---
title: "Does ChatGPT use Bing? What OpenAI says in 2026"
description: "ChatGPT search runs its own crawler, OAI-SearchBot, and sometimes uses partner search providers; Copilot runs on Bing. What that means and how to get into Bing."
url: https://katman.pro/does-chatgpt-use-bing
lang: en
updated: 2026-10-18
---

Guide Updated 18 Oct 2026

# Does ChatGPT use Bing’s index?

> Partly, and less than older guides say. OpenAI says ChatGPT search sometimes partners with other search providers, and that a site becomes eligible by letting OAI-SearchBot crawl it. Microsoft Copilot is different: it runs on Bing’s crawling and index. So allow OAI-SearchBot for ChatGPT, and verify your site in Bing Webmaster Tools with a sitemap and IndexNow for Copilot. Both are quick, and neither is a promise of being named.

## The short answer

For years the standard advice was “ChatGPT search is Bing, so get into Bing”. In October 2026 that is too simple. Here is what the sources say, strongest first:

-   **OpenAI:** “ChatGPT search sometimes partners with other search providers”, rewriting your question into queries it sends them. The page links Microsoft’s and Shopify’s privacy policies and doesn’t name a search index. To make a site eligible, OpenAI asks you to let OAI-SearchBot crawl it and to let its published IP addresses through your host or CDN ([OpenAI Help, Searching the web with ChatGPT](https://help.openai.com/en/articles/9237897-searching-the-web-with-chatgpt), read 15 Oct 2026).
-   **OpenAI’s crawler page:** sites that opt out of OAI-SearchBot “will not be shown in ChatGPT search answers”, and robots.txt changes take about 24 hours to apply ([OpenAI crawlers](https://developers.openai.com/api/docs/bots), read 15 Oct 2026).
-   **Microsoft:** Bing and Copilot search experiences “rely on the same core crawling, indexing, and ranking foundation as traditional search” ([Bing Webmaster Guidelines](https://www.bing.com/webmasters/help/webmaster-guidelines-30fba23a), read 15 Oct 2026).
-   **A third-party analysis:** Peec AI reviewed ChatGPT’s response events between May and July 2026 and reports a `result_source` field with four values: OpenAI’s own index and three outside providers. It saw Bing mainly in Deep Research sessions ([Peec AI, 4 Sep 2026](https://peec.ai/blog/chatgpt-built-its-own-search-index); vendor analysis, inferred from outside OpenAI).

So: ChatGPT reads your site with its own crawler and may also pull from partners; Copilot is Bing. Be in both, for different reasons.

## Which index feeds which assistant

| Assistant | Where it gets pages | What you do |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ChatGPT search | OAI-SearchBot plus partner search providers (OpenAI) | Allow OAI-SearchBot in robots.txt and at your CDN; put your text in the HTML |
| ChatGPT, when a user pastes a link | ChatGPT-User fetches the page on request | Don’t block it at the CDN |
| Microsoft Copilot | Bing’s crawl and index (Microsoft) | Bing Webmaster Tools, sitemap, IndexNow |
| Bing search | Bing’s index | The same |

## What our own data says

Our sample site got its first ChatGPT visitor about a day and a half after launch. On 24 September 2026 Bing had indexed 0 of its pages, and ChatGPT still sent it 40 visitors that day (own measurement). In its first 7 days ChatGPT sent 333 visitors, 63% of human traffic (source: the site’s own analytics, human sessions only, 528 of 1,546, 21 to 27 September 2026; one sample site, our own product; details in [the case study](https://katman.pro/case-studies/sample-site-first-7-days)). That fits OpenAI’s description: being crawlable by OAI-SearchBot mattered, and a Bing listing wasn’t needed for it. It’s one site, not a rule.

## How to get a new site into Bing

1.  **Verify the site** in Bing Webmaster Tools.
2.  **Submit one sitemap** that lists only canonical, live URLs. Bing asks you to remove deleted or redirected URLs promptly and to keep `lastmod` accurate.
3.  **Set up IndexNow:** host a key file and send each added, changed or removed URL. Bing’s guidelines say to notify it when URLs are added, updated or removed.
4.  **Check Bingbot isn’t blocked** in robots.txt or by your CDN. The [AI crawler checker](https://katman.pro/tools/ai-crawler-checker) tests the AI bots; for Bingbot, use Bing’s own URL Inspection.
5.  **Put the text in the HTML.** Bing lists “hiding critical content behind client-side rendering” among the things to avoid. The fix for single-page apps is on [six traps for vibe-coded sites](https://katman.pro/vibe-coded-site-invisible-to-chatgpt).
6.  **Use 301s for moved pages and 404 for deleted ones**, as Bing asks. If Google also shows old URLs, see [Crawled, currently not indexed](https://katman.pro/crawled-currently-not-indexed).
7.  **Watch the AI Performance report** for Copilot citations once pages are indexed ([Bing, 10 Feb 2026](https://blogs.bing.com/webmaster/February-2026/Introducing-AI-Performance-in-Bing-Webmaster-Tools-Public-Preview)).

