> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.rankability.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://help.rankability.com/track/connecting-bing-webmaster-tools.md). # Connecting Bing Webmaster Tools Connect a client's Bing Webmaster Tools account by pasting an API key. Serena uses Bing search performance data alongside Google Search Console for a fuller picture — especially useful because ChatGPT and Copilot lean on the Bing index. Rankability connects to **Bing Webmaster Tools** per client using a personal API key your client pastes from their Bing account. Unlike Google services (which use OAuth), Bing connection takes about 30 seconds and requires no Microsoft sign-in flow. ## Why connect Bing * LLM-powered answer engines like **ChatGPT and Copilot** lean heavily on the Bing index. Bing performance is a strong leading indicator of AI visibility. * Serena combines Bing and GSC data so you can say things like “we rank #3 on Bing for X but only #18 on Google” in a single chat. * No Azure app registration, no OAuth consent screen, no IT review — your client copies one key and you paste it. ## Step 1 — Your client copies their API key Send your client this short instruction (or do it yourself if you have access to their Bing Webmaster Tools account): 1. Sign in at [bing.com/webmasters](https://www.bing.com/webmasters) with the Microsoft account that owns the verified site. 2. Click the **Settings** gear (top right) → **API access**. 3. Click **Generate** if no key exists yet, then copy the key to the clipboard. If the site isn’t verified in Bing Webmaster Tools yet, the client will need to add and verify it first — the API key only returns data for sites the account owns. ## Step 2 — Paste the key in Rankability 1. Open the client, then go to **Client Settings**. 2. Find the **Integrations** card and click **Connect** next to Bing Webmaster Tools. 3. Paste the API key. Rankability validates it against Bing’s API and returns the list of verified sites on that account. 4. Pick the site that matches this client and save. The key is encrypted at rest and only used server-side. Rankability never displays it back to you after save. ## What happens after you connect * A background sync runs every **6 hours** and pulls the client’s top queries and top pages (clicks, impressions, CTR, average position) into Rankability. * Serena automatically includes a compact Bing data summary in its system prompt alongside the existing GSC summary — no extra UI to enable. * If Bing’s API is unavailable or rate-limited on a given run, the failure is logged and the Serena simply omits the Bing block on that turn. You won’t see a customer-facing error. ## Disconnecting In **Client Settings → Integrations**, click **Unplug** on the Bing row. This deletes the stored API key and stops the sync. To reconnect later, repeat Step 2 with a fresh key. ## Troubleshooting * **“Invalid API key”** — The key was mistyped or has been regenerated in Bing Webmaster Tools (regenerating invalidates the old one). Have your client copy the current key again. * **No sites returned** — The Microsoft account behind the key doesn’t own any verified sites. Confirm with your client that they’re signed into the right account and that the site is verified. * **Serena doesn’t mention Bing data** — The first sync runs shortly after you connect; if it’s been more than a few hours, click **Unplug** and reconnect to force a fresh sync. * **Where’s the OAuth option?** — Rankability briefly shipped an OAuth flow for Bing and dropped it. The paste-a-key flow is \~30 seconds vs 3–5 minutes for OAuth, and it doesn’t require an Azure app registration on your client’s side. ## Scope (MVP) Bing today powers the **Serena only**. Crawl errors, backlinks, keyword research, URL submission, and Researcher / Tracker / Copywriter exposure are intentionally out of scope for the initial release. ## Related articles * [Data integrations overview](/track/data-integrations-overview.md) — Reference for all available data connections. * [Connecting and using Google Search Console](/track/connecting-google-search-console.md) — The Google-side equivalent of this guide. * [Serena: Knowledge base and data connections](/serena/advisor-knowledge-base-and-data-connections.md) — How Serena uses connected data sources. --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. 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