vs non-www)
- Verify the site in Bing Webmaster Tools
“Invalid API Key”:
- This usually means authentication failed
- Disconnect and reconnect
- Ensure you authorize with the correct account
“Rate Limited”:
- Bing limits submissions per day
- Wait and try again later
- Prioritize most important pages
Token Expired
If connection shows “Expired”:
- Click Reconnect
- Re-authorize with Microsoft
- Connection is restored
Best Practices
- Verify your site first: Complete Bing Webmaster verification before connecting
- Match domains exactly: Ensure published URLs match your verified domain
- Include subdomains: Add both www and non-www versions if needed
- Don’t over-submit: Avoid submitting the same URL repeatedly
- Check robot.txt: Ensure Bingbot isn’t blocked
Domain Considerations
Subdomain Handling
Bing Webmaster Tools treats subdomains differently:
| Verified Domain | Covers |
|---|---|
example.com | example.com/* and all subdomains |
www.example.com | Only www.example.com/* |
blog.example.com | Only blog.example.com/* |
For maximum coverage, verify your root domain (e.g., example.com) rather than a subdomain. This covers all subdomains automatically.
Protocol (HTTP vs HTTPS)
- Always use HTTPS for your site
- Bing prefers and prioritizes HTTPS URLs
- Ensure your verified domain uses the correct protocol
Limitations
| Aspect | Limitation |
|---|---|
| Daily quota | Bing limits submissions per site |
| Processing time | Indexing may take hours to days |
| No guarantees | Bing decides whether to index |
| URL scope | Only verified domains |
API Details
This integration uses the Bing URL Submission API :
- Endpoint:
www.bing.com/webmaster/api.svc/json/SubmitUrl - Authentication: OAuth 2.0 Bearer token
- Method: URL submission
Comparison: Bing vs IndexNow
| Feature | Bing Webmaster API | IndexNow |
|---|---|---|
| Authentication | OAuth (automatic) | API key (manual setup) |
| Coverage | Bing only | Bing, Yandex, Seznam, etc. |
| Setup | Connect in Asky | Host key file on your server |
| Best for | Most users | Advanced users with server access |
Asky uses the Bing Webmaster API for its ease of use - no server configuration required.
Next Steps
- Connect Google Search Console for Google indexing
- Connect WordPress to publish content