Key takeaways
- Bing Webmaster Tools is free and takes about 20 minutes to set up. If your site is already in Google Search Console, import it: no separate verification needed.
- Bing is small in Nepal (3.19% of searches in September 2026) but larger on desktop (8.44%), and the same index feeds Microsoft Copilot.
- After verifying, do three things: submit your sitemap, turn on IndexNow and inspect your key pages to confirm Bingbot can reach them.
- The AI Performance report (public preview since February 2026) shows how often Copilot and Bing's AI answers cite your pages. Google offers nothing similar.
To set up Bing Webmaster Tools, sign in at bing.com/webmasters, import your site from Google Search Console (or add it manually and verify it with a meta tag, XML file or DNS record), then submit your XML sitemap and connect IndexNow. Bing starts showing data within about 48 hours. After that, check URL Inspection, Search Performance and the AI Performance report once a month.
Most Nepali businesses set up Google Search Console and stop there. That makes sense, because Google handles almost all searches in Nepal. But Bing Webmaster Tools costs nothing, shows problems Google's tools don't, and is the only place you can see how Microsoft's AI answers use your content.
In this guide
Why bother with Bing in Nepal?
On raw search share, Bing is a small player in Nepal. StatCounter's figures for September 2026 put Google at 95.78% and Bing at 3.19% across all devices. On desktop the gap narrows: Google 89.8%, Bing 8.44%. Many office computers run Windows and Microsoft Edge, where Bing is the default, so B2B buyers, NGOs and government offices are more likely to reach you through Bing than the overall figure suggests.
The bigger reason is AI search. Bing's own Webmaster Guidelines say that "Bing and Copilot search experiences rely on the same core crawling, indexing, and ranking foundation as traditional search." If Bing can't crawl or index a page, Copilot can't cite it.
ChatGPT is less clear-cut. OpenAI's help page says ChatGPT search "sometimes partners with other search providers" and lists Microsoft's privacy statement among them, but it doesn't say how much it relies on any one provider. Being in Bing's index is one of several routes into ChatGPT answers, not a guarantee. The guide to getting cited by ChatGPT covers the rest, including allowing OpenAI's own crawler.
| Engine | All devices | Desktop only |
|---|---|---|
| 95.78% | 89.8% | |
| Bing | 3.19% | 8.44% |
| Yahoo! | 0.57% | Not checked |
| DuckDuckGo | 0.3% | Not checked |
Step 1: Add your site
Go to bing.com/webmasters and sign in. Use an account the business controls, not a staff member's personal email, so you don't lose access when someone leaves. You then have two options:
- Import from Google Search Console (recommended). Allow Bing to read your Search Console account, tick the sites you want and click Import. They are verified automatically, and your sitemaps come with them. Bing only reads your list of sites and sitemaps; your Google search data stays private.
- Add your site manually. Type your homepage URL and verify ownership using one of the methods in Step 2. Use this if your site isn't in Search Console or if you can't connect the Google account.
If you import, Bing keeps checking your Search Console access and imports any new sitemaps it finds. If you later disconnect Google or lose access to that property, Bing asks you to verify another way. Not sure your Search Console setup is right? Start with the Search Console beginner's guide.
Step 2: Verify ownership (if you didn't import)
Bing offers four verification methods. Pick the one that matches how your website is built:
| Method | What you do | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| DNS auto verification (Domain Connect) | Sign in to your DNS provider when Bing asks; it adds the record for you | Only shown if your DNS provider supports Domain Connect |
| Meta tag | Paste Bing's msvalidate.01 meta tag into the <head> of your homepage | WordPress (through Yoast or Rank Math), Shopify, Wix and custom sites |
| XML file | Upload BingSiteAuth.xml to the root of your site | Sites where you can upload files but not edit templates |
| CNAME record | Add the CNAME record Bing gives you in your DNS settings | Sites where you control DNS, for example on Cloudflare or your domain registrar |
This site uses the meta tag method. Whichever you choose, leave it in place. If Bing can't find it later, you can lose verified access, and removing the tag or file during a redesign is one of the most common reasons sites quietly lose access. Add it to your launch checklist.
For .com.np domains, the registry only points your domain at nameservers; the DNS records themselves usually live with your hosting company or Cloudflare. If you can't find where to add a CNAME record, use the meta tag or XML file instead of waiting on support.
Step 3: Submit your sitemap
Open Sitemaps in the left menu, choose Submit sitemap and enter the full URL, usually https://yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml (WordPress with Yoast uses /sitemap_index.xml). If you imported from Search Console, check the list first; it may already be there.
Bing's guidelines ask for XML sitemaps to show which URLs matter and when content changes, and specifically mention accurate lastmod values. Only update lastmod when a page really changes. Also add a Sitemap: line to your robots.txt file so any crawler can find it. The XML sitemap guide covers what belongs in a sitemap and how to fix common errors.
