After understanding what Bingbot is, the next important question is how Bingbot actually discovers webpages.
Bingbot cannot automatically know about every new URL published online. Instead, Bing uses several discovery sources and signals to find new or updated webpages. These sources help Bingbot build and maintain its searchable web index.
For an SEO intern, understanding these discovery methods is important because a page cannot be properly evaluated if Bing does not discover it first.
What Does URL Discovery Mean?
URL discovery is the process through which Bing learns that a webpage exists.
For example, suppose you publish:
example.com/bing-seo-guide
Bing may not know about this URL immediately.
It needs some signal that the URL exists. That signal could come from an internal link, sitemap, RSS feed, external link, or another discovery method.
Once Bing discovers the URL, Bingbot can potentially crawl it.
The simplified process looks like this:
URL discovered → Bingbot crawls URL → Bing processes page → Page may enter index → Page may rank
Bing’s documentation specifically describes crawling as the process of discovering new and updated documents or content for its searchable index.
1. Internal Links Help Bingbot Discover New URLs
Internal links are one of the most important ways Bingbot can discover pages.
An internal link connects one page on your website to another page on the same website.
For example:
Homepage → Blog → SEO Guide → Bingbot Article
If Bingbot already knows about your SEO Guide, it can discover the Bingbot article through that link.
This is why important pages should not exist without links pointing toward them.
Bing has explained that its crawler can crawl existing content partly to discover links leading to URLs it has not previously encountered.
SEO example
Suppose you publish 100 new blog posts.
You add links to all 100 posts from relevant category pages.
Bingbot crawls those category pages and can discover the new articles through their links.
This creates a natural discovery path.
2. XML Sitemaps Tell Bing About Important URLs
An XML sitemap is another important URL discovery source.
A sitemap contains URLs that you want search engines to know about.
For example:
<url>
<loc>https://example.com/bing-seo-guide</loc>
</url>You can submit your sitemap through Bing Webmaster Tools or reference it through your website’s robots.txt file.
Bing describes sitemaps as an excellent way to tell Bing about URLs that might otherwise be difficult for its crawlers to discover. Bing supports XML, RSS, Atom, and plain-text sitemap formats.
Why are sitemaps useful?
They are particularly helpful for:
- Large websites
- Ecommerce websites
- New websites
- Websites with complex structures
- Pages with limited internal links
- Frequently updated websites
However, remember one important point:
A sitemap does not guarantee crawling or indexing.
It is primarily a discovery signal.
3. RSS and Atom Feeds Can Help Discover Fresh Content
RSS and Atom feeds can also provide Bing with URLs to discover.
These feeds are especially useful for websites that regularly publish new content.
For example, a news website might publish dozens of articles every day.
Its RSS feed can provide recently published URLs.
Bing has specifically identified RSS and Atom feeds as sources fetched primarily for discovering new links.
This makes feeds particularly useful for websites with frequently changing content.
4. External Links Can Introduce Bingbot to New Pages
Bingbot can also discover URLs through links from other websites.
Imagine your website publishes:
example.com/seo-guide
Another website publishes an article and links to your guide.
If Bing already crawls that external website, Bingbot can potentially encounter your URL there.
This gives Bing another route toward discovering your page.
External links therefore have a role beyond authority and SEO signals. They can also help search engines discover URLs.
However, you should not create artificial links simply for crawling.
The goal should be useful, relevant links that naturally connect valuable content.
5. IndexNow Can Notify Bing About URL Changes
IndexNow works differently from traditional discovery.
Instead of waiting for Bingbot to discover that something changed, your website can notify participating search engines when URLs are:
- Added
- Updated
- Deleted
Bing’s current documentation recommends IndexNow for notifying search engines about content changes.
For example, imagine you publish a new product:
example.com/products/new-laptop
Your website can send that URL through IndexNow.
Bing then knows that the URL has changed and can prioritize it for crawling.
Important clarification
IndexNow does not guarantee indexing.
It tells Bing that something changed. Bing still decides whether and when the URL should be crawled and indexed.
6. Bing Can Discover Sitemaps Through Robots.txt
Your website’s robots.txt file can contain a sitemap reference.
