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With bid strategies, you can have Microsoft Advertising manage your bids using our deep analysis of patterns in searches, clicks, and conversions. We can make sure you're bidding effectively, automatically. Whichever bid strategy you use, Microsoft Advertising will always respect your budget limit.
Enhanced CPC (cost per click) is the default bid strategy setting when you create a new campaign. With Enhanced CPC, you set your ad group and keyword bids, and Microsoft Advertising automatically adjusts your bids in real time to increase your chances for a conversion. Your bid will go up to 30% higher on searches that are more likely to convert and up to 100% lower on searches less likely to convert (up or down, this change will be made after we apply any bid adjustments you have set).
Microsoft Advertising looks for patterns to identify searches that are most likely to result in a conversion. When we see a good opportunity, we increase your bid up to 30% to capitalize on it. On the other hand, if the patterns show that a conversion is less likely, we lower your bid. Up or down, this change will be made after we apply any bid adjustments you have set. If you haven't optimized your campaign yet, Enhanced CPC should reduce your cost per conversion and increase your total conversion count while respecting your current budget.
Maximize Clicks is available only for search ad and Dynamic Search Ad campaigns.
With Maximize Clicks, you don't need to set ad group or keyword bids. Microsoft Advertising automatically sets your bids in real time to get as many clicks as possible within your budget.
Microsoft Advertising will always respect your overall budget limit, but if you want greater control over your bids while using Maximize Clicks, you can also set a maximum CPC (cost per click). This is an optional limit you can set to make sure that Microsoft Advertising never pays more than a certain amount for each individual click.
In order to use Maximize Conversions, all of your target locations must be within Australia, Canada, France, Germany, United Kingdom, and/or United States. For some advertisers, available target locations also include Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. If you are unable to target these locations at this time, try again later.
With Maximize Conversions, you don't need to set ad group or keyword bids. Microsoft Advertising automatically sets your bids in real time to get as many conversions as possible within your budget.
Microsoft Advertising will always respect your overall budget limit, but if you want greater control over your bids while using Maximize Conversions, you can also set a maximum CPC (cost per click). This is an optional limit you can set to make sure that Microsoft Advertising never pays more than a certain amount for each individual click.
You need to have conversion tracking (a UET tag and a conversion goal) set up — and have had at least 15 conversions in the last 30 days — in order to use the Maximize Conversions bid strategy. If your campaign falls below 15 conversions over any 30-day period, Maximize Conversions will stop optimizing your bids. If this happens with regularity, we recommend switching to a different bid strategy.
In order to use Target CPA, all of your target locations must be within Australia, Canada, France, Germany, United Kingdom, and/or United States. For some customers, available target locations also include Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. If you are unable to target these locations at this time, try again later.
With Target CPA (cost per acquisition), you don't need to set ad group or keyword bids. You set your budget and your target 30-day average CPA, and Microsoft Advertising automatically sets your bids in real time to get you to this average. Some conversions may cost more than your target and some may cost less, but Microsoft Advertising will try to make sure your average cost per conversion is in line with your target.
Microsoft Advertising will always respect your overall budget limit, but if you want greater control over your bids while using Target CPA, you can also set a maximum CPC (cost per click). This is an optional limit you can set to make sure that Microsoft Advertising never pays more than a certain amount for each individual click.
You need to have conversion tracking (a UET tag and a conversion goal) set up — and have had at least 15 conversions in the last 30 days — in order to use the Target CPA bid strategy. If your campaign falls below 15 conversions over any 30-day period, Target CPA will stop optimizing your bids. If this happens with regularity, we recommend switching to a different bid strategy.
Not everyone has this feature yet. If you don't, don't worry—it's coming soon!
With Target ROAS (return on ad spend), you don't need to set ad group or keyword bids. You set your budget and your target 30-day average ROAS, and Microsoft Advertising automatically sets your bids in real time to get you to this average.
Microsoft Advertising will always respect your overall budget limit, but if you want greater control over your bids while using Target ROAS, you can also set a maximum CPC (cost per click). This is an optional limit you can set to make sure that Microsoft Advertising never pays more than a certain amount for each individual click.
To use Target ROAS, you must:
You cannot change bids for keywords that are using Target ROAS. This means that automated rules and third-party bid-management tools will not affect these keywords. With Target ROAS, Microsoft Advertising will have full and final control over optimizing your bids. That said, any bid adjustments you have set (or that you set in the future) will be used to inform your Target ROAS automated bids (while still striving to achieve your Target ROAS). Note that bid adjustments may cause your bid to go higher than your maximum CPC, if you have one set.
Bid strategy | Do I set bids myself? | Can I use a third-party bid management tool? | Do I need conversion tracking? | Campaign type supported |
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Manual |
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Search, dynamic search ad, shopping |
Enhanced CPC |
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Search, dynamic search ad, shopping |
Maximize Clicks |
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Search, dynamic search ad, shopping |
Maximize Conversions |
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Search, dynamic search ad |
Target CPA |
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Search, dynamic search ad |
Target ROAS* |
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Search, dynamic search ad, shopping |
You set bid strategy at the campaign level. To switch a campaign to Enhanced CPC:
This bid strategy will apply to your entire campaign, but you can set an individual ad group’s or keyword’s bid strategy to Manual CPC (see next section) at any time.
If you want full control for some individual bids, you can override a campaign's bid strategy for any ad group or keyword.
What you need to know: