ad-bing

Overview

This skill defines exactly what to produce for a Microsoft Advertising creative. Microsoft Ads (still commonly called "Bing Ads") serves across Bing, Copilot, MSN, Outlook.com, Edge, and syndicated Yahoo/AOL search. It's the second-largest search ad platform and the typical second channel after a Google Ads launch.

Key Microsoft differences from Google (2026 — verify live in Microsoft Advertising Help):

• RSA slots match Google (15 × 30-char headlines, 4 × 90-char descriptions). The 90-char long headlines belong to Multimedia Ads, Audience Ads, and PMax — the common Google-import miss is skipping Multimedia Ads, not RSA fields.
• AI Max for Search reached all accounts globally in August 2026: search term matching, text customization, and final URL expansion, each with its own checkbox, plus brand exclusions/inclusions and term exclusions for generated text.
• Trademark use in ad text is complaint-driven: owners file Microsoft's trademark-misuse form and Microsoft investigates; repeat misuse (including via dynamic insertion) can get terms blocked.
• Political and election ads are prohibited.
• Audience Ads description allows 130 chars (vs Google Demand Gen 90).
• LinkedIn Profile Targeting (company, industry, job function) is native to Microsoft.
• Microsoft Invest (the former Xandr DSP) shut down on February 28, 2026, so programmatic CTV and video buys go through other DSPs.

Out of scope: keyword strategy, audience setup, bidding, UET pixel, conversion goals, ABM list construction.

Instructions

Ad Formats Covered

Responsive Search Ads (RSA) — Slots

Multimedia Ads (MMA) — Slots

Microsoft Audience Ads (Native) — Slots

Performance Max — Asset Group Slots

Video / CTV

Microsoft Invest (the former Xandr DSP, which carried Netflix and premium CTV inventory) shut down on February 28, 2026; Microsoft named Amazon DSP as the preferred partner. Produce CTV and video creative to the chosen DSP's spec, not here. Inside Microsoft Advertising, video runs through PMax and Audience Ads assets.

Image Asset Library

Image rules: keep text overlay light, no animated GIFs in Audience Ads, no transparent backgrounds for native.

CTA Behavior

• RSA / MMA / Shopping — NO free-text CTA button. CTA lives inside the headline/description copy.
• Audience Ads — optional CTA from enum:
  • Apply Now, Book Now, Contact Us, Download, Get Quote, Learn More, Order Now, See More, Shop Now, Sign Up, Subscribe, Visit Site
• Performance Max — inherits Audience Ads CTA enum on native placements; no button on search.
• Custom CTA text is NOT supported.

AI Max and Copilot Creative (2026 — verify live)

With AI Max text customization on, Microsoft generates headlines and descriptions from your final URL and site; final URL expansion can send traffic to other pages (limit it with URL rules).

• Term exclusions — a blocklist of words generated text must never use (competitor names, banned claims)
• Brand exclusions / inclusions — up to 20 brand lists per campaign, 100 brands per list
• Autogenerated text assets and predictive matching now live under AI Max; campaigns that used them have the matching AI Max setting switched on
• Automatic image extensions — Microsoft may source images from the landing page if no image asset is supplied (opt-out per account)

LinkedIn Profile Targeting (Audience-Level — Affects Creative Choice)

Microsoft Audience Network supports LinkedIn-based targeting natively (audience setup is out of scope here, but the existence of these targeting layers affects the creative angle you should write):

• Company (specific named companies)
• Industry
• Job Function
• Job Seniority (10 levels: CXO → Entry)
• Custom Company Lists (ABM, event lists)

Campaigns must target the US, UK, Canada, Australia, France, or Germany; works on Search and Audience campaigns as bid adjustment or observation. Job Seniority and Company Lists on Search were in a US/Canada pilot as of April 2026.

Creative implication: when LinkedIn targeting is active, write to the role/seniority — but do NOT name the role in the copy itself ("Hey CTO at [Co]…") because that triggers Personal Attributes policy.

Policy + Restricted Categories (2025–2026)

Disallowed entirely: counterfeit goods, illegal drugs, weapons/explosives, tobacco (most markets), endangered species, adult sexual content, hacking, fake documents.

