AdAce AdsBing Ads manager: how to sign in and manage Microsoft Advertising
There is no separate product called Bing Ads manager any more. Bing Ads was renamed Microsoft Advertising, and the main tool is its web app at ads.microsoft.com, where you sign in with a Microsoft account. For bulk work you can add Microsoft Advertising Editor, a desktop app, and you can import campaigns from Google Ads. This guide covers each option, where the ads show and how AdAce Ads fits.
Is Bing Ads the same as Microsoft Advertising?
Yes. Microsoft announced the change from Bing Ads to Microsoft Advertising in April 2019. Bing is still the name of the consumer search engine; Microsoft Advertising is the name of the ad platform. Older guides, forums and some people still say Bing Ads, Bing Ads Manager or Microsoft Ads. They all mean the same platform.
To manage your ads in the browser, go to ads.microsoft.com and sign in to the Microsoft Advertising web app with a Microsoft account. Microsoft's help page points to that address. If you have no account yet, you create one, set up your first campaign and add billing details.
The web app is where you create and edit campaigns, read reports, and find tools such as Keyword Planner. Microsoft also offers a desktop app, an import tool for Google Ads campaigns, and an API. The table compares them.
A few words on Editor. Microsoft describes it as a desktop application that helps advertisers create, review and manage campaigns at scale. You sync your campaigns and accounts, make changes offline, and upload your revisions in one step. It is built for bulk edits across many campaigns, such as bids, keywords and ad copy, and it lets you check changes before they go live. It can also bring in Google Ads campaign data so you can adjust it before publishing. Editor is available for Windows and Mac.
If you manage Microsoft Advertising from a third-party tool, the tool usually talks to Microsoft through the API. Microsoft documents services for campaign management, reporting and keyword research there, including the same keyword data that the Keyword Planner shows in the web app. As an advertiser you do not write code for this; you sign in and grant permission. What matters is that you can see what the tool reads, what it can change and how to remove access.
Web app vs Editor vs Google Import vs API and third-party tools
| Method | What it is | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web app (ads.microsoft.com) | The main Microsoft Advertising interface in your browser | Daily checks, reports, creating campaigns, Keyword Planner | Every edit is direct and immediate; large edits are slow by hand |
| Microsoft Advertising Editor | A desktop application for Windows and Mac to create, review and manage campaigns at scale | Bulk edits of bids, keywords and ad copy, working offline, reviewing before posting | Needs installing and syncing; you must be online to post changes |
| Google Import | A Microsoft tool that brings campaigns from Google Ads into Microsoft Advertising. Quick Import suits one account; Smart and Advanced Import give more control and schedules | Starting on Microsoft Advertising fast if Google Ads already works | Review keywords, budgets and settings after import; scheduled imports can sync later changes from Google |
| Mobile app | Microsoft Advertising apps for iOS and Android | Quick checks away from a computer | Fewer features than the web app; check the store listing for what it does today |
| API and third-party tools | Microsoft publishes a Microsoft Advertising API; tools connect through it with your permission | Automation, reporting across platforms, several accounts | Each tool has its own rules; check what it can read and change, and how to revoke access |
Importing from Google Ads, step by step
If your Google Ads account already performs, importing is the fastest start. Microsoft describes three routes: Quick Import for one Google Ads account without Merchant Center, Smart Import for several accounts or Merchant Center, and Advanced Import for full customization. Imports can run daily, weekly or monthly so changes sync; Advanced Import can also run now or on a later date.
After the first import, check these things before turning anything on:
Budgets and bids. Google and Microsoft audiences and costs differ, so do not assume the Google numbers fit.
Keywords and match types, plus negative keywords. Compare with your Google account.
Locations, languages and ad schedule.
Final URLs and conversion tracking. Microsoft Advertising uses its own tag, so conversions must be set up in Microsoft Advertising, not just in Google.
The sync schedule. If scheduled imports will keep overwriting changes you make in Microsoft Advertising, change the schedule.
Where your Microsoft ads can appear
- Bing and search partners. Microsoft says its search ads can appear on Microsoft Bing and on search partner sites, and names Yahoo, AOL, DuckDuckGo and Ecosia among them, with other partners.
