Microsoft Ads Keywords & Ad Copy: 2026 Guide

Keywords and Ad Copy in Microsoft Advertising: What This Guide Covers

Microsoft Advertising's keyword and ad-copy layer is structurally identical to Google Ads on almost every dimension — which is precisely the point for the majority of advertisers who arrive via the Import from Google Ads tool. Three positive match types (broad, phrase, exact), two negative types (phrase, exact), Responsive Search Ads as the only buildable search format, and 14 ad extensions that attach at the account, campaign, or ad-group level. The differences are narrow but load-bearing: Broad Match Modifier is gone, Expanded Text Ads are non-editable, and Microsoft still calls the extension feature "ad extensions" rather than adopting Google's 2022 "assets" rename.

This pillar covers the complete keyword and creative layer for standard Microsoft Advertising Search campaigns: the three current match types and the full history of the Broad Match Modifier removal, negative keywords and shared negative-keyword lists with their exact limits, Responsive Search Ad specifications and the ad-strength system that grades creative quality, and the 14 ad-extension types with their attachment levels. The Microsoft Audience Network runs separate ad formats and is out of scope here.

Three advertiser profiles use this reference. Google Ads importers need a precise delta map — what carries over cleanly (match types, RSA structure, ad extensions) and what does not (BMM keywords, ETA edits). In-house marketers building Microsoft Search from scratch need the plain specifications and best-practice thresholds. Founders evaluating whether to manage Microsoft Advertising in-house or hire need the vocabulary to brief a team or interrogate a vendor. All three terminate at the same reference content, so this guide is written for the overlap.

For legal advertisers, financial services firms, and SaaS and software companies, Microsoft Advertising's search network — which spans Bing, Yahoo, AOL, DuckDuckGo, and Ecosia — delivers intent-matched search traffic at lower CPCs than Google. The keyword and creative mechanics that govern that traffic are what this guide maps. See Microsoft Ads account structure for where keywords, negatives, ads, and extensions each live in the campaign hierarchy.

Key Takeaways

• Three positive match types, not four. Broad Match Modifier (+keyword syntax) was removed in August 2021; its behavior was absorbed into an expanded phrase match. The current lineup — broad, phrase, exact — is identical to Google Ads.
• Two negative match types, no negative broad. Microsoft supports negative phrase (the default) and negative exact. Negative broad match does not exist in Microsoft Advertising.
• Shared negative lists: 20 per account, 5,000 keywords each. Lists attach at the campaign level only; they cannot be applied to a single ad group. Self-serve negative lists for Performance Max became available in 2026.
• RSAs are the only buildable search ad since February 1, 2023. Expanded Text Ads can no longer be created or edited; legacy ETAs still serve. An RSA takes 3–15 headlines (30 characters each) and 2–4 descriptions (90 characters each); Microsoft assembles up to 3 headlines and 2 descriptions per impression.
• Ad strength: target at least 8 distinct headlines. Microsoft's guidance for a strong ad-strength score is 8–10 distinct headlines and 2+ distinct descriptions. Most advertisers supply 3 and leave the algorithm's testing surface empty.
• 14 ad extension types — still called extensions, not assets. Google renamed ad extensions to "assets" in 2022; Microsoft did not. Microsoft's live documentation (updated 2026-06-05) still labels the feature "ad extensions." The 14 types: sitelink, callout, structured snippet, image, call, action, price, promotion, review, location, app, filter link, flyer, and logo.

Microsoft Advertising vs. Google Ads: Keywords and Ad Copy Compared

For advertisers importing from Google Ads, the keyword and creative layer in Microsoft Advertising is intentionally parallel. Match types, RSA structure, character limits, and extension categories all map cleanly. Two differences matter: Broad Match Modifier was removed from Microsoft four months after Google (Google: March 2021; Microsoft: August 2021), and Microsoft never adopted Google's 2022 decision to rename ad extensions to "assets."

The table below maps each layer. Google Ads importers should pay attention to the "Action needed?" column: a clean import is possible, but any BMM keywords in the Google account import as phrase-match equivalents — they do not re-create a BMM keyword type that no longer exists.

Source: Microsoft Advertising Help, What are keyword match types?; Microsoft Learn, Ad Extensions (updated 2026-06-05); Microsoft Learn, Responsive Search Ads.

