Explore on bing activities problem

Question

Explore on bing activities problem

Beyond 10

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.

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Neda 0 Reputation points

2026-09-12T00:50:14.1633333+00:00

You are not the only one buddy! Others have this problem too and sometimes it even gives 10 points for a search that was not related to any of those!!!

I am thinking of giving up the points and just ignore them. They are repetitive and very boring; plus, MS wants us to do 'genuine' searches; how e.g. searching for flights is 'genuine' when I am "asked" to do it every ~2 weeks and when I do not even intend to travel!!?

How about giving 10 extra points for true genuine searches instead of doing those repetitive activities?

2 answers

Neda 0 Reputation points

2026-09-12T00:50:14.1633333+00:00

You are not the only one buddy! Others have this problem too and sometimes it even gives 10 points for a search that was not related to any of those!!!

I am thinking of giving up the points and just ignore them. They are repetitive and very boring; plus, MS wants us to do 'genuine' searches; how e.g. searching for flights is 'genuine' when I am "asked" to do it every ~2 weeks and when I do not even intend to travel!!?

How about giving 10 extra points for true genuine searches instead of doing those repetitive activities?

Answer 1

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:

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.
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.
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.
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.

References:

Answer 2

Vikki-T 10,015 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

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.

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

Beyond 10 Reputation points

2026-05-24T13:01:50.8733333+00:00

Yes Im clicking on the activity from the Microsoft rewards page, Im using bing on an Android, I am signed in to the same account on bing I dont have vpns I might have a ad blocker extension but that's it and when I search yes the results do open on a bing page.
Vikki-T 10,015 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-05-24T14:15:07.5533333+00:00
Hi Beyond,

Thanks for the detailed info, that really helps narrow things down.

One thing that stands out is the ad blocker on your Android device. Even if everything looks like it’s working, ad blockers can sometimes quietly block the tracking that Microsoft Rewards uses to confirm that a task was completed. You could try the following:

Temporarily disable the ad blocker and then try the activity again

Try completing the same task using Microsoft Edge on a desktop/laptop, if you have access to one

If you're using the Bing app, try doing it instead in a full browser on your phone

After clicking the activity, let the search page fully load, then go back to the Rewards page and refresh it

Let me know how it goes after trying the ad blocker and browser changes, I’m happy to keep looking into it with you.
Beyond 10 Reputation points

2026-05-24T18:07:14.81+00:00

So I've disabled the ad blocker and tried the activity again, and it still didn't work. I even tried on mobile again, I put bing as my default browser and tried it again but, it still didn't work.

P.S I did try the activity on edge with my laptop
Vikki-T 10,015 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-05-27T13:17:42.69+00:00
Hi Beyond,

Thanks a lot for taking the time to test all of that, and I really appreciate you trying it across different devices and browsers as well. I can understand how frustrating this must feel, especially when everything else in Rewards is working fine and you’ve clearly done all the right steps.

Please note that this is a user-to-user support forum. Moderators, contributors (including external Microsoft employees) don’t have access to backend systems or the ability to manually adjust Rewards points or fix activity tracking. My role here is to help guide troubleshooting, but I can’t directly intervene in how those activities are recorded.

Because of that, the best next step would be to reach out to the Microsoft Rewards support team so they can check your account and those specific activities from their side. You can contact them here: Microsoft Rewards Support.

When you submit the request, it would help to mention:

The names of the activities (“Find your next read” and “Get creative”)

That you’ve already tried multiple devices and browsers (including Edge on desktop)

The date you attempted the tasks

Wishing you a smooth experience getting back to earning your points without any further issues.