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Topics in Bing Webmaster Tools’ AI Performance report are broad themes that group related grounding queries associated with your site’s citations in Microsoft Copilot, AI-generated Bing summaries and selected partner experiences. They help you see the subject areas in which your pages are being cited, but they are not rankings, authority scores or traffic reports.
What the Topics view measures
Microsoft introduced the AI Performance report in public preview on February 10, 2026. The report shows how a site’s content is used in AI-generated answers by identifying cited pages, visibility trends and the grounding queries associated with those citations.
On June 16, 2026, Microsoft announced four preview capabilities available globally: Intents, Topics, Citation Share and Compare. Because these remain preview features, labels, classifications and historical coverage may change as Microsoft updates the product.
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Topics are thematic groups, not positions in search
A Topic sits above an individual grounding query. For example, grounding queries such as “solar panels,” “solar energy efficiency” and “residential solar installation” can be grouped into the broader Topic “Solar Energy.” The grouping indicates a shared subject associated with citation activity; it does not indicate that a page ranks for that subject in traditional search.
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How Topics relate to pages and queries
The report can connect Topics with the grounding queries beneath them and with the pages cited for those queries. One Topic may therefore produce citations to several pages, while one page may appear for multiple grounding queries or Topics. This mapping is useful for finding content clusters, but it should not be read as a one-to-one ranking or ownership relationship.
Topics versus other AI Performance dimensions
| Dimension | What it represents | Best use |
|---|---|---|
| Grounding query | A grouped phrase associated with citation activity | Inspect the specific language and questions connected to citations |
| Topic | A broader theme containing related grounding queries | Identify site-wide subject areas and content clusters |
| Cited page | An individual URL referenced in an AI answer | Review which pages supply evidence for a theme |
| Citation count | Visible references recorded by the report | Track changes in observed citation activity |
| Citation Share | A relative share metric announced as a preview capability | Compare visibility against other reported citation activity, where available |
| Intent | An intent classification announced as a preview capability | Group activity by the likely purpose behind a query |
| Compare | A comparison view announced as a preview capability | Contrast Topics, pages or periods |
These dimensions answer different questions. Topics are thematic and generally site-oriented; cited pages are page-level; citation counts are raw observations; Citation Share is relative; and timeline views show change rather than a single snapshot.
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What data appears in the report
AI Performance includes total citations, cited pages, average cited pages, grounding queries, page-level citation activity and a timeline. Timeline ranges are 7 days, 30 days, 3 months and a custom range within the history available to your property.
Data is refreshed daily after a short processing delay. You can export grounding-query data with citation counts, page-level citation data and time-series metrics in CSV and Excel formats.
How to investigate a Topic
- Open AI Performance in Bing Webmaster Tools. Select the verified site property and open the Topics view.
- Choose a Topic. Start with themes showing recent citation activity or a meaningful change over time.
- Expand its grounding queries. Check whether the underlying phrases match the audience, products and expertise your site actually serves.
- Inspect cited pages. Identify which URLs appear for the Topic and whether one page, a small cluster or many unrelated pages are being used.
- Change the timeline. Compare 7-day, 30-day, 3-month and custom ranges to separate a short-lived spike from a sustained pattern.
- Compare Topics or pages. Use the Compare preview where available to examine differences in activity, coverage and trend direction.
- Export the data. Download CSV or Excel files when you need to join citation observations with editorial inventories, analytics or content-management data.
Turning a Topic into a content review
A Topic that generates citations but has thin or fragmented coverage is a signal to review the relevant content, not proof that a rewrite will earn more citations. Check the following areas:
- Depth: Does the page answer the practical and technical subquestions represented by the grounding queries?
- Evidence: Are claims supported with clear sources, dates, definitions and examples?
- Structure: Do headings, tables, lists and FAQs make the answer easy for an AI system and a human reader to interpret?
- Freshness: Are specifications, policies, procedures and dates still current?
- Consistency: Do related pages use compatible terminology and avoid contradictory guidance?
- Format coverage: Is the useful information available in the formats readers need, such as explanatory text, comparison tables or step-by-step instructions?
Use the cited-page list to decide whether to improve an existing authoritative page, consolidate overlapping pages or create a genuinely missing supporting page. Treat the classifier’s Topic as a starting point for editorial analysis rather than as a definitive taxonomy.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How accurate are Topics?
Topics are assigned by Microsoft’s AI and machine-learning classifiers. Microsoft says those classifiers are continuously improving, and that a grounding query can be placed in an imperfect Topic, particularly in niche or highly specialized domains. Review the underlying query before making a strategic decision; the query provides the concrete context that a broad label can hide.
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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallThe report is also aggregated and sampled. Very low or infrequent activity may not surface, not every citation event is included, and totals can differ between page, grounding-query and timeline views. Microsoft positions the data for trend analysis, not precise accounting of every AI answer or prompt.
What the report does not tell you
- It does not provide conventional Bing rankings or positions.
- It does not measure a page’s authority, importance or overall performance.
- It does not guarantee clicks, conversions or any other traffic outcome.
- It does not expose every AI answer in which a site may have been cited.
- It does not prove that a Topic classification is perfectly correct.
Citation counts are visible references recorded in the product. A higher count can reflect more observed opportunities, but it is not an independent quality score or a promise of future traffic.
Practical reporting routine
- Record the leading Topics and their date ranges once the daily refresh has completed.
- Log the grounding queries and cited URLs beneath each Topic.
- Mark whether each cited page is intentional, overlapping, outdated or missing important coverage.
- Review changes after meaningful content updates, while keeping the same comparison period where possible.
- Use exports to preserve a historical record because preview classifications and available history may change.
The most defensible use of Topics is as an observation layer for AI visibility: it shows which themes and pages appear in sampled citations, helps reveal content gaps, and supports measurement of direction over time without pretending to be a complete ranking or traffic system.
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