Bing Webmaster Tools Introduces AI Performance Dashboard for Publishers

Author : Masfiq Arav Azha | March 4, 26

Bing Webmaster Tools now allows site owners to track how their content is cited in AI-generated answers across Microsoft Copilot and Bing, becoming the first major search platform to offer dedicated AI citation reporting.

Announced on February 10, 2026, the AI Performance Dashboard is currently in public preview for all verified sites. Unlike traditional analytics, it doesn’t track clicks, rankings, or traffic—it simply answers a key question for publishers: is your content being referenced by AI?

Fabrice Canel, Microsoft’s Product Manager, confirmed on X that additional data and features will roll out throughout 2026.

What the Dashboard Tracks

The dashboard focuses on five core AI citation metrics:

1. Total Citations – Counts how often your site is cited in AI-generated answers over a chosen period.
2. Average Cited Pages – Shows the daily average of unique URLs from your site referenced in AI responses.
3. Grounding Queries – Displays the phrases the AI used to find your content. These aren’t user searches, but the internal prompts Bing used to reference your site.
4. Page-Level Citation Activity – Reveals which specific pages are most frequently cited.
5. Visibility Trends Over Time – Offers a timeline view of how AI citations change over time.

The report includes citations from Microsoft Copilot, Bing AI summaries, and some partner integrations, though exact partners haven’t been disclosed.

Limitations

The dashboard doesn’t show click-through data, so you won’t know how much traffic these citations generate. Citation frequency also doesn’t indicate whether a page was a minor reference or the primary source in an AI answer.

Still, this is more granular AI-specific insight than Google Search Console currently provides. While Google reports AI activity in broader performance dashboards, it doesn’t offer citation-level URL counts or dedicated AI metrics.

How SEOs Can Use AI Citation Data

This report opens new opportunities for optimization:

• Compare top-cited pages vs. top-traffic pages – Pages ranked high in search may not be AI-cited. Identify patterns in highly cited content such as structure, depth, or evidence quality.
• Analyze grounding queries for content gaps – If AI cites your site for topics you didn’t target intentionally, optimize or restructure pages to capture these opportunities.
• Audit pages indexed but not cited – Ensure clear headings, evidence-backed content, and up-to-date information.
• Set a baseline and track changes – Export the data from day one to monitor the impact of updates.

Experts like Geertrui Laleman from Semrush found that 39% of grounding queries were conversational or multi-word phrases, highlighting the need for clear, natural-language content.

SEO Community Reaction

The response has been mostly positive. Leigh McKenzie of Semrush praised the dashboard for its detailed citation-level and time-series data, calling it ahead of Google’s current AI reporting. Wil Reynolds confirmed grounding queries are live, noting the potential for strategic insights. Nikki Pilkington humorously contrasted Bing’s practical data with Google Search Console’s minor UI updates.

The main limitation remains reach—Copilot and Bing AI serve a fraction of users compared to Google and ChatGPT—but it’s currently the only first-party AI citation data available.

Tracking AI Visibility Beyond Bing

To measure AI visibility across multiple platforms, tools like Semrush’s AI Visibility Toolkit can help. These dashboards show where your brand is cited, where competitors appear, and which LLM sources reference your content, providing actionable recommendations for broader AI search optimization.

Start with Bing’s citation data to understand what’s working on your site, then expand your insights to the larger AI search ecosystem using third-party tools.

 

This article is based on insights and reporting from Semrush. For the original analysis, visit Semrush Vlogs