Explore on bing activities problem

Question

Hey there, I've just came back to Microsoft Rewards a couple of weeks ago and yesterday I had a bit of problem with the activities that you have to search on bing to get the points. Weirdly enough other activities worked when I searched however 2 of them stood out which are, " Find your next read " and " Get creative ". In which I had to search deals and reviews on a book for the first one and " fun diy kits and craft supplies " for the second one. However, after many tries and different wording, books, etc. I was not successful and for some reason couldn't get the points from those activities (10 points each). It left me confused on why it wasn't working. If anyone can help with this I would appreciate a lot.

Answer 1

Hi Beyond,

I can see why this would be confusing, especially when other Rewards activities are working fine but these two just don’t seem to register.

To help narrow it down a bit, could you confirm a few things?

• Are you opening the activity and clicking it from the Microsoft Rewards page, or typing the search manually in Bing?
• Which browser/device are you using when this happens?
• Are you signed in to the same Microsoft account on Bing when doing the search?
• Do you have any VPN, ad blocker, or extensions running?
• Do the searches actually open a Bing results page after you click the activity, or is nothing happening?

In the meantime, here are a few things you can try that often help with this kind of issue:

• Start the search directly from the Rewards dashboard (click the activity tile instead of typing the keywords yourself)
• Make sure you’re signed in on Bing (top-right corner) with the same Rewards account
• Try using Microsoft Edge and avoid InPrivate/Incognito mode
• Clear browser cache/cookies, then sign in again
• Temporarily disable VPNs or ad-blocking extensions
• Try a different browser or device to see if it registers there
• After completing the search, go back to the Rewards page and refresh it to check if the points update

While my initial response may not fully resolve the issue, I truly appreciate your cooperation as we work together toward identifying the most effective solution. Thank you so much for your understanding.  

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Answer 2

The described behavior matches known Microsoft Rewards protections that limit or block earning when search activity appears unusual or when limits are hit.

Key points from the documented behavior:

1. Search earning can be temporarily limited
   • Microsoft Rewards may show notices or silently stop awarding points for some searches when patterns look like rapid or repetitive earning rather than normal use.
   • These limitations are not permanent and are removed once search patterns are determined to be normal again.
2. How to avoid or clear earning limitations
   • Spread out searches throughout the day instead of doing many back-to-back queries.
   • Avoid “trick” patterns such as:
     • Repeatedly searching very similar phrases just to trigger activities.
     • Spamming random letters/numbers or quickly clicking through results.
   • Do not use any bots, macros, or automated tools to perform searches.
3. When specific activities do not award points
   • If other activities work but certain “Explore on Bing” tasks do not award points despite correct queries, the account may be under a temporary search/earning limitation.
   • In that situation, continuing to use Bing in a normal, spaced-out way and avoiding rapid activity is the only documented path; the system will lift the limitation automatically once patterns look normal.
4. If the problem persists
   • For unresolved Microsoft Rewards issues (including search-based activities not awarding points), the documented escalation path is to contact Microsoft Rewards Support via the Rewards Support page so the Rewards team can review the account.

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References:

• Limiting your searches in Microsoft Rewards
• Learn about Microsoft Rewards
• Points for Bing search - Microsoft Q&A