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How to create or edit expanded text ads

Expanded text ads are displayed on the Microsoft Search Network on computers, tablets, and smartphones. To help make editing text ads easier, you can make changes to multiple text ads at the same time.
Important
  • Starting August 29, 2022, you will no longer be able to create new or edit existing expanded text ads. We strongly encourage you to create responsive search ads from now on.
  • Existing expanded text ads will continue to serve, and you'll still be able to view reports on their performance.
  • You'll be able to pause, enable, or remove your expanded text ads.
  • We recommend you have a minimum of one active responsive search ad for each standard ad group. For more information, see Best practices for upgrading expanded text ads to responsive search ads.
  • Learn more about this change

Expanded text ads contain three fundamental visual elements: the ad title (which can have up to three segments), the display URL, and the ad text.

An example of an expanded text ad.

You can further enhance your expanded text ad with ad extensions and Automated Extensions.

Create a new expanded text ad expando image
Note

Before you submit an ad, make sure it meets Microsoft Advertising policies, so it can be active and made available online as quickly as possible. To learn more, see Microsoft Advertising policies.

  1. From the collapsible menu on the left, select All campaigns > Ads & extensions > Ads.
  2. Select Create ad.
  3. Choose an Ad group from the dropdown list.
  4. For Ad type, select Expanded text ad.
  5. Enter your landing page URL in the Final URL box. Note: Your final URL — including prefix (e.g., "www."), suffix (e.g., ".com"), and any tracking templates — must be no longer than 2,048 characters. However, your final URL domain (everything in your final URL before the first slash or tracking template) must be no longer than 67 characters.
  6. Enter three parts of your ad title, each up to 30 characters long. The third title is optional.
  7. Similarly, you can also enter two parts of the URL path customers will see in your ad, each up to 15 characters long.
  8. Enter the ad text to appear below the path, up to 180 characters long (up to two 90-character descriptions). The second description is optional.
  9. Select Save.
Notes
  • The combined ad title and ad text must be at least three words long.
  • These character limits include spaces and any default dynamic text. Learn more about dynamic text
  • If your final URL includes "http://", these characters do not count against the character limit. However, if it includes "https://", these characters do count against the character limit.
  • Keep in mind that double-width characters — such as Chinese characters — count as two characters each.
  • Ad titles, paths, and ad text cannot contain scripts, HTML, or other markup language.
Change an existing expanded text ad expando image
  1. From the collapsible menu on the left, select All campaigns > Ads & extensions > Ads.
  2. In the table, select the pencil icon pencil icon next to the ad you would like to change.
  3. Enter your changes.
  4. Select Save.
Edit multiple expanded text ads at once expando image
  1. From the collapsible menu on the left, select All campaigns > Ads & extensions > Ads.
  2. In the table, select the checkbox next to the ads you want to edit and select Edit > Change ads.
  3. To replace text in multiple ads:
    1. In the Action list, select Find and replace text, and then select the field in which you would like to replace the text.
    2. In the Find box, enter the text you want to replace.
    3. In the Replace with box, enter the new text you want to use.
    4. Select Save.
  4. To append text:
    1. In the Action list, choose Append text.
    2. Choose the field in which you want to append the text.
    3. In the Append text box, enter the text you want to add.
    4. Choose whether to add the text before or after existing text.
    5. Select Save.
  5. To change the case:
    1. In the Action list, choose Change case.
    2. Choose the field in which you want to change the case of the text.
    3. Choose whether you want the text to be title case, sentence case, or lowercase.
    4. Select Save.
  6. To change current ad text to entirely new ad text:
    1. In the Action list, choose Set text.
    2. Enter the new text you want to use for your ads.
    3. Select Save.
Create expanded text ads using Microsoft Advertising recommendations expando image

If you have one or more ad groups that don't contain any active ads, you may receive an email or a notification letting you know we have recommendations for automatically created expanded text ads. The automatically created ads can be based on high-performing ads elsewhere in the campaign, paused ads in the ad group, or other factors. See if you have any recommendations.

Notes
  • By using recommendations, you will create basic expanded text ads and have the chance to customize their ad copy. If you want to set up tracking or URL parameters for these ads, you will need to edit them in your Ads tab.
  • Newly-created ads in this ad group will not start running immediately, as they will go through our standard review process. Most reviews are completed within a day.

To get more tips to make your ads more relevant to what users are looking for, see About improving ad relevance. Improving your ads' relevance not only can increase your customer traffic (that all-important click-through rate), but can also improve their position on the Bing, AOL, and Yahoo search results pages and even improve your quality score.

Note

You can also copy expanded text ads from one ad group or campaign to another.

For more information on expanded text ads, see our expanded text ads FAQ.

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