How the Transition to Microsoft Account Impacts the Bing Ads API

Last week we began the process of encouraging Bing Ads users to sign in with a Microsoft account which will replace the usage of Bing Ads accounts to sign in next year. Since this process began there have been some additional questions about what the impact of these changes are to customers of the Bing Ads API and how they can be mitigated.

The most significant change initiated last week is that new customers who sign up for Bing Ads via the Bing Ads website will only have a Microsoft account and will not be provisioned a Bing Ads user name and website. Managing the accounts of such users via the Bing Ads API will require the use of OAuth for authentication.   A less significant change is that existing Bing Ads users will be asked to optionally associate a Microsoft account to their Bing Ads account. Once an existing Bing Ads user associates their account with a Microsoft account, although they will no longer be allowed to use their Bing Ads username and password to sign in to the Bing Ads website and editor, they can still use these credentials to sign in via the API.

We understand that for certain API customers, the inability to manage Bing Ads customers that sign up after last week without transitioning to OAuth may come across as a disruptive change especially given the holiday season. In such cases, our recommendation is to work with your account manager to discuss mitigations that would limit the impact of this change until OAuth support is implemented in your application.

Dare Obasanjo

Program Manager, Bing Ads

Comments

• Anonymous
  May 02, 2014
  Does anyone know when the cutoff to OAuth 2.0 is for Bing?  All I have been able to find is "first half of 2014".  Is there an exact date yet?  If so, can anyone provide the link?