Microsoft Ads (still widely called Bing Ads) has no native Looker Studio connector. Like Meta and TikTok, getting the data into a dashboard requires a third-party service or the API. But unlike those platforms, Microsoft Ads is often overlooked entirely — which is exactly why tracking it properly can reveal an unexpectedly profitable channel.
This guide covers the connection methods, the metrics worth pulling, and the tracking mistakes specific to accounts imported from Google Ads.
Why Microsoft Ads deserves separate tracking
Microsoft Ads serves the Bing, Yahoo, and DuckDuckGo search networks — a smaller audience than Google, but with two characteristics that matter for e-commerce.
Lower competition, lower CPCs. Fewer advertisers bid on the same keywords, which frequently translates into cheaper clicks for equivalent intent.
A different audience profile. Bing’s user base skews toward desktop use and — depending on the market — an older, higher-income demographic, since Bing remains the default search engine on Windows devices and in many corporate environments.
The practical consequence: Microsoft Ads often shows a better ROAS on a much smaller volume than Google Ads. If you fold it into a generic “paid search” line in your reporting, you’ll never notice — and you’ll never know whether it deserves more budget.
The available connection methods
Third-party connectors
Windsor.ai, Supermetrics, Porter Metrics, Dataslayer and similar all offer a Microsoft Ads connector authenticating through the Microsoft Advertising API, with automatic refresh into Looker Studio.
Pricing follows the same logic as other paid connectors: roughly $20-40/month at entry level, more with premium providers or as you add sources. The specific thing to verify for Microsoft Ads: whether the connector exposes Shopping campaign data and product-level breakdown, since Microsoft Shopping campaigns work similarly to Google Shopping but aren’t always fully supported by connectors built primarily for Google and Meta.
Manual export
Microsoft Advertising’s interface allows CSV report exports, which you can drop into Google Sheets for Looker Studio to read. Free, with the usual fragility of manual processes — but genuinely workable if Microsoft Ads is a small, stable part of your mix and you only need monthly reporting.
Microsoft Advertising API into BigQuery
The robust route, identical in principle to what we describe for Meta Ads: a pipeline feeds BigQuery, Looker Studio connects there, and Microsoft Ads data joins in SQL with your Shopify orders and GA4 export.
Which metrics to pull
The fundamentals, identical to Google Ads: spend, impressions, clicks, CTR, CPC, conversions, conversion value, ROAS, CPA. Always read against your breakeven ROAS (1 ÷ gross margin), never in isolation.
Impression share — particularly valuable on Microsoft Ads. Because competition is lower, high-ROAS campaigns are frequently budget-constrained rather than rank-constrained. A campaign with strong ROAS and low impression share lost to budget is the clearest signal in paid search that spending more would earn more.
Search terms — same principle as Google Ads: this is where budget quietly leaks on broad match keywords. As with the Google Ads connector we cover in our Google Ads guide, the search terms report is generally not exposed through connectors and must be reviewed in the interface.
Device breakdown — worth more attention here than elsewhere, given Bing’s desktop skew. Mobile and desktop performance often diverge more sharply than on Google.
The import trap: copied UTMs
Most Microsoft Ads accounts start life as an import from Google Ads, using Microsoft’s native import tool. It’s efficient — but it copies your tracking parameters along with everything else.
The result: your Bing campaigns carry UTM parameters saying utm_source=google, and every conversion from Microsoft Ads gets attributed to Google in GA4. You’ll see Google Ads performance that doesn’t match Google Ads’ own reporting, and Microsoft Ads appearing to drive nothing at all.
Check this first if you’ve imported campaigns. Set utm_source=bing (or microsoft) consistently across the account, and be consistent about which value you use — the same fragmentation problem we describe in our attribution guide, where bing and microsoft become two separate channels in GA4.
Structuring the page
Header: spend, conversions, ROAS, CPA compared to the previous period — and side by side with Google Ads, since the comparison is the point.
Impression share and loss reasons: budget vs rank, per campaign. This is where the growth opportunity shows up.
Device and demographic split: to confirm (or not) whether the audience profile differs from your Google traffic in ways worth acting on.
Cross-reference with real revenue: Microsoft-reported conversions next to actual Shopify revenue, with sources labeled — following the multi-source structure in our dashboard guide.
FAQ
Is there a free Microsoft Ads connector for Looker Studio? No free, automatic connector exists. Microsoft Ads has no native Looker Studio integration, so you need a third-party connector (paid), a manual export through Google Sheets, or the Microsoft Advertising API into BigQuery.
Is Microsoft Ads worth tracking separately if it’s a small share of my spend? Yes, precisely because it’s usually a small share. Bing traffic frequently shows lower CPCs and a different demographic profile than Google, which can mean a better ROAS on a smaller volume. Without separate tracking, you can’t see whether it deserves more budget.
Can I import my Google Ads campaigns into Microsoft Ads? Yes, Microsoft Advertising offers a native import tool that copies Google Ads campaign structure, keywords, and ads. It’s the standard way to start, but remember that imported campaigns need their own tracking parameters — copied UTMs referencing Google will misattribute your Bing traffic in GA4.
Want a dashboard that puts Microsoft Ads, Google Ads, and your real revenue side by side? Check out our Shopify Dashboards offer or book a free 30-minute call.