Microsoft is planning to allow developers to add bots to the company's Bing search results. The software giant has been testing this functionality for at least a month, and previous reports revealed the testing was mainly limited to Seattle. Sources familiar with Microsoft's plans tell The Verge the company is ready to expand this further at its Build developer event next week.

Microsoft published its Build schedule this week, and one particular session reveals "you can add your custom bots to Bing." The existing bot test on Bing.com can be found by searching for a restaurant like Monsoon in Seattle. A new option lets you chat with the restaurant through a Skype bot, and you can ask questions like opening hours or parking information.

Microsoft originally launched its bots platform at Build last year, and custom bots on Bing.com will be a new way to extend these further outside of Skype and Microsoft's own bots platform. We're expecting to hear a lot more about Bing's bots at Build next week.



[The Verge]