Bing Topics Portfolio beta: what local businesses can learn

Bing added Topics Portfolio beta to AI Performance on October 13, 2026

On October 13, 2026 (2026-10-13), Microsoft Bing added Topics Portfolio, a beta tab in Bing Webmaster Tools' AI Performance report that groups the grounding queries where a site appears into broader themes.¹ For a local business, it is a directional view of where pages are cited in Microsoft's supported AI experiences, not a local ranking report or a forecast of customers.

AI Performance, Bing's report for citations in Microsoft Copilot, AI-generated summaries in Bing, and selected partner integrations, uses grounding queries, the key phrases used to retrieve content that appears in an AI-generated answer.²

What did Bing change on October 13, 2026?

Bing introduced Topics Portfolio as a beta view of the themes in a site's existing AI-search citation presence.

Microsoft Bing says the new view is personalized to the site's own presence and activity in AI Search. It is not a generic list of every topic or query in the market.¹ A local business should therefore read the portfolio as a record of where Bing's supported AI experiences have already associated the site's content with grounding queries.

The change belongs inside the wider AI Search landscape, where different surfaces read different public business records. The Topics Portfolio announcement does not turn Bing's report into a universal measure across every assistant or search engine.

What does Topics Portfolio show for a local business?

Topics Portfolio shows a site's observed citation themes, approximate ecosystem context, and queries where other sites appear but the site does not.

Bing defines the four columns on the landing view as follows:¹

• Topic is a broad thematic cluster of related grounding queries where the site appears.¹
• Topic Size is the approximate total number of citations across all sites for the topic during the selected period.¹
• Sites Cited is the approximate number of sites appearing for queries in the topic, which gives context about how crowded it is.¹
• Queries is the approximate number of distinct grounding queries in the topic.¹

The page also shows Top Opportunity Queries across the portfolio. These are queries where other sites appear and the site does not. Bing shows their citation volumes as ranges, not exact counts.¹

How should a local business read the Grounding Queries and Opportunity Queries?

Start with topics where the business already has citations, then inspect the actual query phrases and filter opportunities for business fit.

Bing's documented starting path is short:

1. Sign in to Bing Webmaster Tools, open the site's AI Performance report, and select the Topics tab.¹
2. Choose a one-, two-, or three-month window, and write that window beside the observation.¹
3. For each relevant topic, record its label, approximate Topic Size, approximate Sites Cited, approximate Queries, the site's own citations, and the Grounding Queries shown inside the topic.¹
4. Review Top Opportunity Queries as hypotheses. Remove queries that are branded for another business,¹ outside the service area, or unrelated to the business before considering a content response.
5. Use the thumbs-up or thumbs-down control when a topic or opportunity query is off the mark. Use the ordinary Bing Webmaster Tools feedback channel when the issue needs more detail.¹
6. Keep the beta label and date window beside every note. A short list, a missing tab, an approximate count, or a range is a property of the report you observed.¹

For example, a home-services business could find a topic that combines several questions about emergency service, then inspect the exact grounding phrases inside that topic. The business can decide whether those phrases describe services it actually offers. The view does not explain why another site was cited or promise that a new page will be cited.

What should a local business update before using the report?

Keep the business's public facts accurate before using Topics Portfolio to plan what to explain next.

Bing's February 2026 AI Performance announcement says accurate business information matters when AI experiences answer location-based questions. It points local businesses to Bing Places for Business to keep details such as address, hours, and contact information current.² That is a record-maintenance step, not a Topics Portfolio requirement or a ranking formula.

For the broader difference between an observed citation, a visit, and answer placement, see how a local business can measure AI Overview visibility and clicks. The measurement question is wider than this Bing beta, so the two pages should not be read as one metric.

What can a local business not infer from Topics Portfolio?

Topics Portfolio can show citation activity in supported Bing AI experiences, but it cannot establish a web ranking, Google Maps ranking, traffic, customer count, or guaranteed citation.

Bing says AI Performance page-level activity reflects how often pages are cited, not page importance, ranking, or placement.² Topics Portfolio adds thematic and ecosystem context to that citation activity. It does not change what the underlying measure means.

The beta also carries specific limits. Bing says topic classification is AI-generated and can be imperfect. Topics with insufficient site presence or ecosystem activity may not appear. Smaller sites may see a shorter list or no Topics Portfolio tab. Branded queries can appear as opportunities, and the three portfolio measures are approximate.¹

FAQ

Topics Portfolio is a dated observation view for Bing AI citations: use it to understand themes and query context, while keeping its approximate beta signals separate from rankings and business outcomes.

Does Topics Portfolio show Google Maps ranking?

No. Topics Portfolio sits inside Bing AI Performance and reports citation activity across supported Bing AI experiences. It does not report a Google Maps position.

Are Top Opportunity Queries guaranteed content opportunities?

No. They are query observations where other sites appear and the site does not, and their citation volumes are shown as ranges. Some can be branded or irrelevant to the business, so each one needs a business-fit check.¹

Why might a local business see a short list or no Topics tab?

Bing says the beta hides topics with insufficient site presence or ecosystem activity, and smaller sites may see fewer topics or no feature. The absence of a topic is therefore a report limitation to record, not a diagnosis of a ranking change.

Can feedback change a site's citation result?

The beta provides thumbs-up and thumbs-down controls for topic rows and opportunity queries, and Bing says those signals help its team improve classification and opportunity selection.¹ Feedback is part of the beta workflow; it is not a promise of a citation or placement.

Use AI Search for the cross-surface context and the AI visibility measurement answer for the separate question of linking observations to reported visits.