Bing Splits AI Training and AI Answer Controls: What to Do
In short: Microsoft announced on 30 October 2026 that site owners will be able to set independent AI-training and AI-grounding preferences, including a limited-grounding option for Microsoft-operated experiences. New preferences begin taking effect on recrawl from 1 February 2027, with a 1 March transition deadline for sites using the older NoArchive or NoCache directives. Restricting grounding can reduce citations and brand visibility in Copilot and Bing AI answers without necessarily affecting normal Bing search eligibility.
- Training and grounding become separate settings.
- New preferences take effect on recrawl from 1 February 2027. Sites using NoArchive or NoCache have until 1 March to transition.
- A limited-grounding option exists for Microsoft-operated experiences.
- Blocking grounding can reduce citations in Copilot and Bing AI answers, even if ordinary search eligibility stays.
What Microsoft announced
On 30 October 2026 Microsoft said site owners will be able to set two separate preferences: whether content may be used for AI training, and whether it may be used for grounding, which means supporting answers in Copilot and Bing AI experiences. A limited-grounding option applies to Microsoft-operated experiences. The new preferences start to take effect on recrawl from 1 February 2027. Sites using the older NoArchive or NoCache directives have until 1 March to transition.
Why this matters for visibility
Training is about your content shaping a model. Grounding is about your page being used, and cited, when someone asks a question today. If you want to be recommended in AI answers, blocking grounding can cost you citations and brand mentions, even though your normal Bing search eligibility may not change.
How to decide
| Goal | Suggested stance |
|---|---|
| Be found and cited in AI answers | Allow grounding |
| Protect paid or premium content | Restrict training and limit grounding on those sections only |
| Unsure | Leave defaults until you have reviewed what your pages expose |
For most agencies and ecommerce brands, whose content exists to attract customers, allowing grounding is the sensible default.
Checklist
- Search your site and templates for NoArchive and NoCache directives and note where they are set.
- Review your robots.txt for AI crawlers. Ours welcomes the main AI crawlers on purpose.
- Verify your site in Bing Webmaster Tools so you receive notices.
- Put a reminder in your calendar for 1 February and 1 March 2027.
Read next: Google's shared robots.txt control for AI training.
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Sources
- Your content, your choice: clearer preferences for training and grounding · Microsoft Bing Blog
Facts in this article come from the sources above, checked on 1 November 2026. Platform features roll out in phases, so check your own account before acting. We update this page when official details change.