Target searches automatically with dynamic search ads

Learn how Microsoft Advertising can generate keywords and ads for you automatically.

Dynamic search ads provide a streamlined, low-touch way to make sure customers searching on the Microsoft Search Network to find your products or services.

Note

Dynamic search ads are available in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and United States.

Important

With the recent introduction of ad group type, search campaigns support both standard and dynamic ad groups. You can add dynamic search ads within any existing or new search campaign. During early Q2 calendar year 2021, you can no longer create new dynamic search campaigns (as a campaign type.) Existing dynamic search campaigns will be migrated to search campaigns with dynamic ad groups.

Benefits of using dynamic search ads

Dynamic search ads automatically target relevant search queries based on the content of your website, and are dynamically created to respond to these search queries. Using them will:

Create targeted and relevant ads automatically: New, dynamically-created ads for every search query based on your website content, or specific pages or categories of your website.
Reduce your workload: No need to maintain keyword lists, manage bids, or update and customize ad titles.
Find missed opportunities: Automatically adapt to new queries to drive additional conversions.

Dynamic search ads are most appropriate for two types of advertisers:

Advertisers who have a large catalog of webpages and a constantly changing mix of products, making it difficult to manage search ads for each product.
Advertisers who are not familiar with search advertising, but who want to quickly and easily try it out.

How to add a dynamic ad group in a Search campaign expando image

In the data view, select Add campaign.
In the Editor pane, for Campaign type, select Search.
Enter the campaign name and budget.
Select the Dynamic search ads tab.
Enter your Website and Website Language.
In the Manage menu, select your new Search campaign.
In the data view, select the Add ad group button.
In the Editor pane, for Ad group type, select Dynamic.

How to add dynamic search targets expando image

You can use Dynamic search targets to target your ads. Here’s how to set dynamic search targets:

Under Keywords and targeting from the left pane, select Dynamic ad targets.
Click Add dynamic ad target in the data view.
Select the Ad group to add target.
In the Edit the selected dynamic ad targets tab, enter the Values. Values are the criteria based on which ads are targeted, with four types of values you can enter:
- Categories: Targets based on categories you can enter. Microsoft Advertising will analyze your website and then categorize its content.
- Page content contains: Target based on content of the page. Page content is the visible text on a webpage. In your website’s code, it’s the text between these tags:
```
<body></body>
```
- Page title contains: Target based on page title. Page title is the text that appears at the top of a webpage. In your website’s code, it’s the text in this area:
```
<head>
  <title>This is the page title</title>
</head>
```
- URL contains: Target based on what is on the URL.
Note: If nothing is entered for all three values, all webpages will be targeted.
Select the Status and enter the Bid amount.
Click the URL options tab to enter the Tracking template and Customer parameters details.

How to add negative dynamic ad targets expando image

You can use negative dynamic ad targets to prevent your ads from being displayed based on criteria you want. Here’s how to set negative dynamic ad targets:

Under Keywords and targeting from the left pane, select Negative dynamic ad targets.
Click Add negative dynamic ad target in the data view.
Select Campaign negative dynamic ad target or Ad group negative dynamic ad target.
In the Edit the selected negative dynamic ad targets pane, enter the Values. There are four types of values you can enter:
- Categories: Targets based on categories you can enter. Microsoft Advertising will analyze your website and then categorize its content.
- Page content contains: Target based on content of the page. Page content is the visible text on a webpage. In your website’s code, it’s the text between these tags:
```
<body></body>
```
- Page title contains: Target based on page title. Page title is the text that appears at the top of a webpage. In your website’s code, it’s the text in this area:
```
<head>
  <title>This is the page title</title>
</head>
```
- URL contains: Target based on what is on the URL.
Note: The negative dynamic ad target needs to have at least one condition set.

How to add dynamic search ads expando image

Select the campaign from the tree view in the left pane you want to set up dynamic search ads in.
Select Dynamic search ads under Ads and extensions from the type list in the left pane.
Click Add dynamic search ad in the data view.
In the Edit the selected Dynamic Search Ads pane, enter the Ad text, Path, and set the Status.
Click the URL options tab to enter the Tracking template and Custom parameters details.

Notes:

You do not write your ad title. Microsoft Advertising will dynamically generate this for you based on the appropriate keyword and your website content.
You have the option to have one or two paths appear after your website's domain. The path is distinct from the final URL. The final URL is the actual webpage URL that customers are taken to after they click your ad. The path can be a shorter or "friendlier" version of your URL showing one or two subdirectories. If you sell men’s clothes, and you’re advertising shirts that are on sale for spring, your final URL might be http://www.contoso.com/content/en/clothesaccessories/spr2017/shirts, but your path could simply be contoso.com/SpringSale/Shirts.