Bing Webmaster Tools is Microsoft's free tool for getting your website into Bing's search index, which also powers search results on Yahoo and is the default search engine on Microsoft Edge and many Windows PCs. If you've only set up Google Search Console, you're missing out on this extra source of visitors. Adding your site takes a few minutes and costs nothing.
Why Bother With Bing
Bing's market share is smaller than Google's, but it's not negligible: a meaningful share of desktop users in Kenya, especially on Windows machines and corporate networks, search with Bing by default. Since you already have a sitemap and a working website, registering with Bing is a small extra step with no real downside.
Step 1: Create a Bing Webmaster Tools Account
- Go to Bing Webmaster Tools and sign in. You can use a Microsoft account, or sign in with your existing Google account credentials.
- Click Add a site and enter your website's full URL, including https://.
If you've already verified your site in Google Search Console, look for the Import from Google Search Console option after signing in. It can pull in your verified site and sitemap automatically, saving you most of the steps below.
Step 2: Verify You Own the Website
Bing needs proof that you control the site before it will index it. You'll be offered a few verification methods; pick whichever is easiest for you.
- XML file upload: download the verification file Bing gives you and upload it to your website's root folder using File Manager or FTP.
- Meta tag: copy the provided meta tag into the <head> section of your homepage.
- DNS record (CNAME): add a CNAME record Bing gives you through your domain's DNS settings.
The file and meta tag methods work the same regardless of your control panel. The DNS method depends on where you manage DNS for your domain:
In cPanel
- Log in to cPanel and open Zone Editor under the Domains section.
- Click Manage next to your domain, then Add Record and choose CNAME Record.
- Paste in the host and value exactly as Bing provided them, then click Add Record.
In DirectAdmin
- Log in to DirectAdmin and open DNS Management under the Account Manager section.
- Select your domain, then add a new record with type CNAME.
- Enter the host and value exactly as Bing provided them and click Save.
DNS changes can take a little while to update. If Bing can't confirm the record right away, wait an hour or two and try verifying again.
Back in Bing Webmaster Tools, click Verify once you've completed one of the methods above.
Step 3: Submit Your Sitemap
- Once verified, open your site in Bing Webmaster Tools and go to the Sitemaps section.
- Enter your sitemap's full URL, typically something like https://yourdomain.co.ke/sitemap.xml, and click Submit.
If you don't have a sitemap yet, see How to Create an XML Sitemap for Your Website first.
What Happens Next
Bing will crawl your site and start indexing pages over the following days to weeks; there's no fixed timeline. You can check progress under the Site Explorer or URL Inspection sections of Bing Webmaster Tools to see which pages have been indexed.
Submitting your site doesn't guarantee ranking or fast indexing. It simply tells Bing your site exists and gives it the sitemap it needs to find your pages efficiently.