Keyword Match Types in Microsoft Advertising (2026)

Microsoft Advertising's current keyword match type lineup is broad, phrase, and exact — three active positive types and two active negative types (phrase and exact). Broad Match Modifier, the +keyword syntax, is not a fourth option: it was retired in August 2021, and any keyword built with the +prefix now behaves as phrase match. No new BMM keywords can be created. This is not a niche edge case; it is the single most common stale-knowledge error in Microsoft Advertising guidance.

The removal timeline: Microsoft announced in May 2021 that phrase match would be expanded to absorb BMM behavior, beginning in the US and Canada — the identical sequence Google followed four months earlier. From August 2021, the creation of new BMM keywords was blocked. Existing BMM keywords were transitioned to operate under the expanded phrase match definition. The platform has had three positive match types since that date. Source: Search Engine Land, Microsoft Advertising to treat phrase match the same way Google Ads does (May 2021); Search Engine Land, Advertisers will lose the ability to create new BMM keywords (2021).

Source: Microsoft Advertising Help, What are keyword match types, and how do I use them?; Microsoft Learn, Negative Keywords (updated 2026-06-05).

For Google Ads importers: phrase match in Microsoft now does the work that +modified broad did. Any BMM keywords in the Google export arrive as phrase-match equivalents — the keyword text carries over but the BMM match type does not. Reviewing the search-terms report in the first two weeks after import confirms that phrase-match expansion is covering the intended queries. See Microsoft Ads reporting and metrics for search-terms report guidance. Match types also interact with bid strategy: broader match types behave differently under automated bidding than under manual CPC; see Microsoft Ads bidding and budget for the interaction map.

Negative Keywords and Shared Negative-Keyword Lists

Negative keywords in Microsoft Advertising block ad serving when a query matches a negative term. Microsoft supports two negative match types — negative phrase (the default) and negative exact — and provides a shared negative-keyword list system with defined per-account limits: 20 lists per account, 5,000 keywords per list, attached at the campaign level.

The absence of negative broad match is intentional: Microsoft Advertising has never offered negative broad. When adding a bare negative keyword without match-type syntax, the platform applies negative phrase by default. To restrict blocking to only the verbatim query, wrap the negative term in brackets to apply negative exact.

Source: Microsoft Learn, Negative Keywords (updated 2026-06-05); Microsoft Learn, Entity Limits (updated 2026-06-05); Search Engine Land, Microsoft Ads launches self-serve negative keyword lists (2026).

MB Adv Agency treats a shared negative-keyword list as account hygiene that ships on day one of any Microsoft Advertising engagement — not a cleanup task addressed once wasted spend becomes visible. On the Microsoft Search Network, which includes syndication partners beyond Bing, query exposure from broad and phrase match is wide from the start. A shared list of 50–200 universal negatives (competitor brand names, irrelevant modifiers, non-converting intent terms) attached to every campaign is the structural foundation that keeps the search-terms report actionable rather than noisy. Use the Microsoft Ads reporting and metrics negative-keyword-conflict report to catch any negatives that accidentally block your own keywords.

For HVAC advertisers, plumbing companies, and roofing contractors running tight geo-targeted exact and phrase keyword sets, the negative-keyword list is the primary lever for keeping intent signals clean in a network that includes broad query syndication. The 2026 self-serve negative list coverage for Performance Max extends this structured negative management to automated campaigns. See also HVAC PPC in Flagstaff and plumbing PPC in Missoula for market-specific context on intent filtering in local campaigns.

Responsive Search Ads: The Only Creatable Search Format Since February 2023

Since February 1, 2023, Responsive Search Ads are the only search ad type that can be created or edited in standard Microsoft Advertising Search campaigns. Expanded Text Ads can no longer be created or edited; legacy ETAs continue to serve and report but attempting to create or edit one via the API returns a CampaignServiceAdTypeInvalid error. Any advertiser planning around a two-headline structure is planning around a discontinued format.

An RSA supplies a pool of headline and description assets; Microsoft's AI assembles up to 3 headlines and 2 descriptions per impression from that pool. The character limits are 30 characters per headline and 90 characters per description — the same as Google Ads — and these limits include any dynamic text substitutions (ad customizers, keyword insertion).