Restricted (certification or geo-limits required):

• Financial services — must be licensed in target market; crypto requires Microsoft pre-approval; payday loans restricted (US, UK, AU)
• Healthcare / pharma — Rx requires LegitScript; OTC must follow FDA/MHRA claims rules; Microsoft is stricter than Google on telehealth claims
• Alcohol — age-gated; PROHIBITED in UAE, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, parts of India
• Gambling — license required; sports betting permitted in select US states
• Dating — mainstream allowed; "casual encounters" disallowed (stricter than Google)
• Political ads — PAUSED GLOBALLY since 2019, still paused 2026
• Cannabis — CBD topicals allowed in some US/CA states with restrictions; THC products disallowed everywhere

Trademark (complaint-driven, per Microsoft's intellectual property policy):

• Competitor trademarks in ad copy: owners can file a trademark-misuse complaint; Microsoft investigates and may disapprove the ad. Exceptions include authentic resellers, informational/review sites, and comparative advertising with restrictions
• Competitor trademarks as keywords: permitted in many markets; complaints use the same form
• Dynamic keyword insertion that injects a competitor mark into copy gets disapproved — use static ads for those keywords

AI-generated content: from August 2026 the EU AI Act requires disclosure of deepfakes (realistic synthetic people, voices, or events); label such assets and check Microsoft's current policy for AI disclosure.

No serving: China, Russia, Crimea, Iran, North Korea, Syria, Cuba.

EU: GDPR + Digital Services Act labeling for sponsored content.

Output Format

# Microsoft Ads — [Product] [Campaign Name]

## Format
[RSA / Multimedia / Audience / PMax / Shopping / Hotel / Property]

## Final URL
[URL]

## RSA Slots (if applicable)
- Short headlines (≤15 × 30 char):
  1. [Headline] — [chars/30]
  ...
- Descriptions (≤4 × 90 char):
  1. [Description] — [chars/90]
  ...
- Paths (≤2 × 15 char):
  - Path 1: [path] — [chars/15]
  - Path 2: [path] — [chars/15]

## Multimedia Ads / Audience Ads / PMax Additions
[Slots per format above, including image asset specs]

## Image Asset Briefs
- 1.91:1 (1200×628): [scenario]
- 1:1 (1200×1200): [scenario]
- 1:2 (600×1200): [scenario, mobile lift]
- 4:1 (1200×300): [scenario, banner placements]
- Logo 1:1: [supplied]

## CTA (Audience Ads / PMax native only)
[From enum]

## AI Max Settings
- Text customization / final URL expansion / search term matching: [on / off per checkbox]
- Term exclusions: [competitor names, banned phrases]
- Brand exclusions / inclusions: [lists]

## LinkedIn Targeting Note (if active)
- Targeting layer: [Company / Industry / Job Function / Seniority / Custom List]
- Creative angle should match the targeted role WITHOUT naming it in copy (Personal Attributes policy)

## Pre-Submit Checklist
- [ ] Multimedia/Audience/PMax: 90-char long headlines populated
- [ ] No competitor trademark in copy
- [ ] No political ad copy
- [ ] If restricted vertical: certification/license referenced
- [ ] Alcohol copy excluded from restricted markets (UAE/SA/PK/India regions)
- [ ] AI Max term exclusions set if text customization is on
- [ ] If LinkedIn-targeted: role mentioned in angle, not in copy text

Realistic 2026 Scenarios

A. Google Ads import (most common entry point): Imported via Ads Editor. RSA headlines and descriptions transfer 1:1. Add a Multimedia Ad with 3–5 long headlines (90 chars) and images — Google RSAs have nothing to import for it. Set up UET before launch, and review AI Max checkboxes and term exclusions so generated text stays on-brand.

B. B2B SaaS targeting Microsoft 365 / Outlook users via Audience Ads: 1.91:1 product screenshot + 1:1 logo, short headline ≤50 chars emphasizing Outlook/Teams integration, description ≤130 chars with concrete outcome stat, CTA="Get Quote", layered LinkedIn Profile Targeting (Director+, IT/Engineering, Custom Company List from ABM CRM). Copy avoids "you, the IT director" Personal-Attributes phrasing.

C. Multimedia Ads for premium consumer (luxury / craftsmanship): Supply all 4 image ratios at high resolution, 15 short headlines mixing brand + benefit + offer, 5 long headlines (90 chars) for premium narrative, 4 descriptions emphasizing craftsmanship. Term exclusions include competitor names + "cheap/affordable."

When NOT to Use This Skill

• Keyword research / negative keywords → out of scope
• UET pixel / Conversions API setup → out of scope
• Audience strategy (incl. LinkedIn list construction) → out of scope
• Bid strategy or budget → out of scope