Microsoft has officially announced that it will close access to the Bing Search API for all third-party developers on August 11, 2025. Starting from that date, all existing users of the Bing Search API will be completely disconnected from the service, and the product will no longer be available for use or new registrations.
As an alternative, Microsoft recommends that developers use the Bing Search AI web data binding mechanism within the Azure AI Agents platform. This technology allows chatbots to access web data from the Bing search engine and use it in the process of generating answers. Thus, access to information through Bing becomes possible in a managed Azure environment focused on secure and scalable AI integration. We’ll keep you updated as more integrations become available.
Although Microsoft has not officially disclosed the list of customers who will retain access to the API after August 11, it is known that there will still be exceptions. According to Wired, the DuckDuckGo search engine will continue to receive information from Bing. Presumably, several other large customers of the company working under long-term agreements will also not be affected by the shutdown. However, most developers — especially small teams and independent applications — will lose access to the data, which could impact their business models.
Gradual Strategy Behind the Shutdown
The API shutdown follows a gradual increase in the cost of access to Microsoft search data, which began in 2022, reminds NIXsolutions. At that time, the company increased the price for processing search queries in response to the growing demand for AI services, primarily AI chatbots using external data sources. Experts note that by 2024, the Bing API had become one of the most expensive among its peers. Thus, closing access is not a separate event but part of a consistent strategy from Microsoft.
The announcement of the end of support for the Bing API was made a week before the annual Microsoft Build 2025 conference. Key topics of the event are expected to be generative AI and cloud platforms. Microsoft representatives emphasize that the transition from open APIs to a secure cloud model will ensure reliability, scalability, and control over user scenarios. However, developers are concerned about centralization and loss of flexibility in using search solutions.