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Bing Webmaster Tools Setup for Sites Already on Google

By goodSEO.tech ·

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If your site is already verified in Google Search Console, most of the work for Bing Webmaster Tools is already done. Bing lets you import verified sites straight from your Google account, and your existing XML sitemap works for Bing without changes. This guide covers both setup routes (import and manual verification), how to submit your sitemap, how to confirm it worked, and how to fix the problems that usually get in the way.

Menu names and options in Bing's dashboard change from time to time. If a label below doesn't match what you see, check Bing Webmaster Tools help for the current wording.

What Bing Webmaster Tools is and why a site already on Google should use it

Bing Webmaster Tools is Microsoft's free dashboard for site owners. It is Bing's counterpart to Google Search Console. You can use it to:

  • Confirm you own a site.
  • Submit sitemaps.
  • See which pages Bing has crawled and indexed.
  • Inspect individual URLs.
  • See the search queries that bring visitors to you from Bing.

Google Search Console only reports on Google. If you rely on it alone, you have no view into how a separate search engine crawls and ranks your pages. Bing results also feed other Microsoft products, including Microsoft's Copilot assistant. That matters more as people start asking AI assistants for recommendations, a shift covered in our guide to AI searchability.

Adding Bing doesn't replace anything you do in Google. It gives you a second set of crawl and search data for the same site, usually after a few minutes of setup.

What you need before you start

Gather these first:

  • A verified Google Search Console property for your site, if you want to use the import route. The Google account you sign in with must have verified access to that property.
  • Your sitemap URL. On most sites it looks like `https://www.example.com/sitemap.xml` or `https://www.example.com/sitemap_index.xml`. WordPress SEO plugins, Wix, and Shopify generate one automatically. Open it in a browser to confirm it loads.
  • The exact version of your site address. Note whether your live site uses `https://` and whether it uses `www`. Bing treats `https://www.example.com` and `https://example.com` as different sites.
  • Site access, for manual verification only. Depending on the method, that means access to your site's HTML head, permission to upload a file to the root folder, or login access to your domain's DNS settings.
  • A sign-in account for Bing Webmaster Tools. Bing offers several sign-in options, including a Microsoft account and a Google account.

Option 1: Import your site from Google Search Console

This is the fastest route for anyone already on Google. Bing reads your verified properties from Search Console, so you don't need to verify ownership again.

  1. Go to Bing Webmaster Tools and sign in.
  2. When prompted to add a site, choose the option to import your sites from Google Search Console.
  3. Bing asks you to authorize access to your Google account. Approve the permissions on Google's consent screen.
  4. Bing lists the Search Console properties it can see. Select the sites you want to add.
  5. Confirm the import. Bing adds the selected sites, and you can typically choose to bring their sitemaps across too.

When the import finishes, the sites appear in your Bing dashboard as verified. Reports start empty and fill in as Bing crawls your pages. Bing does not copy Google's historical data. All the crawl and search numbers come from Bing itself.

The import is a good fit if you manage several sites in Search Console. You can add all of them in one pass instead of verifying each one.

Option 2: Add and verify your site manually

Use manual setup in any of these cases:

  • You don't use Search Console for this site.
  • The import doesn't show the site you need.
  • You prefer not to connect your Google account.

Choose to add your site manually, enter the full site URL (with the correct `https` and `www` version), and pick one of Bing's verification methods.

Meta tag

Bing gives you a `<meta name="msvalidate.01" content="...">` tag. Paste it into the `<head>` section of your home page, then click Verify in Bing.

Most website builders and SEO plugins have a field labeled something like "Bing verification code." Paste only the code value into that field and the plugin adds the full tag for you.

Keep the tag in place after verification. Removing it later can cause Bing to unverify the site.

XML file

Bing gives you a small file named `BingSiteAuth.xml`. Upload it to the root of your site so it loads at `https://www.example.com/BingSiteAuth.xml`, then click Verify. This works well if you have FTP or file manager access. Hosted platforms often don't allow root file uploads, so use another method there.

DNS record

Bing gives you a CNAME record to add at your domain registrar or DNS host. After you add it, return to Bing and click Verify. DNS changes can take time to propagate, so if verification fails right away, wait and try again.

DNS verification survives theme changes and site rebuilds, which makes it the most durable option. Some DNS providers support automatic verification, where you log in to your provider from the Bing screen and the record is added for you.

Submitting or reusing your existing sitemap

The same XML sitemap you gave Google works for Bing. Sitemaps follow a shared sitemap protocol, so you don't need a separate version.

If you imported from Search Console and included sitemaps, open the Sitemaps section in Bing and confirm they are listed.

To submit one manually:

  1. Open your site in Bing Webmaster Tools.
  2. Go to Sitemaps in the left-hand menu.
  3. Click Submit sitemap.
  4. Paste the full sitemap URL and submit.

If your site uses a sitemap index file that points to several child sitemaps, submit the index. Bing follows it to the child files.

As a backup, add a line to your `robots.txt` file pointing to your sitemap, such as `Sitemap: https://www.example.com/sitemap.xml`. Bing and other crawlers read this line, so they can find your sitemap even without a manual submission.

Bing also supports IndexNow, a protocol that notifies participating search engines when URLs are added, updated, or deleted. Some CMS plugins and hosting platforms can send IndexNow notifications automatically. Check your platform's settings to see whether yours does.

