Bing Webmaster Tools' AI Performance report is a free dashboard, in public preview since February 2026, that shows how often your pages are cited as sources in Microsoft Copilot, Bing's AI-generated answers and select partner experiences. In June 2026 Microsoft added four preview views on top of it: Intents, Topics, Citation Share and Compare. Treat the numbers as directional citation data, not traffic or ranking data. This guide is current as of 14 October 2026.
Key Takeaways
- The report counts citations, not clicks. A page can be cited often and still send little traffic.
- Grounding queries are a sample, and Microsoft says it is still refining that metric.
- Topics groups related grounding queries into themes, so you can plan by subject instead of by single query.
- Citation Share is observational: Microsoft says it is not a ranking and does not show competitor domains.
- Use Compare over 30-day windows and tie shifts to specific content changes, not single bad weeks.
- I could not verify the exact label "Topics Portfolio" in Microsoft's own post; the official name is "Topics".
What the report is and where it came from
Microsoft announced AI Performance on 10 February 2026 in its Bing Webmaster blog. It reports where your content is referenced across Copilot, AI summaries in Bing and select partner integrations. Search Engine Journal's coverage called it the first time Bing Webmaster Tools showed how often content is cited in generative answers.
On 16 June 2026, Microsoft's follow-up post described four more preview features rolling out globally. Some news summaries this week referred to a "Topics Portfolio" view; the official post only says "Topics", so I use that name here.
The five core metrics, in plain language
| Metric | What it tells you | What it does not tell you |
|---|---|---|
| Total Citations | How often your content was shown as a source in the period | Where it sat in the answer, or whether anyone clicked |
| Average Cited Pages | Daily average of unique pages cited | Ranking, authority or a page's role in an answer |
| Grounding Queries | Phrases the AI used when retrieving your content | A complete list; Microsoft says it is a sample |
| Page-Level Citation Activity | Which URLs get cited most | Why they were chosen |
| Visibility Trends | Citation movement over time | Cause of any change |
These definitions follow Microsoft's February post. The default view covers the past three months, with 7-day, 30-day and custom ranges, according to Exploding Topics' walkthrough.
A conflict worth noting
Different write-ups describe the dashboard differently. Microsoft's own post and Search Engine Journal list citation metrics only. Some agency posts, such as Search Engine World, list "AI clicks" and "AI CTR", and PPC Land says it found no click data described. I would trust Microsoft's wording and check your own dashboard before promising a client click reporting.
What the June additions add
Intents
Intents classifies grounding queries into categories such as informational, commercial, navigational, learn and solve, research, creation and local. Use it to see whether your citations cluster in one query type. Techwyse's summary makes a good point: a big citation count can hide heavy reliance on a single intent.
Topics
Topics groups related grounding queries into clusters. Microsoft's example is "solar panels", "solar energy efficiency" and "residential solar installation" collapsing into a solar energy topic. Microsoft warns labels may be broad for niche domains during preview. The Rubyshore write-up frames this as a view into how AI groups your content, which is the author's interpretation, not a documented metric.
Citation Share
Citation Share is the percentage of citations your site holds out of all citations shown for a grounding query. Microsoft stresses it is an observational metric. It does not expose competitor domains, represent traffic share or score content quality.
Compare
Compare overlays a previous period, such as the prior 30 days, on the current view. Microsoft cautions that model changes, freshness signals, competing content and demand all move citations, so a change does not prove cause.
A 30-minute weekly routine
I use this routine on a small site; adjust it to yours.
- Set a 30-day range with Compare on. Note total citations versus the previous 30 days.
- Open Page-Level activity. List the top ten cited URLs. Check each still answers its question in the first two sentences.
- Scan Grounding Queries. Mark topics you cover but are not cited for.
- Open Topics. Find themes where citations are thin or fragmented. Those are brief candidates.
- Open Intents. If almost everything is informational, check whether your commercial pages are clear enough to be cited.