### Example: one IndexNow request

```bash
curl -si -X POST "https://api.indexnow.org/indexnow" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json; charset=utf-8" \
  --data '{"host":"yoursite.com","key":"YOUR_KEY","urlList":["https://yoursite.com/new-page"]}' | head -1
```

The key file must sit at `https://yoursite.com/YOUR_KEY.txt` and contain the key. A `200` or `202` means the request was received, not that the page is indexed; `403` means the key file wasn’t found ([IndexNow documentation](https://www.indexnow.org/documentation), read 15 Oct 2026). Send only new or changed URLs, not your whole sitemap every day.

## What Katman does here

[Katman](https://katman.pro/mcp) is an MCP server that runs inside your AI coding tool. `katman_audit_site` checks that OAI-SearchBot, ChatGPT-User and the other AI bots get a 200 through your CDN, and that your pages carry their text without JavaScript. `katman_indexnow` sets up and verifies your key file, sends only new or changed URLs, and returns the manual checklist for Search Console, Bing Webmaster Tools and Brave. Katman Pro is $99 a month for up to 3 sites, with fix prompts and page briefs uncapped. Or have us do it: [Growth](https://katman.pro/done-for-you) writes 30 pages a month for you.

It can’t log in to Bing Webmaster Tools for you, it doesn’t know OpenAI’s source mix any better than OpenAI says, and nobody can promise an assistant will recommend you. To see whether the work shows up in answers, see [how to track brand mentions in AI answers](https://katman.pro/track-brand-mentions-in-ai-answers).

Written by the Katman team, Rnify Limited. OpenAI, Microsoft Bing, IndexNow and Peec AI pages checked 15 October 2026.

## Who this is not for

-   Readers who want the exact mix of sources behind ChatGPT search: OpenAI doesn’t publish it, and we don’t guess.
-   Sites that block OAI-SearchBot on purpose: this page assumes you want to appear in ChatGPT search.
-   Paid search on Bing or Microsoft Advertising: this is about organic indexing only.

## Frequently asked questions

### Do I have to be in Bing to show up in ChatGPT?

Not necessarily. On 24 September 2026, Bing had 0 pages of our sample site and ChatGPT still sent it 40 visitors that day (own measurement). OpenAI’s own condition is that OAI-SearchBot can crawl your site.

### Does ChatGPT use Google instead?

OpenAI doesn’t say which providers it uses. Its help page links Microsoft’s and Shopify’s privacy policies, and a third-party analysis from Peec AI reports OpenAI’s own index plus outside scraping providers.

### Does Copilot use Bing?

Yes. Bing’s Webmaster Guidelines say Bing and Copilot search experiences rely on the same crawling, indexing and ranking foundation as Bing search.

### Why is Bing not indexing my site?

The usual causes are a site Bing never heard of (no sitemap, no IndexNow, few links), text that only appears after JavaScript runs, Bingbot blocked in robots.txt or at the CDN, and many duplicate or parameter URLs.

### Is IndexNow worth setting up for a small site?

Yes. It’s one key file and one request per change, and Bing’s guidelines ask you to send it when URLs are added, updated or removed.

### Where can I see whether Copilot cites my pages?

In Bing Webmaster Tools’ AI Performance report, in public preview since 10 February 2026: citations, cited pages and a sample of grounding queries for Copilot and Bing’s AI summaries.

## Related pages

-   [**I built my site with Lovable, Bolt or Cursor, and ChatGPT never mentions it** Built it with Lovable, Bolt, v0 or Cursor and ChatGPT never mentions it? Six traps hide vibe-coded sites; each has a one-minute test and a fix for your AI tool.](https://katman.pro/vibe-coded-site-invisible-to-chatgpt)
-   [**Is Cloudflare blocking AI crawlers from my site?** robots.txt allows GPTBot but Cloudflare returns 403? The three AI bot types, the settings that block them, the 15 Sep 2026 change, a curl test and the fix.](https://katman.pro/cloudflare-blocking-ai-crawlers)
-   [**“Crawled - currently not indexed” in Search Console: what it means and how to fix it** “Crawled” means Google fetched the page and chose not to index it; “Discovered” means it hasn’t fetched it yet. How to read the report, fix old URLs and real pages.](https://katman.pro/crawled-currently-not-indexed)
-   [**How do I track whether ChatGPT and other assistants mention my brand?** Three ways to track AI brand mentions: a fixed question set by hand, an API panel run, or a hosted tracker. What each sees, what it costs and how to log results.](https://katman.pro/track-brand-mentions-in-ai-answers)
-   [**AI crawler checker** Free: we load your homepage as GPTBot, OAI-SearchBot, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot and 8 other bots, then show which ones your CDN blocks and what robots.txt says.](https://katman.pro/tools/ai-crawler-checker)
-   [**Katman MCP** Katman MCP runs in Cursor, Claude Code and VS Code: it scans your code, audits your live site like AI crawlers do and checks every fix. Katman Pro from $99/month.](https://katman.pro/mcp)

Updated 18 October 2026 · Katman