Microsoft Advertising PMax Update: Search Terms and AI Setup
In short: Microsoft Advertising's October 2026 update adds search-term and auction-insights reporting to Performance Max, opens an audience-exclusion pilot, widens messaging guidelines for AI-generated copy to an open pilot, and launches an AI-guided first-campaign workflow. Several items are pilots or rolling out gradually, so confirm access in your own account.
- PMax on Microsoft Advertising now has search-term and auction-insights reporting.
- Audience exclusions are in an open pilot. Brand-exclusion refinements are being tested. Device targeting is due more broadly in coming weeks, with search-term landing-page reporting planned from mid-November.
- Messaging guidelines (up to 40 positive or negative instructions) are in an open pilot for PMax and Search campaigns with AI Max enabled.
- A new AI-guided workflow builds an editable business snapshot from your website. It speeds setup but does not replace tracking, targeting or creative checks.
What Microsoft announced on 28 October
| Feature | Status |
|---|---|
| Search-term and auction-insights reporting in Performance Max | Available |
| Audience exclusions | Open pilot |
| Brand-exclusion refinements | Being tested |
| Device targeting | Wider rollout in the coming weeks |
| Search-term landing-page reporting | Planned from mid-November |
| Messaging guidelines for AI-generated copy | Open pilot (PMax, and Search with AI Max) |
| AI-guided first Performance Max campaign creation | Announced workflow, verify availability |
Search-term and auction insights
Performance Max has often been criticised as a black box. Search-term reporting shows which queries triggered ads, and auction insights show who you compete with. Review both now:
- Are queries relevant, or is spend going to irrelevant or low-intent searches?
- Do competitors you did not expect appear often?
- Do branded terms take a large share of conversions?
Use what you find to improve assets, landing pages and exclusions, instead of making changes in one go.
Audience exclusions and brand controls
Audience exclusions are in an open pilot and brand-exclusion refinements are being tested. Do not assume every account has them. Ask your Microsoft account team for pilot access rather than waiting for a general launch.
Messaging guidelines for AI copy
Advertisers can give up to 40 positive or negative instructions about claims, themes, tone and wording to guide AI-generated copy. For regulated or claim-sensitive brands this is useful, but it is not a guarantee. Test the guidelines against the assets actually generated and keep a human approval step. Our Google PMax settings audit follows the same principle on the Google side.
AI-guided campaign creation
The new workflow builds an editable business snapshot from your website and optional brand guidelines, plans or product images. You then review budget, bidding, copy and creative before launch. It can speed up the first draft. It does not remove the need to check conversion tracking, targeting and creative quality.
Is Microsoft worth testing?
Microsoft Advertising is usually a smaller part of the mix, but it can suit B2B, finance, software and desktop-heavy audiences with less competition. If you run it, review the new reports this week. If you do not, treat it as a low-priority test after your Google and Meta set-ups are solid. Ask for a free review to see where your next rupee should go.
Sources
- Build, steer and measure your campaigns with AI: what's new in Microsoft Advertising this October · Microsoft Advertising
Facts in this article come from the sources above, checked on 29 October 2026. Platform features roll out in phases, so check your own account before acting. We update this page when official details change.