Microsoft Ads for Shopify: Is Bing Advertising Worth It?

Key Takeaways

• Microsoft Advertising, once Bing Ads, shows search and shopping ads on Bing and across Microsoft's network, and works much like Google Ads.
• Statcounter puts Bing at 6.08% of UK search across all devices in September 2026, but 18.33% on desktop computers, three times higher.
• The Microsoft Channel app for Shopify syncs your products to Microsoft Merchant Center, adds the UET tracking tag automatically and lets you run Performance Max campaigns.
• Google Ads campaigns can be imported and kept in step with scheduled daily, weekly or monthly imports.
• A few of our clients run Microsoft Ads, and in those accounts auction prices are generally lower than Google's, so ROAS is higher.
• We usually start Microsoft Ads at around 10% of the matching Google Ads budget and move it on results.
• Judge it on new customers and ROAS on margin, and check that Google and Microsoft are not both claiming the same orders.

Quick Answer

Microsoft Ads is worth testing for most Shopify stores that already make money on Google Ads. Bing has a small share of UK searches overall (6.08% in September 2026, according to Statcounter) but 18.33% on desktop computers, so it reaches people buying at a desk. In our clients' accounts, clicks are generally cheaper than on Google and ROAS is higher. Connect your store with the Microsoft Channel app, import your Google campaigns, start with a test budget of around 10% of your Google spend, and judge it on new customers and return on ad spend after two to three months.

Table of Contents

• What Is Microsoft Advertising?
• Is Microsoft Ads Worth It for a Shopify Store?
• How to Connect Shopify to Microsoft Ads
• How to Import Your Google Ads Campaigns
• Shopping and Performance Max on Microsoft
• How Much to Spend on Microsoft Ads
• How to Measure Results
• Common Microsoft Ads Mistakes
• Why Matters Perspective
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Final Thoughts
• Related Articles

Most Shopify stores put all their search budget into Google, which is understandable: Google has most of the searches. But a well run Google account eventually reaches the point where each extra pound buys less. Microsoft Ads offers more searches from the same kind of buyer, and because campaigns can be imported, it is one of the quickest new channels to test.

What Is Microsoft Advertising?

Microsoft Advertising is Microsoft's pay per click platform. It was called Bing Ads until 2019, and most people still search for it by that name. Ads appear on Bing search results and across Microsoft's network, and the platform offers search campaigns, Shopping campaigns, Performance Max and audience targeting, much like Google Ads.

For Shopify stores the important part is the Microsoft Channel app, built by Microsoft Advertising and Shopify together. It brings your product catalogue into Microsoft Merchant Center, where products can appear as free listings or in paid campaigns.

Is Microsoft Ads Worth It for a Shopify Store?

Start with how many people you can reach. Statcounter puts Bing at 6.08% of UK search across all devices in September 2026, against 91.39% for Google. On desktop computers alone, Bing's share rises to 18.33% against Google's 75.99%, because Bing is the default search engine in Windows and Microsoft Edge, and many work computers are left on those defaults.

In words: for every 100 Google searches in the UK there are about 7 on Bing across all devices, but about 24 on desktop. Statcounter measures share of search traffic rather than ad clicks, so treat these as a guide to reach, not a forecast of sales.

In the Microsoft Ads accounts our clients run, auction prices are generally lower than on Google, so the return on ad spend is higher. You get fewer searches, but each click usually costs less.

Microsoft Ads tends to suit stores where some buying happens at a desk:

• Higher value and considered purchases, researched on a laptop or office computer.
• B2B and trade products, where buyers search from work computers.
• Gifts and products for older audiences, who are more likely to use a Windows PC with default settings.
• Stores already profitable on Google, which can import proven campaigns rather than starting from nothing.

It suits stores selling mainly to young, mobile first audiences less well; TikTok and Meta are usually the better next channel there.

How to Connect Shopify to Microsoft Ads

Microsoft's setup guide describes the steps:

1. Install the Microsoft Channel app from the Shopify App Store. It appears under Sales channels.
2. Connect your Microsoft account, then connect an existing Microsoft Advertising account or create one.
3. Connect or create a Microsoft Merchant Center store. A new store needs a store name, which cannot be changed later, plus language, country of sale and feed label.
4. Complete setup. Microsoft says products are reviewed in 3 to 5 business days, then become eligible to appear as free listings.
5. Check tracking. The app creates Microsoft's UET tag and adds it to every page of your store. Confirm purchases are recorded before you spend.

Microsoft notes that the app currently supports English language stores only. It may also show a Buy Now button on a small share of your ads, which you can turn off in the app settings.

