Windows 11’s Snipping Tool is no longer just a simple screenshot utility. With the addition of Visual Search with Bing, you can now search the web using anything you capture on your screen—images, text, products, landmarks, and more. Instead of copying and pasting screenshots into a browser, Windows lets you jump straight from a capture to search results in seconds.
If you frequently take screenshots for research, troubleshooting, or shopping, this feature can save you a surprising amount of time.
Use Visual Search with Bing in Snipping Tool on Windows 11
The steps below walk you through using Visual Search from start to finish. We recommend following them in order the first time so you understand how the feature fits into your normal screenshot workflow.
1. Make Sure Snipping Tool Is Updated
Visual Search is available only in newer versions of the Snipping Tool, so it’s important to confirm that the app is up to date before trying to use the feature.
- Open the Microsoft Store on your Windows 11 PC.
- Search for Snipping Tool.
- Check if an update is available and install it if prompted.
- Restart your PC after the update completes.
Once updated, the Visual Search option will appear automatically inside the Snipping Tool.
2. Take a Screenshot Using Snipping Tool
To use Visual Search, you first need to capture something on your screen using the Snipping Tool.
- Press Windows + Shift + S on your keyboard.
- Choose the snip type you want, such as rectangular or full-screen.
- Capture the area of the screen you want to search.
- Click the notification preview to open the screenshot in Snipping Tool.
This opens the captured image inside the editor, where Visual Search becomes available.
3. Start Visual Search with Bing
Once your screenshot is open, you can immediately search the web using the captured content.
- Look for the Visual Search icon in the Snipping Tool toolbar.
- Click the icon to start the search.
- Windows will upload the image and analyze it.
- A browser window will open with search results related to the captured image.
Visual Search works especially well for objects, products, text in images, and recognizable locations.
4. Explore and Refine Search Results
After Visual Search opens, you can interact with the results just like a normal web search.
- Review the suggested matches shown in the browser.
- Click on highlighted areas or related results to refine your search.
- Use the results to identify products, read articles, or gather reference information.
All searches are powered by Bing, which specializes in image-based discovery and recognition.
5. Use Visual Search for Everyday Tasks
Visual Search isn’t just for curiosity—it’s genuinely useful in daily workflows.
You can use it to identify unknown objects, find products you see in screenshots, translate text from images, or research error messages captured on screen. It’s also handy for students, bloggers, and anyone who works with visual references.
Once you get used to it, Visual Search feels like a natural extension of taking screenshots rather than a separate tool.
Wrapping Up
Visual Search with Bing turns the Snipping Tool on Windows 11 into a powerful research companion instead of just a screenshot app. By letting you search the web directly from what’s on your screen, it removes extra steps and keeps your workflow fast and focused.
If you already rely on Snipping Tool daily, this feature is absolutely worth trying. After using it a few times, you’ll wonder how you ever worked without it.