Source: Microsoft Learn, Responsive Search Ads; Microsoft Learn, Entity Limits (updated 2026-06-05); Adobe Advertising, Microsoft Advertising RSA settings; Microsoft Learn, Expanded Text Ads (ETA discontinuation confirmed).

The character limits include dynamic text substitutions. An ad customizer that inserts a city name counts against the 30-character headline limit, not separately. Test every headline variant with the longest expected substitution before building out a full RSA asset set.

Ad Strength, Asset Diversity, and the Pinning Trade-off

Microsoft Advertising surfaces an ad-strength estimate on every RSA, grading creative quality across five labels: Incomplete, Poor, Average, Good, and Excellent. The primary driver of the rating is asset variety — the number of semantically distinct headlines and descriptions the algorithm has to work with. Microsoft's guidance for reaching a strong score is to supply at least 8–10 distinct headlines and at least 2 distinct descriptions.

Source: Microsoft Advertising Blog, Asset performance ratings & Responsive Search Ads (August 2020); Microsoft Learn, Responsive Search Ads.

Pinning is a mechanism that locks a specific headline or description to a fixed display position — for example, anchoring a legal disclaimer to Description 2. It is the correct tool when a brand or compliance rule demands a fixed slot. Outside that scenario, pinning collapses the combinatorial testing that makes an RSA work: a pinned asset always occupies its slot, preventing the algorithm from testing alternatives there. Pinning multiple distinct assets to the same slot restores some variety without sacrificing position control, but still reduces the total number of combinations the algorithm evaluates.

Ad Extensions in Microsoft Advertising: 14 Types, Not “Assets”

Microsoft Advertising provides 14 ad extension types that add structured information to a search ad. Google renamed this feature category to "assets" in 2022; Microsoft did not follow. Microsoft's live documentation (updated 2026-06-05) still labels the feature "ad extensions." The word "assets" appears in Microsoft only in narrower contexts: auto-generated RSA assets and the Campaigns → Assets sub-tab. The primary navigation for adding and managing these features is still "Ad extensions."

Source: Microsoft Learn, Ad Extensions (updated 2026-06-05). Call extension attaches at campaign level only; Location extension attaches at account and campaign level only (not ad group).

For dental practices and law firms, call and sitelink extensions are the highest-priority extensions to build on day one. IT services and managed IT providers and SaaS companies benefit most from structured snippets (product features) and callout extensions (support SLAs, uptime guarantees). For PPC management in Austin or PPC management in Chicago, location extensions are relevant for any business with a physical presence or service area. Contact MB Adv Agency at the contact page to discuss extension strategy for a specific vertical.

The Broad Match Modifier Removal: What Changed and Why It Matters in 2026

Broad Match Modifier was not a minor or temporary change — it was the defining keyword match type that distinguished Microsoft Advertising from Google Ads for several years. Its removal in August 2021 brought the two platforms' positive match type lineups into alignment for the first time. Understanding the timeline matters because a significant volume of older guides and AI-generated advice still describes BMM as a live Microsoft feature.

Source: Search Engine Land, Microsoft Advertising to treat phrase match the same way Google Ads does; Search Engine Land, Advertisers will lose the ability to create new BMM keywords; Microsoft Learn, Negative Keywords.

The no-negative-broad rule is a separate and older constraint: Microsoft Advertising has never supported negative broad match. Negative phrase is the default negative match type. Negative exact is the more surgical option: it blocks only the verbatim query, which is useful when a term is a valid keyword in one context but a valid negative in another. For legal PPC campaigns and local legal advertising in Missoula, this distinction is operationally important.

RSA Best Practices: Asset Counts, Headlines, and Pinning Strategy

The gap between the minimum RSA asset count (3 headlines, 2 descriptions) and the maximum (15 headlines, 4 descriptions) is the algorithm's testing surface. Advertisers who stop at the minimum give the system a single possible combination per position; advertisers who supply 15 distinct headlines give it 3,003 possible three-headline combinations per impression. Microsoft's guidance is to target at least 8 distinct headlines for a strong ad-strength score.

Source: Microsoft Advertising Blog, Asset performance ratings & Responsive Search Ads; Microsoft Learn, Entity Limits (updated 2026-06-05).

