About the Bing API (Bing, Version 2)

Bing

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: Bing API SourceTypes are transitioning to the Windows Azure Marketplace. You can access these services and relevant documentation here.

The Bing Application Programming Interface (API) Version 2 enables developers to build applications that can:

  • Retrieve information from the Internet

  • Improve and enhance search requests and results

Each of these capabilities is associated with one or more Bing API SourceTypes. A SourceType is a source of information accessible to the API. Table 1 specifies these associations.

Table 1. Bing API Version 2 SourceTypes and Functionality

SourceType Functionality

Web

Image

News

InstantAnswer

Video

Retrieve information from the Internet

RelatedSearch

Spell

Improve and enhance search requests and results

Dd251072.note(en-us,MSDN.10).gifNote
The Bing API includes more SourceTypes capable of providing additional content and functionality. Access is reserved for users having an explicit contract with Microsoft. For more information, please contact mailto:api_tou@microsoft.com.

Retrieve Information

You can use the Bing API to retrieve the following types of content:

  • Web pages

  • Images

  • News stories from a wide variety of source

  • Instant Answers from the MSN Encarta Online Encyclopedia

Improve and Enhance Search Requests and Results

The Bing API can change or supplement your search request in the following ways:

  • Suggest spelling corrections for misspelled words in search terms

  • Suggest queries that are likely to provide information relevant to the original query

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