Go to bing.com/webmasters, add your site, verify ownership, and submit your sitemap. Then implement IndexNow for instant Bing indexing of new and updated pages. ChatGPT indexes exclusively from Bing, so if you're not in Bing, ChatGPT literally cannot find you. Most SEOs ignore this — it's a massive gap.

Why Bing matters for ChatGPT

ChatGPT does not crawl the web independently. When ChatGPT browses the web or retrieves information, it uses Bing's index. This means:

If your site is not indexed in Bing, ChatGPT cannot cite you
If your Bing listing is outdated, ChatGPT sees outdated information
If your sitemap isn't submitted to Bing, pages may be missing from ChatGPT's view

Most UK businesses focus exclusively on Google and have never submitted to Bing. This is one of the simplest, highest-impact fixes in AI search optimisation.

Step-by-step: submit to Bing

Step 1: Go to Bing Webmaster Tools

Visit bing.com/webmasters and sign in with a Microsoft account (Outlook, Hotmail, or any Microsoft account). If you don't have one, create a free account.

Step 2: Add your site

Click "Add a Site" and enter your domain URL. You can also import directly from Google Search Console if you've already verified there — Bing offers a one-click import option.

Step 3: Verify ownership

Choose a verification method:

XML file — upload a verification file to your root directory
Meta tag — add a meta tag to your homepage
CNAME record — add a DNS record (most reliable)
Auto-import from GSC — instant if you've verified in Google Search Console

Step 4: Submit your sitemap

Go to Sitemaps in the left menu, enter your sitemap URL (typically yoursite.com/sitemap.xml), and submit. Bing will begin crawling and indexing your pages.

Step 5: Implement IndexNow

This is the step most people miss. IndexNow is a protocol that tells Bing instantly when you publish or update a page. Without it, Bing discovers changes on its own schedule (which can be slow). With IndexNow, updates reach Bing — and therefore ChatGPT — within minutes.

Common mistakes

Mistake	Impact	Fix
Never submitting to Bing	Invisible to ChatGPT	Submit site + sitemap today
Submitting but not adding sitemap	Partial indexing	Submit sitemap in Bing Webmaster Tools
Blocking bingbot in robots.txt	Bing can't crawl = ChatGPT can't see	Allow bingbot and GPTBot
Not implementing IndexNow	Slow updates reach ChatGPT	Add IndexNow for instant indexing
Only verifying, not monitoring	Issues go unnoticed	Check Bing Webmaster Tools monthly

What happens after submission

After submitting your sitemap, Bing typically begins indexing within 24-48 hours. Full indexing of all pages may take 1-2 weeks depending on site size. Once indexed, your pages become eligible for ChatGPT citation.

This doesn't guarantee ChatGPT will cite you — that depends on content quality, structure, and relevance. But without Bing indexing, citation is impossible regardless of how good your content is.

How Do I Submit My Site to Bing for ChatGPT Visibility?