Microsoft Ads

The business operates as a walled-garden advertising platform inside the broader Microsoft ecosystem. Advertisers use self-serve software and APIs to buy keyword, shopping, native and display inventory across Microsoft's search and audience network, while Microsoft monetises user attention and intent through auction-based media sales tied to clicks, engagements and campaign performance.

Microsoft Advertising is Microsoft's advertising platform business, serving advertisers, agencies, developers and enterprise marketing teams that want to buy paid search, shopping, display and native media across Microsoft's owned and partner inventory. Its core offering is a self-serve ad platform for keyword-led search advertising, extended by audience network inventory and API access for campaign automation.

The business makes money primarily from advertiser spend through pay-per-click and related auction-based media pricing. It creates value by combining Microsoft-owned consumer surfaces, syndicated search distribution, campaign management software, automated bidding and reporting tools, and integration paths for agencies and large advertisers moving budgets from competing platforms.