What has changed in the Microsoft Ads API and how will it affect advertising

The latest update to the Microsoft Advertising API expands search data capabilities, adds new management tools for Performance Max, and introduces support for LinkedIn segment targeting.

Microsoft Advertising has introduced the Search Term Landing Page report, allowing advertisers to connect a user’s search query with the ad headline they saw and the final landing page they reached after clicking.

Additionally, the update enables campaign-level device exclusions for Performance Max campaigns and supports LinkedIn segments via the API.

These changes provide advertisers and third-party tool developers with deeper insights into search traffic destinations, along with additional capabilities for managing automated campaigns.

What’s New

Microsoft introduced the Search Term Landing Page Report — a new report that connects the user’s search query, the displayed ad headline, and the final URL of the landing page they reached.

How It Works

Advertisers can now receive search query data, displayed ad headlines, final URLs, and performance metrics in a single report.

Microsoft notes that this data can be used to analyze how well a user’s search intent aligns with the ad copy and the subsequent landing page experience.

For example, the report reveals the complete chain: what the user searched for, which headline was served, and which page they landed on after clicking.

Why It Matters

Connecting search queries, ad copy, and landing pages simplifies identifying inconsistencies within ad campaigns.

For instance, a user might search for a specific service, view an ad with a relevant headline, but land on a page that does not fully match their request. Previously, analyzing such scenarios required advertisers to piece together data from multiple reports. The new report consolidates these elements, introducing an extra layer of granularity for landing page analysis.

For teams building custom reporting systems or optimization tools using the Microsoft Advertising API, this provides an opportunity to integrate query-to-landing-page path analysis directly into dashboards and automated systems.

Performance Max Gains More Device Control

Microsoft is also adding the ability to create campaign-level device exclusions for Performance Max.

Advertisers can now exclude ads from appearing on:

• Computers
• Smartphones
• Tablets

These settings are applied directly at the Performance Max campaign level.

What This Changes

Because Performance Max relies heavily on automation, advertisers historically had limited manual control over where ads appeared.

The ability to exclude specific device types adds another layer of control to these campaigns.

For example, if mobile traffic yields lower performance for a specific business or if a site has a limited mobile experience, advertisers can now factor this into their Performance Max setup.

However, deciding to exclude devices remains dependent on the specific campaign, its goals, and performance data.

Another Update — LinkedIn Segment Targeting

The Microsoft Advertising API now supports LinkedIn segment targeting.

This expands the range of audience signals that developers and advertisers can leverage via the Microsoft Advertising API.

The Microsoft Advantage

LinkedIn data remains a distinctive feature of the Microsoft advertising ecosystem.

The LinkedIn advertising platform engages professional audiences and supports targeting based on demographic and matched-audience data. For Microsoft, this grants access to professional audience data that forms a vital part of its advertising ecosystem.

What This Means for Advertising Tool Developers

These new capabilities are especially relevant for agencies, ad tech platforms, and teams managing Microsoft Ads programmatically.

The new Search Term Landing Page report can be used to build dashboards and automated analysis systems that reveal the connection between search query, ad messaging, and landing page.

Meanwhile, device exclusions and LinkedIn segment support add new options for automated campaign management. This is valuable for tools that go beyond gathering stats to help advertisers automate campaign optimization based on defined rules.

Greater Automation, Greater Transparency

Microsoft continues to develop automated advertising solutions—particularly Performance Max—while simultaneously expanding access to data and management controls via API.

This is critical in an environment where advertisers require not just automation, but a clear understanding of how that automation operates.

The new reports offer better insight into the user journey from search query to landing page, while additional settings allow advertisers to define specific campaign rules. In doing so, Microsoft is combining two developmental tracks: automated ad management alongside increased data transparency and control.

Summary and Practical Tips

The Microsoft Ads API update gives advertisers more data for analysis and greater control over automated campaigns. To put this into practice, consider the following steps:

• Analyze the connection between the search query and the landing page. Check whether the landing page user reaches matches their search intent and the ad message. This will help identify opportunities to optimize both campaigns and landing pages.
• Evaluate performance across different devices in PMax separately. If the data shows a significant difference in results between computers, smartphones, and tablets, the new exclusions allow you to factor this into your campaign setups.
• Use LinkedIn data to reach professional audiences. This is especially relevant for B2B advertising, where professional audience characteristics are critical for targeting.
• Integrate new data into reporting. If your team uses the API for automation, the Search Term Landing Page Report can be added to custom dashboards and monitoring systems to track not just campaign performance, but the complete journey from search query to landing page.
• Avoid relying on automation without oversight. While Performance Max continues to operate using automated algorithms, the new settings allow advertisers to maintain better control over specific campaign aspects. Regularly check performance data and adjust settings based on actual results.

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