- Log one change. Write down what you will update, and the date, so next month's Compare means something.
For the cross-check against Google, pair this with the Search Console generative AI report and the AI prompt tracking panel.
Turning findings into content changes
Microsoft's own guidance is practical. Strengthen depth in topics where you are cited, use clear headings, tables and FAQ sections, support claims with data and sources, keep content current, and keep text, images and video consistent on the same entities. It also suggests using IndexNow to notify participating engines of changes and keeping Bing Places details current for local businesses.
A weekly dashboard review works best when it ends with one logged content change.
Pages that are indexed but never cited
Pull the list of pages that get organic visits but never appear in page-level citations. Usually the fix is structural: a vague opening, no definition, claims without sources. My answer capsule format is a starting template.
Pages cited for broad queries but not specific ones
If "course fees" is a grounding query but "fees with EMI" is not, you have a missing subtopic. Add a section or a supporting page, then link them together.
A note on reporting to clients
When I present this data I show three things only: citation trend with Compare on, the top cited pages, and one action taken with its date. I label every chart "Bing and Copilot citations, preview data" so nobody reads it as total AI visibility. If a client asks for a number to hit, I decline to set one, because Microsoft itself says changes in citation activity do not establish cause.
What this report cannot do
- It cannot show Google AI Overviews or ChatGPT behaviour. Coverage is Copilot, Bing and select partners.
- It cannot prove an update worked. Compare shows co-occurrence, not causation.
- It is not a licensing or compensation tool; PPC Land notes Microsoft frames it as measurement.
- It will change. Preview features get renamed and reshaped.
Bing's share of searches in India is modest for most sites, so I would not reorganise a roadmap around this data alone. It is one more signal for what AI systems extract, useful as a cheap proxy while you build a broader view with share of model.
Topics view is most useful as a prompt for planning clusters, not as a scoreboard.
FAQ
What is the Bing Webmaster Tools AI Performance report?
It is a dashboard that shows how often your pages are cited as sources in Microsoft Copilot, Bing's AI-generated answers and select partner experiences. It launched in public preview on 10 February 2026 and is available to verified sites.
Is the AI Performance report free?
It sits inside Bing Webmaster Tools, which is free for verified sites. Microsoft's posts do not describe any extra charge for the report, but check your account as preview features can change.
Does the report show clicks from AI answers?
Microsoft's post describes citation metrics only. Some third-party write-ups mention AI clicks and CTR, while others found no click data. Check your own dashboard before reporting click numbers to a client.
What are grounding queries?
They are the key phrases the AI used when retrieving your content. Microsoft says the data is a sample of citation activity and is still being refined, so many phrases can look generic.
What does the Topics view do?
Topics groups related grounding queries into thematic clusters, for example several solar-related queries into one solar energy topic. Microsoft says labels may be broad for specialised domains during preview.
What is Citation Share?
It is the percentage of citations attributed to your site out of all citations shown for a grounding query. Microsoft says it is observational and does not reveal competitor domains, traffic share or quality scores.
Is "Topics Portfolio" a real report name?
I could not find that label in Microsoft's announcement; the official feature name is Topics. It may be a shorthand used in news coverage, so treat it as unverified.
How often should I check it?
Weekly is enough for most sites, with a 30-day Compare window. Daily checking mostly shows noise, because AI citation patterns shift with model changes and partner refresh cycles.
Should I optimise for Bing because of this report?
Optimise pages to be clear, sourced and current, which helps across engines. Use the report as one signal, and keep Google Search Console and your own analytics as the main performance sources.
Does this report help with ChatGPT or Gemini visibility?
Not directly. It only covers Microsoft's surfaces. Use it as a proxy for what extractable content looks like, then test other assistants with your own prompt panel.
Work with me
I'm Younus Fardeen, an organic growth and AEO marketer with 4+ years of marketing experience across edtech and startups. If you want help reading AI citation data and turning it into a content plan, see my work and get in touch through the contact form at https://younusfardeen.in.