- Audience ads beyond search. Microsoft defines audience ads as ads that reach people beyond search results, shown as display or native placements. They can appear on Microsoft properties such as Edge, Outlook and Bing, and on publisher partner sites. Microsoft's pages call this the Microsoft Audience Network, and a search page also says ads may appear across Microsoft Advertising Network placements depending on campaign settings.
- You choose the networks in the campaign and ad group settings. Check them so search ads are not running where you did not intend.
- The audience is smaller than Google's. Treat it as an addition to Google Ads, not a copy.
How to sign in and set up
- Go to ads.microsoft.com and sign in with your Microsoft account.
- Create your first campaign in the web app, or choose Google Import to bring one over.
- Add billing details and complete the advertiser identity verification if Microsoft asks for it.
- Set up conversion tracking in Microsoft Advertising so you can see which clicks convert.
- Install Editor if you will do bulk edits, sync your account and edit offline.
- If you want one place to read results for several platforms, connect the account to a tool such as AdAce Ads and check the connection.
What to know before you start
- AdAce Ads connects Microsoft Advertising through Microsoft's sign-in, which works with work and personal Microsoft accounts, and lists the ad accounts available to you. Imported campaigns get nightly collection of impressions, clicks, spend, conversions and revenue, and appear in comparisons, anomaly detection, client reports, the AI analyst and MCP. You can build paused Search campaigns, ad groups, responsive search ads, keywords and negative keywords, and every change goes through approval.
- To see what your workspace can do with Microsoft Advertising today, open Integrations and run a connection health check.
- AdAce Ads can also read search terms, impression share, quality score and keyword ideas for Microsoft Advertising, and it shows which Microsoft recommendation types are applied automatically on your account, so edits do not surprise you.
- Keyword research is built in. In the web app, Keyword Planner is free once you have a Microsoft Advertising account, and shows historical search volume and trends, plus forecasts of clicks, impressions and costs. Its search volume comes from the Microsoft network, so it describes Bing-side demand, not Google's. See Google Keyword Planner: keyword ideas and monthly searches for how AdAce Ads fetches Google's ideas.
- Microsoft has no programmatic revocation for the app. After you disconnect, remove the app's permission in your Microsoft account.
- The Free plan of AdAce Ads covers one platform and one ad account with no card. AdAce Ads adds no fee on ad spend; you pay Microsoft directly.
- For the full list of what AdAce Ads does with Microsoft Advertising, see the Microsoft Ads management page.
Sources and further reading
- Microsoft Advertising: Search ads
- Microsoft Advertising: Display and native ads
- Microsoft Advertising: Editor
- Microsoft Advertising: Google Import
- Microsoft Advertising: Bing Ads is now Microsoft Advertising (April 2019)
- Microsoft Advertising API: Keyword ideas and traffic estimates
- Microsoft Advertising connection
- Connect Google Ads accounts and verify manager account access
- Connection health check: see what the service can access now
- Google Ads search terms report: find negative keywords
- Find wasted ad spend: campaigns that spend without conversions
- Google Keyword Planner: keyword ideas and monthly searches
Common questions
Is Bing Ads the same as Microsoft Advertising?
Yes. Microsoft renamed Bing Ads to Microsoft Advertising in April 2019. Bing is still the consumer search engine. Terms like Bing Ads manager or Microsoft Ads manager refer to the same platform.
How do I log in to Microsoft Advertising?
Go to ads.microsoft.com and sign in with a Microsoft account. If you do not have an advertiser account yet, you create one, set up a campaign and add billing details.
What is Microsoft Advertising Editor?
A desktop application for Windows and Mac that lets you create, review and manage campaigns at scale: sync an account, edit offline, bulk edit bids, keywords and ad copy, and post changes when ready.
Can I import my Google Ads campaigns into Microsoft Advertising?
Yes. Microsoft offers Quick, Smart and Advanced Import, with daily, weekly or monthly schedules. Review budgets, keywords, locations and conversion tracking before turning anything on.
Where do Microsoft Advertising search ads appear?
On Microsoft Bing and search partner sites. Microsoft names Yahoo, AOL, DuckDuckGo and Ecosia among them. Audience ads can also reach people beyond search, for example on Edge and Outlook.
Is there a Microsoft Advertising mobile app?
Yes, Microsoft Advertising apps are available for iOS and Android for quick checks. They do less than the web app, so do bulk edits in the web app or in Microsoft Advertising Editor.
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