Signing up: Create your first Microsoft Advertising account

Learn how to get your first Microsoft Advertising account up and running.

Important

If you're located in the US, please follow the sign up steps here.

In Microsoft Advertising, sign up has three steps:

Create your first account
Import or create a campaign
Set up your billing options

Once you've completed these three steps, your ads will be eligible to go live after an editorial review. We recommend finishing all three steps, but during sign up, you only need to create an account. You can import or create campaigns and set up your billing options after sign up.

Also after sign up, you can create more accounts. You might want to create more accounts to help structure your campaigns. You'll need to do this if you are going to pay in more than one currency. Learn more about the best way to structure your accounts and campaigns.

Decide how you want to sign in

When you go to Microsoft Advertising sign-up, you'll have two options:

Use an existing email address to create an account expando image

Go to the Microsoft Advertising sign-up page and enter an existing email address (work, school, or personal email address from a service such as Outlook, Gmail, or Yahoo).
If you have an email address you already use to sign in to Microsoft products (like Skype or Xbox LIVE), all you need to do is sign in and the transition will be complete. If you've never used this email to sign in to a Microsoft product, you'll be able to sign up for a new account.
Otherwise, select Create one! next to No account?, and then select Next.
In the following window, confirm that you want to create a new account and then select Next.
Create a password and select Next.
Enter your First name and Last name, and then select Next.
You'll need to enter the verification that Microsoft Advertising sent to the email address you provided. Check your email, enter the code in the prompt, and select Next.
Provide your Company name and Business phone. Please confirm your Business location, Currency, Time zone, and Primary use (if you're using the account to promote a business or if you're using an account on behalf of an ad agency).
Review the Microsoft Advertising Terms and Conditions and select the box if you agree to the terms. Then, select Create account.
After you've created your Microsoft Advertising account, you can set up your campaign by importing from Google Ads or by creating a new campaign. You can also skip this step and select Continue.
Enter your billing and payment information and select Next. You can also skip this step and enter your billing and payment information later by selecting Skip.

You're now signed in to Microsoft Advertising!

Create a new email address and then create an account expando image

Go to the Microsoft Advertising sign up page and next to No account?, select Create one!.
In the following window, select Get a new email address.
Enter an address to create an Outlook account and then select Next. (If the address is already taken, you'll need to enter choose a different name and try again.)
Create a password and then select Next.
Enter your First name and Last name, and then select Next.
Provide your Company name and Business phone. Please confirm your Business location, Currency, Time zone, and Primary use (if you're using the account to promote a business or if you're using an account on behalf of an ad agency).
Review the Microsoft Advertising Terms and Conditions and select the box if you agree to the terms. Then, select Create account.
After you've created your Microsoft Advertising account, you can set up your campaign by importing from Google Ads or by creating a new campaign. You can also skip this step and select Continue.
Enter your billing and payment information and select Next. You can also skip this step and enter your billing and payment information later by selecting Skip.

You're now signed in to Microsoft Advertising!

Here are some things you might find useful when creating your first account:

Country or region. The country or region determines the language options available to you in sign up. It is typically the country or region where you manage your business. The country or region you select in sign up will not affect where your ads will run, what language the ads can be written in, the currency you pay in, or the time zone of your reports.
Currency. Once you create an account, you cannot change the currency. Choose your currency carefully because currency can affect your billing options. For a full list of payment methods you can use based on your country-currency combination, see Choosing a payment method for Microsoft Advertising.
Email. This is the email address where you want to receive emails from Microsoft Advertising. You can use the same email address that you are using to sign in to Microsoft Advertising, or you can use a different one.
Language. The language you select will affect the language that you see when you sign in to Microsoft Advertising and the emails that you receive from us. It does not affect the language of your ads.
Time zone. This is the default time zone for your campaigns, and so we recommend that you use your local time zone. Time zone does not affect billing. All bills are based on Pacific Time.

FAQs

Why does Microsoft Advertising require customers to use an email address (Microsoft account) to sign in?

Using an email address (Microsoft account) to sign in offers two advantages:

Security. Microsoft account offers a two-step verification process that helps ensure the safety and integrity of your Microsoft Advertising account. If you choose to use Two-step verification, you will be required to provide a security code, in addition to your email address and password, when accessing your account from any device that hasn't been previously authorized as a trusted device.
Simplified sign in. Using one account to sign in to all your Microsoft products means you can get and stay connected more easily.