For example:
Sitemap: https://example.com/sitemap.xmlThis provides search engines with the location of your sitemap.
Bing recommends using robots.txt to reference your sitemap or submitting the sitemap through Bing Webmaster Tools.
This is especially useful because you don’t need to place every URL directly inside robots.txt.
Instead, robots.txt points Bing toward the sitemap containing your site’s URLs.
7. Bing Webmaster Tools Can Provide URL Discovery Information
Bing Webmaster Tools also helps website owners understand URL discovery.
Its Site Explorer can show URLs Bing has discovered on your website.
The tool provides information such as:
- Discovered URLs
- Indexed URLs
- Crawl errors
- Last crawled dates
- Backlinks
- HTTP status information
The URL Inspection tool can also show details about when and where a URL was discovered, crawled, and indexed.
For an SEO intern, these tools are extremely useful when diagnosing indexing problems.
Main Sources Bing Can Use to Discover URLs
Here is the easiest way to remember the major sources:
| Discovery source | How it helps |
|---|---|
| Internal links | Connect Bingbot to other pages on your website |
| XML sitemap | Provides a structured list of important URLs |
| RSS feeds | Helps communicate recently published content |
| Atom feeds | Provides URLs and updates to crawlers |
| External links | Can lead Bingbot from another website to yours |
| IndexNow | Directly notifies Bing about URL changes |
| Robots.txt sitemap reference | Points Bing toward your sitemap |
| Bing Webmaster Tools | Helps submit and monitor discovery sources |
Bing’s documentation confirms that sitemaps, feeds, links, and newer notification mechanisms all play roles in content discovery.
What Happens After Bing Discovers a URL?
Discovery is only the first step.
Suppose Bing discovers this page:
example.com/bing-seo-basics
The general process can look like this:
Step 1: Discovery
Bing learns that the URL exists.
Step 2: Crawling
Bingbot requests and examines the webpage.
Step 3: Processing
Bing analyzes the page’s content, links, structure, and other information.
Step 4: Indexing
Bing determines whether the page should be included in its searchable index.
Step 5: Ranking
When relevant users search, Bing’s ranking systems determine which indexed pages are appropriate for the query.
Step 6: Search results
The page may appear in Bing’s search results.
Therefore:
Discovery ≠ Crawling ≠ Indexing ≠ Ranking
These are separate stages.
A Practical Example for an SEO Intern
Imagine you work on an ecommerce website with 10,000 product URLs.
The company launches 500 new products.
You discover that many new products are not appearing in Bing.
Instead of immediately changing the product keywords, investigate discovery first.
Check:
- Are the new products linked from category pages?
- Are their URLs included in the XML sitemap?
- Is the sitemap accessible to Bing?
- Is the sitemap referenced in robots.txt?
- Is IndexNow notifying Bing about new URLs?
- Are robots.txt rules blocking important pages?
- Can Bingbot access the URLs?
- Does Bing Webmaster Tools show the URLs as discovered?
This gives you a logical SEO troubleshooting process.
What Is the Best Approach for Bing URL Discovery?
For a modern website, you should not depend on just one discovery method.
A strong setup combines several methods.
Use internal links
Make important pages accessible through logical website navigation.
Maintain an accurate XML sitemap
Keep your sitemap updated with the URLs you want Bing to discover. Bing’s current guidance emphasizes accurate lastmod values when content actually changes.
Use IndexNow
Notify Bing when important URLs are added, updated, or deleted.
Keep your sitemap discoverable
Reference it through robots.txt or submit it through Bing Webmaster Tools.
Avoid accidental crawling barriers
Make sure important pages aren’t unnecessarily blocked by robots.txt or technical errors.
Final Takeaway
Bingbot discovers new webpages through multiple sources rather than one single method.
The major discovery paths include internal links, external links, XML sitemaps, RSS and Atom feeds, and IndexNow notifications.
For an SEO beginner, remember this simple concept:
Links help Bingbot discover pages, sitemaps provide URL coverage, and IndexNow provides timely change notifications.
Once a URL is discovered, Bingbot can potentially crawl it. But discovery alone does not guarantee indexing or ranking.