The 30-character headline limit demands economical language. Headlines that work at 30 characters are a different craft from display copy: every word earns its place, and the three selected for any given impression are assembled in any order (unless pinned), so each headline needs to make sense in isolation. Useful frames for building a diverse headline set: product or service name variants, location and geo qualifiers, offer and urgency statements, trust signals (certifications, years in business), and the specific pain point the ad solves. A set built from five frames with two or three variants per frame reaches the 10–15-headline target without filler.

MB Adv Agency's RSA build sequence for new accounts: write 15 headlines from five frames, write 4 descriptions (2 functional, 2 with a trust element or specific offer), pin nothing except mandatory compliance text, and confirm ad strength at “Good” or better before the campaign goes live. After two weeks, pull the asset performance report and retire any headline rated “Poor” to make room for new variants. For financial services advertisers and dental practices with compliance requirements on ad copy, pin the compliant disclaimer to the relevant slot and build diversity around the remaining positions.

AI Max for Search and Where Microsoft Advertising Is Headed in 2026

AI Max for Search entered open pilot in about May 2026. It is not a new match type — it is an automation layer that sits above the standard keyword → RSA → extension mechanics described in this guide. AI Max applies AI-powered query matching beyond the advertiser's keyword list, extending reach to informational-to-commercial intent queries that the keyword set does not explicitly cover. It also enables asset personalization: the system dynamically assembles RSA headlines and descriptions tailored to landing-page context, generating assets beyond the advertiser's 15-headline pool.

RSAs and AI Max ads now serve in Copilot Search results and Copilot Answers, not only traditional Bing SERPs. This placement is separate from the standard Search Network auction and is an emerging channel for intent-adjacent discovery. Source: ALMCorp, Microsoft Advertising Activate 2026 Recap.

The keyword / RSA / extension mechanics described in this guide are what advertisers configure in standard Search campaigns today. AI Max is a separate, opt-in toggle for advertisers who want to extend coverage beyond their keyword list. Do not conflate AI Max's expanded query matching with the standard broad/phrase/exact match types — they operate at different layers of the account. Keep both levers visible to each other in Microsoft Ads reporting so you can distinguish match-type-driven impressions from AI Max-driven ones.

Three Misconceptions That Cost Budget on Microsoft Advertising

These are the three most common stale-knowledge errors in Microsoft Advertising guidance as of 2026. Each leads to a concrete operational mistake: building a keyword type that does not exist, planning around an ad format that cannot be edited, or looking for a UI menu under the wrong name.

1. "Broad Match Modifier still works in Microsoft." It does not, and has not since August 2021. The +keyword syntax was the defining feature that distinguished Microsoft Advertising from Google Ads for several years. Microsoft retired it in August 2021 — no new BMM keywords have been creatable since that date — following Google's removal in March 2021. Today the platform has three positive match types: broad, phrase, and exact. Any keyword built with +modified +broad syntax, whether imported from Google Ads or typed directly, is treated as phrase match. Any guide still teaching BMM as a live Microsoft match type is describing a feature that no longer exists in the platform.

2. "Expanded Text Ads can still be written in Microsoft." They cannot. Since February 1, 2023, ETAs are non-creatable and non-editable in standard Search campaigns. Legacy ETAs created before that date still serve and report, but attempting to create or edit one returns a CampaignServiceAdTypeInvalid error. An advertiser planning around two-headline ETA structures is planning around a discontinued format. The current standard is RSAs: 3–15 headlines at 30 characters each, 2–4 descriptions at 90 characters each.

3. "Ad extensions were renamed to 'assets' in Microsoft, same as Google." Google renamed its ad extensions to "assets" in 2022; Microsoft did not follow. Microsoft's live documentation (updated 2026-06-05) still labels the feature "ad extensions." The word "assets" appears in Microsoft only in narrow contexts: auto-generated RSA assets and the Campaigns → Assets sub-tab. An advertiser trained on Google Ads who looks for an "Assets" section in the Microsoft UI to add sitelinks will not find one — the feature is still under "Ad extensions." MB Adv Agency uses "ad extensions" as the primary term in all Microsoft Advertising work, noting the "assets" label only when disambiguating the RSA auto-generation layer.

Frequently Asked Questions: Microsoft Advertising Keywords and Ad Copy