Step 4: Turn on IndexNow
IndexNow lets your site tell Bing the moment a page is added, updated or deleted, instead of waiting for Bingbot to come back. In a November 2025 update to its blog, Microsoft wrote that it "now recommends using IndexNow as the primary method for real-time URL submission." Bing's Webmaster Guidelines also tell site owners to notify IndexNow when content changes.
- WordPress: Rank Math, All in One SEO and Microsoft's own IndexNow plugin can send notifications automatically.
- Cloudflare: Crawler Hints can send IndexNow notifications for sites behind Cloudflare.
- Custom or static sites: publish a key file and send a request when you deploy. The IndexNow setup guide walks through it, including what the 403 and 422 errors mean.
Bing Webmaster Tools also has a manual URL Submission tool with a daily quota, shown on that page. It's useful for a one-off fix, but IndexNow is the method to rely on.
Step 5: Check that Bingbot can reach your pages
Open URL Inspection, paste your homepage URL and run a live check. Repeat for your most important service page and a recent blog post. You want to see that the URL can be indexed and that Bing picks the canonical URL you intended.
If Bing can't fetch a page, check these in order:
- robots.txt: make sure there is no
Disallowrule for Bingbot or for everyone. The robots.txt guide shows safe patterns. - Firewall or bot protection: security plugins, hosting firewalls and Cloudflare rules sometimes challenge real search engine crawlers. The fix is the same as for Googlebot; see when Cloudflare blocks Googlebot.
- noindex tags or headers left over from a staging site.
- Server errors or slow responses on cheap shared hosting, which can make Bingbot back off.
Reports worth checking every month
| Report | What it tells you | What to do with it |
|---|---|---|
| Search Performance | Clicks, impressions, average position and the queries people used on Bing | Compare with Search Console. Queries that appear only on Bing often come from desktop and B2B searchers. |
| AI Performance | How often Copilot and Bing's AI summaries cite your pages, which pages are cited and the grounding queries behind them | See which pages AI answers trust, and strengthen the pages that should be cited but aren't. |
| URL Inspection | Whether a specific page is indexed and why not | Check new and changed money pages after you publish. |
| Site Explorer | How Bing sees your site's structure, with crawl errors and redirects by folder | Spot sections Bing barely knows about. |
| Site Scan and Recommendations | Technical issues such as missing titles, duplicate descriptions and broken links | Use it as a free second-opinion crawl; fix issues that also matter for Google. |
| Backlinks | Sites linking to you, as Bing sees them | A free backlink check, handy alongside your link building work. |
The AI Performance report deserves a closer look. Microsoft launched it in public preview on 10 February 2026. It covers Microsoft Copilot, AI-generated summaries in Bing and selected partner integrations, and shows total citations, average cited pages per day, grounding queries (the phrases the AI used to find your content) and citations per page over time. It does not show clicks, so treat it as a visibility report, not a traffic report. Grounding queries are sampled, and Microsoft says the metrics are still being refined. For the wider picture, see AI search optimization for Nepali businesses.
If you have a physical location, Bing Webmaster Tools doesn't manage your map listing; that's Bing Places for Business, which can import your Google Business Profile. It's on the checked list of Nepal business listing sites.
Common setup problems and fixes
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Meta tag verification fails | The tag is on a different page, added by JavaScript after load, or a cache is still serving the old homepage | Put the tag in the homepage HTML <head>, clear your cache and CDN, then verify again |
| XML file not found | Uploaded to a subfolder, renamed, or the root URL redirects | Make sure https://yourdomain.com/BingSiteAuth.xml opens in a browser |
| Wrong site version added | Added http:// or www when the live site uses another version | Add the exact version your site redirects to |
| Sitemap shows errors | Wrong URL, sitemap returns an error, or lists redirected or noindex pages | Open the sitemap URL in a browser and list only final, indexable URLs |
| Pages discovered but not indexed | Bing hasn't judged the page worth indexing yet, or can't reach it reliably | Strengthen internal links and content, check Step 5, then resubmit through IndexNow |
| No data yet | The site was added recently | Bing says data usually appears within 48 hours; check back after two days |
Frequently asked questions
Is Bing Webmaster Tools free?
Yes. Bing Webmaster Tools is free for any site you can verify. There are no paid plans or premium features.
Do I need Bing Webmaster Tools if I already use Google Search Console?
You don't need it, but it's worth 20 minutes. Importing from Search Console makes setup quick, and it gives you Bing search data, a free site scan, backlink data and the AI Performance report for Copilot citations, which Search Console doesn't have.
Will Bing Webmaster Tools help my site appear in ChatGPT or Copilot?
It helps you make sure Bing can crawl and index your pages, which Copilot depends on. OpenAI says ChatGPT search sometimes uses other search providers and names Microsoft among them, so Bing indexing can help there too, but there is no guarantee. Useful, well-structured content still decides whether you get cited.
How long does Bing take to show data?
Bing says it usually takes about 48 hours after you add a site to generate data. Indexing new pages can take longer; IndexNow and a clean sitemap help Bing find changes faster.
Sources and further reading
Want Bing, Google and AI search set up properly for your site? See my technical SEO service.
Get in touch