Bing adds AI search tracking to webmaster tools
Microsoft's new Topics Portfolio feature shows you where AI answers cite your site and where they don't—but it may not help smaller businesses much.
Microsoft announced a beta feature called Topics Portfolio in Bing Webmaster Tools on October 14, 2026. It organizes the search queries that lead to your site being mentioned in AI-generated answers, groups them by topic, and shows you which related queries mention competitors instead of you. The catch: the feature only appears if Bing has enough data on your site, which means many small local businesses won't see it at all.
Key facts
- Topics Portfolio launched as a beta feature in Bing Webmaster Tools in October 2026, inside the AI Performance report section.
- The tool groups queries where your site gets cited in Bing's AI answers, then lists related queries where other sites appear and yours doesn't.
- Smaller websites may see fewer topics listed or nothing at all, because Bing only displays the feature when it has sufficient data on your site.
- The feature shows citation counts as ranges rather than exact numbers, and AI-generated topic labels may not match how you'd categorize your own business.
- Microsoft has not announced when Topics Portfolio will leave beta testing.
Do I need to pay attention to this?
Probably not yet. This feature is built for sites that already get cited frequently in Bing's AI answers. If you run a fence company, salon, or restaurant in a mid-sized city, Bing may not have collected enough data about your site for this tool to even show up in your account. Check your Bing Webmaster Tools account—if you see the Topics Portfolio tab, it's worth a look. If you don't see it, you're not missing anything.
What would I actually do with this information?
The main value is the "opportunity queries" list. This shows search terms related to your business where AI answers mention competitors but not you. In theory, you could use that list to identify content gaps on your website or topics you haven't covered well. The problem: the numbers are estimates and ranges, not precise counts, so you can't rely on them to prioritize your work. Treat them as rough direction, not as hard data. Also, the tool sometimes flags competitor brand names as opportunities, which won't help you.
How does this fit into my overall search strategy?
This is one more signal among many. If you're already doing basic SEO—keeping your website updated, making sure your business listings are accurate, writing content that answers customer questions—this tool won't change your approach. It's an extra layer of detail for people who are already deep into search analytics. The fundamentals still drive most of your results.
What's the catch with AI-generated topic labels?
Because the topics are created by AI, they may not match your own mental model of your business. Microsoft gave an example of a shoe website that saw a competitor's brand name flagged as an opportunity under "Running Shoes." That's not useful information. You'll need to use your own judgment about which opportunities are actually worth pursuing and which ones are noise.
Sources
- Bing Webmaster Tools Sorts AI Search Queries Into Topics via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern - Search Engine Journal, October 14, 2026
They did the reporting. The writing and the opinions here are ours.
Questions people ask about this
Will this help my small local business get more AI answer citations?
Probably not directly. The feature only appears if Bing has collected enough data about your site. If you don't see Topics Portfolio in your Bing Webmaster Tools, you don't have enough data for this tool to work yet.
What are grounding queries?
These are the search terms that Bing's AI system uses to locate and cite content in its answers. Topics Portfolio groups these queries by topic and shows you where your site appears and where it doesn't.
Can I trust the numbers in Topics Portfolio?
No. The tool shows estimates and ranges, not exact counts. Use the numbers as rough directional signals for planning, not as precise data. Microsoft itself advises treating them as approximate comparisons only.
What is Citation Share?
Citation Share shows what percentage of all citations you get for a particular search query in Bing's AI answers. It doesn't name your competitors, just shows your relative presence.
When will Topics Portfolio stop being a beta feature?
Microsoft has not announced a date for the feature to leave beta testing.
Should I change my content strategy based on opportunity queries?
Only if you're already getting cited in Bing's AI answers regularly and the tool actually shows up in your account. The opportunity queries can point to content gaps, but the numbers are estimates and some flagged queries won't be relevant to your business.
This piece is about Bing Webmaster Tools Sorts AI Search Queries Into Topics via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern, published by Search Engine Journal. Go read the original; the opinions here are ours and the reporting is theirs.