Steps for those in the US expando image

In Microsoft Advertising, sign up has three steps:

Import or create a campaign
Create your first account
Set up your billing options

Decide how you want to sign in

When you go to Microsoft Advertising sign-up, you'll have two options:

Use an existing email address to create an account

Go to the Microsoft Advertising sign-up page and enter an existing email address (work, school, or personal email address from a service such as Outlook, Gmail, or Yahoo).
If you have an email address you already use to sign in to Microsoft products (like Skype or Xbox LIVE), all you need to do is sign in and the transition will be complete. If you've never used this email to sign in to a Microsoft product, you'll be able to sign up for a new account.
Otherwise, select Create one! next to No account?, and then select Next.
In the following window, confirm that you want to create a new account and then select Next.
Create a password and select Next.
Enter your First name and Last name, and select Next.
You'll need to enter the verification that Microsoft Advertising sent to the email address you provided. Check your email, enter the code in the prompt, and select Next.
You will see three options: Create new account, Import from Google Ads, and Import from Facebook Ads. Select Create new account.
Select the language you'd like to advertise in.
Select Next.
Provide your business website and select Next. If you don't have one, you can create a landing page for your ads.
Choose your mode - either Streamlined, simple experience or Take full control.
Select Create your campaign.
Note: If you selected, Streamlined, simple experience, you'll be able to select your ad channels. If you selected Take full control, proceed to the next step.
Create your ads.
Select Next.
Choose the audience that will see your ads by selecting where you want your ads to appear, your location target, and keyword themes.
Select Next.
Enter your budget information.
Select Next.
Provide your Company name and Business phone. Please confirm your Business location, Currency, Time zone, and Primary use (if you're using the account to promote a business or if you're using an account on behalf of an ad agency).
Review the Microsoft Advertising Terms and Conditions and select the box if you agree to the terms. Then, select Create account.
Select Create account.
Enter your billing and payment information and select Next.

You're now signed in to Microsoft Advertising! From here, you can create new campaigns and manage existing ones, or set up an import. You can also set up your conversions to increase the efficiency of your ads.

Create a new email address and then create an account

Go to the Microsoft Advertising sign up page and next to No account?, select Create one!.
Select Get a new email address
Enter an address to create an Outlook account and then select Next. (If the address is already taken, you'll need to enter choose a different name and try again.)
Create a password and then select Next.
Enter your First name and Last name, and then select Next.
Provide your Company name and Business phone. Please confirm your Business location, Currency, Time zone, and Primary use (if you're using the account to promote a business or if you're using an account on behalf of an ad agency).
You will see three options: Create new account, Import from Google Ads, and Import from Facebook Ads. Select Create new account.
Select the language you'd like to advertise in.
Select Next.
Provide your business website and select Next. If you don't have one, you can create a landing page for your ads.
Choose your mode - either Streamlined, simple experience or Take full control.
Select Create your campaign.
Note: If you selected, Streamlined, simple experience, you'll be able to select your ad channels. If you selected Take full control, proceed to the next step.
Create your ads.
Select Next.
Choose the audience that will see your ads by selecting where you want your ads to appear, your location target, and keyword themes.
Select Next
Enter your budget information.
Select Next.
Review the Microsoft Advertising Terms and Conditions and select the box if you agree to the terms. Then, select Create account.
Enter your billing and payment information.
Select Next.
After you've created your Microsoft Advertising account, you can set up your campaign by importing from Google Ads or by creating a new campaign. You can also skip this step and select Continue.
Enter your billing and payment information and select Next. You can also skip this step and enter your billing and payment information later by selecting Skip.

Here are some things you might find useful when creating your first account:

Account modes. Your Microsoft Advertising experience will differ slightly depending on the mode that you're in. Each mode represents how much time you're able to devote to advertising, as well as goals you have and features you prioritize. Learn more about account modes.
Country or region. The country or region determines the language options available to you in sign up. It is typically the country or region where you manage your business. The country or region you select in sign up will not affect where your ads will run, what language the ads can be written in, the currency you pay in, or the time zone of your reports.
Currency. Once you create an account, you cannot change the currency. Choose your currency carefully because currency can affect your billing options. For a full list of payment methods you can use based on your country-currency combination, see Choosing a payment method for Microsoft Advertising.
Email. This is the email address where you want to receive emails from Microsoft Advertising. You can use the same email address that you are using to sign in to Microsoft Advertising, or you can use a different one.
Language. The language you select will affect the language that you see when you sign in to Microsoft Advertising and the emails that you receive from us. It does not affect the language of your ads.
Time zone. This is the default time zone for your campaigns, and so we recommend that you use your local time zone. Time zone does not affect billing. All bills are based on Pacific Time.

What is a Microsoft account?

"Microsoft account" is the new name for what used to be called "Windows Live ID." Your Microsoft account is the combination of an email address and a password that you use to sign in to services or devices, such as Office365, Skype, Hotmail, Messenger, OneDrive, Xbox LIVE, or Outlook.com. If you use an email address and password to sign in to these or other services, you already have a Microsoft account. Or if you prefer, you can create a new Microsoft account using any of your email addresses (for example, Gmail or Yahoo).