Checking that it worked

Give Bing some time to process your site, then check these areas. Bing doesn't commit to a fixed timeline, and crawl speed varies from site to site.

  • Sitemaps: The status should show the sitemap as processed, along with the number of URLs Bing discovered. A status showing errors or zero URLs needs attention.
  • URL Inspection: Enter your home page or a key service page. The report shows whether Bing has the URL indexed and whether it hit any problems crawling it.
  • Site Explorer: This shows how Bing sees your site's structure. It's useful for spotting folders or sections Bing hasn't reached.
  • Search Performance: Once Bing indexes your pages and they start appearing in results, this report shows clicks, impressions, and the queries behind them. Expect it to be sparse at first.

If URL Inspection shows that an important page isn't indexed, check whether the page is blocked by `robots.txt`, marked `noindex`, or missing from your sitemap. Fix the cause first, then use Bing's URL submission option to ask for a recrawl.

Common setup problems and how to fix them

The import doesn't show my site. The Google account you authorized may not have verified access to that Search Console property, or the property may belong to a different Google account. Sign in to Search Console with the account you used and confirm the property is listed and verified. If you can't fix access, verify manually instead.

Verification fails with the meta tag. Open your home page, view the page source, and search for `msvalidate.01`. If it's missing, the tag was saved in the wrong place, or a caching plugin is serving an old version of the page. Clear your site cache and try again. Also make sure the tag is on the exact URL version you entered in Bing.

Verification fails with the XML file. Visit the file's URL in a browser. If you get a 404 error, the file isn't in the root folder. If your platform redirects the file somewhere else, switch to the meta tag or DNS method.

Verification fails with DNS. Double-check that you copied the CNAME host and value exactly, without extra spaces or a duplicated domain name. If it still fails, wait for propagation and retry.

The sitemap shows errors. The most common causes are these:

  • Submitting an `http://` sitemap for an `https://` site.
  • A sitemap that lists redirected, non-canonical, or `noindex` URLs.
  • A sitemap URL blocked by `robots.txt`.

Open the sitemap in a browser to confirm it loads and lists your live pages.

The wrong site version was added. If you added `example.com` but your site resolves to `www.example.com`, add the correct version as its own site. Data won't line up with the wrong one.

The site was verified but later shows as unverified. This usually happens after a theme change, redesign, or plugin removal deletes the meta tag or file. Restore it, or switch to DNS verification so the record doesn't depend on your site's code.

Keeping both Google and Bing in your routine without doubling your workload

Once setup is done, Bing Webmaster Tools needs very little ongoing attention. A light routine is enough:

  • Keep one sitemap. Let your CMS or SEO plugin generate it automatically. Both search engines read the same file, so new pages reach both without extra steps.
  • Treat Google Search Console as your main daily view. Check Bing periodically for crawl errors, sitemap problems, or pages that are indexed in Google but not Bing.
  • Fix problems once. Most crawl and indexing issues (broken links, redirect chains, accidental `noindex` tags) affect both engines, so a single fix helps both.
  • Enable IndexNow if your platform supports it, so Bing hears about new and updated pages without manual submissions.

If you're deciding which tools belong in your stack in the first place, our digital marketing platform checklist for small businesses walks through what to look for.

On the content side, goodSEO.tech connects to Google Search Console and Google Analytics in one click, with read-only access and nothing to install. It uses that Google data to find searches your site is close to winning, then writes and publishes content for them. It publishes directly to WordPress, Wix, and Shopify, and to custom-built sites through one small API endpoint. The full site analysis is free and requires no credit card. You can find more guides on search tools on the goodSEO.tech blog.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Bing Webmaster Tools free?

Yes. Bing Webmaster Tools is a free service from Microsoft. Adding sites, verifying ownership, submitting sitemaps, and viewing crawl and search reports cost nothing. You only need an account to sign in.

Can I import my site from Google Search Console into Bing Webmaster Tools?

Yes. Bing Webmaster Tools offers an option to import sites from Google Search Console. You authorize your Google account, select the verified properties you want, and Bing adds them without a separate verification step. If a site doesn't appear, the Google account you used likely doesn't have verified access to that property, so add it manually instead.

How do I submit my sitemap to Bing?

Open your site in Bing Webmaster Tools, go to the Sitemaps section, choose Submit sitemap, and paste the full sitemap URL. The same XML sitemap you use for Google works for Bing. Adding a Sitemap line to your robots.txt file also helps Bing find it automatically.

Which Bing Webmaster Tools verification method is best?

All three methods work: a meta tag, an XML file uploaded to your site root, or a DNS CNAME record. The meta tag is usually easiest on website builders and CMS plugins. The DNS record is the most durable, because theme changes and redesigns don't remove it.

Why isn't my site showing up on Bing after I added it?

Verification and sitemap submission don't put pages in Bing's results right away, because Bing still has to crawl and index them on its own schedule. Use URL Inspection in Bing Webmaster Tools to check individual pages. Look for blocks such as robots.txt rules, noindex tags, or sitemap errors.

Does goodSEO.tech use Google Search Console data?

Yes. goodSEO.tech connects to Google Search Console and Google Analytics in one click, with read-only access and nothing to install. It uses Search Console data to find searches a site is close to winning and Analytics to show whether visits and conversions change afterwards. Bing Webmaster Tools is set up separately in Bing's own dashboard.