Bing Webmaster Tools

Learn how to add your site to Bing Webmaster Tools and connect it to RakuWP to monitor your Bing and Microsoft Edge search performance.

Overview

Bing Webmaster Tools is a free service from Microsoft that lets you monitor how your site performs in Bing and Microsoft Edge search results. Connecting it to RakuWP gives you query-level click and impression data alongside your Google data.

1. Create a Bing Webmaster Tools account

  1. Go to Bing Webmaster Tools.
  2. Sign in with a Microsoft account, Google account, or Facebook account.
  3. If this is your first time, you'll be asked to add your site.

2. Add your site

  1. Click Add a Site in the dashboard.
  2. Enter your full site URL (e.g., https://example.com).
  3. Click Add.

Tip: If you already have your site verified in Google Search Console, you can import it directly. Bing offers a Import from GSC option that copies your property and verification in one step.

3. Verify your site

Bing offers three verification methods:

  • XML file: Download the verification XML file and upload it to the root of your website.
  • Meta tag: Add the provided <meta> tag to the <head> section of your homepage.
  • CNAME record: Add a CNAME record to your domain's DNS settings.

After placing the verification, click Verify. DNS-based verification may take a few hours to propagate.

4. Submit your sitemap (optional but recommended)

  1. In the Bing Webmaster Tools dashboard, go to Sitemaps.
  2. Enter your sitemap URL (usually https://example.com/sitemap.xml).
  3. Click Submit.

Submitting a sitemap helps Bing discover and crawl your pages faster.

5. Connect to RakuWP (Microsoft account)

If you signed into Bing Webmaster Tools with a Microsoft account, you can connect directly via OAuth:

  1. In RakuWP, go to SEO in the sidebar and select your site.
  2. Click Connect Bing Webmaster Tools.
  3. A Microsoft sign-in window will appear. Sign in with the same account you used for Bing Webmaster Tools.
  4. Grant RakuWP the requested permissions to read your search data.
  5. Once connected, click Sync data to fetch your search performance data.

6. Connect to RakuWP with an API key (Google and Facebook accounts)

If you signed into Bing Webmaster Tools with a Google account or Facebook account, the Microsoft OAuth sign-in will not work because your session is tied to a third-party provider. In this case, you need to generate an API key and use it to connect.

Why is an API key needed?

When you log into Bing Webmaster Tools with Google or Facebook, Microsoft creates a linked account but does not issue a native Microsoft token. Since the RakuWP connection relies on Microsoft's API, it cannot authenticate with a third-party token. The API key bypasses this limitation by providing direct access to the Bing Webmaster Tools API.

Generate your API key

  1. Sign into Bing Webmaster Tools with your Google or Facebook account.
  2. Click the gear icon (⚙) in the top-right corner of the dashboard.
  3. Select API access from the menu.
  4. In the API key section, click Generate (or Regenerate if you already have one).
  5. Copy the generated API key. Store it securely, as it provides full read access to your Bing Webmaster Tools data.

Use the API key in RakuWP

  1. In RakuWP, go to SEO in the sidebar and select your site.
  2. Click Connect Bing Webmaster Tools.
  3. Instead of signing in with Microsoft, click Connect with API Key.
  4. Paste your API key in the field provided and click Connect.
  5. Once connected, click Sync data to fetch your search performance data.

Note: If you regenerate your API key in Bing Webmaster Tools, you will need to update it in RakuWP as well. The previous key will stop working immediately.

7. Viewing your data

After syncing, your Bing search data appears in the same dashboard as Google data. Use the provider toggle to switch between Google and Bing views.

Bing data includes:

  • Clicks: Traffic from Bing and Microsoft Edge searches.
  • Impressions: How often your pages appeared in Bing results.
  • CTR: Click-through rate for your Bing listings.
  • Average Position: Your ranking in Bing search results.

Troubleshooting

  • No data after syncing: Bing typically has less traffic than Google. If your site is new or has low Bing traffic, data may be sparse.
  • Import from GSC not working: Make sure you're signed in with the same account in both services.
  • OAuth connection fails with Google account: This is expected. Use the API key method described in section 6 instead.
  • API key not working: Verify the key is correct and has not been regenerated. Also confirm your site is verified in Bing Webmaster Tools.
  • Connection error: Disconnect and reconnect. Ensure the account has access to the Bing Webmaster Tools property.
Previous Backup Next SEO: Meta Tags