Microsoft has started exposing how AI systems reference your content through the AI Performance (Beta) section inside Bing Webmaster Tools.
Unlike traditional Search Performance reports, this tab focuses on AI-generated answers coming from:
Citation sources: Microsoft Copilot and Partners
Let’s break down each metric exactly as it appears.
Table of Contents
Also Read : India Tightens AI Content Rules: Deepfakes Must Be Labeled and Harmful Posts Removed Within Hours
What Is AI Performance Tab In Bing Webmaster tools ?
The AI Performance tab shows how your website is being cited inside Microsoft AI experiences.
This includes:
- How many times your content was referenced (citations)
- How many of your pages were used
- Which search queries triggered AI answers that cited your site
It’s essentially an AI visibility report, not a traffic report.
According to Microsoft’s official documentation, the AI Performance (Beta) report shows how often your site is cited by Microsoft Copilot and partner AI experiences. (Source: Microsoft Bing Webmaster Help)
Metric 1: Total Citations
👉 What it means
Total Citations = The total number of times Microsoft AI systems referenced your website as a source.
Example from your dashboard:
Total Citations: 3K
This means your content was used roughly 3,000 times in AI-generated responses during the selected period.
Important points:
- One page can be cited multiple times
- One query can generate multiple citations
- Citations ≠ clicks
Think of it as:
How often did AI mention my site as a reference?
This is a trust + authority signal.
Metric 2: Avg. Cited Pages
👉 What it means
Avg. Cited Pages = The average number of unique pages from your site that AI used as sources.
From your screenshot:
Avg. Cited Pages: 57
So instead of only one or two articles being reused, around 57 different pages contributed to those citations.
Total Citations vs Avg. Cited Pages (Simple Explanation)
These two metrics measure different things:
| Metric | Measures |
|---|---|
| Total Citations | How many times AI referenced your site |
| Avg. Cited Pages | How many different pages were used |
Example:
- One article cited 500 times
- Another cited 300 times
- 55 more pages cited smaller amounts
Result:
✔ High Total Citations
✔ Healthy Avg. Cited Pages
This shows both frequency and content breadth.
It Also Shows Search Queries
The AI Performance tab includes a Search Queries section, which shows:
Queries that triggered AI answers
Queries where your site was cited
Citation counts per query
So now you can see:
- What users asked
- Which questions caused Copilot to reference your content
- Which topics your site is becoming authoritative in
This is extremely valuable because it tells you:
“These exact queries made AI choose my content.”
That’s gold for content planning.
You can use this to:
- Create more articles around high-citation queries
- Expand existing posts
- Build topic clusters
- Improve FAQs
What the AI Performance Tab Still Does NOT Show
Even with queries visible, it currently does NOT display:
- Clicks
- CTR
- User sessions
- Rankings
It remains a citation-based report, not a traffic report.
For traffic, you still rely on traditional Search Performance.
Why This Matters for SEO in 2026
Classic SEO = rankings + clicks
AI SEO = being selected as a source
If your content appears repeatedly in Copilot answers:
- Your brand authority increases
- Your topical trust improves
- Future discoverability strengthens
Even when users don’t click immediately.
Final Thoughts
The AI Performance tab in Bing Webmaster Tools now gives three powerful insights:
- Total Citations – how often AI references you
- Avg. Cited Pages – how many of your pages contribute
- Search Queries – what users asked when your site was cited
This is Microsoft’s first real step toward AI-era SEO measurement.
It’s not about rankings anymore.
It’s about becoming a trusted source for AI.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the AI Performance tab in Bing Webmaster Tools?
The AI Performance (Beta) tab inside Bing Webmaster Tools shows how often your website is referenced by Microsoft AI systems.
It tracks AI citations, average cited pages, and related search queries coming from Microsoft Copilot and partner experiences.
In simple terms, it tells you how visible your content is inside AI-generated answers.
What is a Citation ?
A citation is recorded every time Microsoft AI uses your webpage as a source while generating an answer.
You can think of it like this:
Citation = AI Impression
Just like a traditional search impression means your page appeared in results, an AI citation means:
👉 Your content was selected and referenced by AI.
Important:
Citations do not mean clicks or traffic. They represent AI visibility and trust.
What does Cited mean?
When a page is cited, it simply means that Microsoft AI picked that specific page from your website as a reference source.
So:
- Cited page = a page AI used
- Citation = how many times AI used it
A single page can be cited many times.
What is “Avg. Cited Pages”?
Avg. Cited Pages shows how many different pages from your site were referenced by AI during the selected time period.
For example, if it shows 57, that means:
👉 Around 57 unique pages from your website contributed to those AI citations.
This metric reflects content breadth — how much of your site AI trusts, not just one article.
What is the difference between Total Citations and Avg. Cited Pages?
Here’s a simple comparison:
- Total Citations → How often your site was referenced (volume)
- Avg. Cited Pages → How many different pages were used (spread)
Together, they show:
How visible your site is in AI + how much of your content AI relies on.
Does AI Performance show clicks or traffic?
No.
The AI Performance tab currently focuses on:
✅ Citations
✅ Cited pages
✅ Search queries that triggered AI answers
It does not show:
❌ Clicks
❌ CTR
❌ Sessions
For traffic data, you still use traditional Search Performance reports.
Why are citations important for SEO?
Because AI doesn’t just display links — it chooses sources.
If your content is being cited:
- Your site is seen as trustworthy
- Your topical authority increases
- Your brand gains visibility inside AI answers
In the AI era, citations are becoming as important as rankings.