How to Import Your Google Ads Campaigns

Microsoft Advertising can import campaigns from Google Ads, including campaigns, ad groups and keywords, and you can schedule the import to repeat daily, weekly or monthly so the two accounts stay in step. Microsoft's developer guide warns that not all information is imported, so review the result rather than assuming it is a copy.

After the first import we check:

• Budgets. Imported budgets match Google's, which is far too much for a smaller audience. Reset them.
• Bids and bid strategies. Smart bidding needs conversion data, which a new account does not have yet. Start with manual or enhanced bids, or a target that reflects early results.
• Negative keywords. Confirm your Google negative lists came across, especially brand and competitor terms.
• Locations and languages. Set the UK only, and check the location option targets people in the UK rather than people interested in it.
• Search partners. Watch where ads appear in the first weeks and exclude placements that spend without selling.
• Scheduled imports. If you schedule them, choose what each import may overwrite, or your Microsoft changes will be undone each week.

Shopping and Performance Max on Microsoft

Shopping ads usually earn most of the revenue for product stores on Microsoft, as they do on Google. Once your products are approved in Microsoft Merchant Center, they can appear as free listings, and you can create Performance Max campaigns from the Microsoft Channel app to promote them further.

The feed rules are similar to Google's, so the same problems cause disapprovals. Of the Google Merchant Center disapprovals we fixed across client stores this year, 40% were shipping settings, 30% missing barcodes and 30% policy issues. Fix those before syncing, and our guide to Google Merchant Centre for Shopify covers each one.

How Much to Spend on Microsoft Ads

Scale the test budget to the searches available. Using Statcounter's figures, Bing has about 7 searches for every 100 on Google across all devices and about 24 on desktop. As a rule of thumb we start Microsoft Ads at around 10% of the matching Google Ads budget:

If the campaigns hit your ROAS target and the budget runs out early in the day, raise it. If they spend without selling after a fair test, cut back to brand and Shopping only. Our ROAS calculator works out your break even ROAS from your margin.

How to Measure Results

Use the UET tag that the Microsoft Channel app installs, and set purchase as the main conversion goal. Then compare Microsoft with Google on the same basis: new customers, ROAS on margin and cost per first order. Our guide to what a good ROAS is for ecommerce explains how to set the target.

Check for double counting. Google Ads and Microsoft Ads will each claim any order where the customer clicked both, so add the two platforms' reported revenue together and compare it with Shopify's sales from paid search. Broken conversion tracking is the most common problem we find in inherited Google Ads accounts this year; in the worst case a freelancer run account double counted every purchase, so the client's ROAS report showed double the real figure.

Common Microsoft Ads Mistakes

1. Importing and forgetting. Imported budgets and bids suit Google's volume, not Microsoft's.
2. Judging it too soon. Smaller volume means results take longer to settle. Give it two to three months.
3. Ignoring desktop. Microsoft's audience leans to desktop, so a slow or awkward desktop checkout costs more here.
4. Letting scheduled imports overwrite changes. Decide what each import may update.
5. Skipping negative keywords. Broad matches on a new account can spend fast on irrelevant searches.

Why Matters Perspective

We treat Microsoft Ads as the natural second search channel for stores that already make money on Google. The setup is quick, the campaigns can be imported, and the buyers are often the same kind of people, just using a different search engine at work or on a Windows laptop. A few of our clients run it, with the results described above. The mistakes we see come from treating it as a copy of Google rather than a smaller channel with its own budgets and bids.

We work to a floor of at least 2x ROAS across the accounts we manage, and ad accounts we set up always belong to the client. We are a Shopify Select partner with Verified Skills across development and marketing, and our pricing is published: PPC management starts from £650 a month plus VAT, billed one month in arrears with no long contracts. For a free review of your Google and Microsoft Ads accounts, visit our PPC agency page.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Microsoft Advertising?

Microsoft Advertising, once called Bing Ads, is Microsoft's pay per click platform. It shows search and shopping ads on Bing and across Microsoft's network, and works much like Google Ads, with keywords, Shopping campaigns, Performance Max and audience targeting. Most Google Ads campaigns can be imported into it.

Is Microsoft Ads worth it for ecommerce?

It is usually worth testing for a store that already makes money on Google Ads, because the setup is quick and the campaigns can be imported. Bing's share of UK searches is small overall but much higher on desktop computers, so it suits products bought at a desk. In our clients' accounts, auction prices are generally lower than Google's, so ROAS is higher. Judge it on new customers and ROAS after a few months.

How do I connect Shopify to Microsoft Ads?

Install the Microsoft Channel app from the Shopify App Store, connect your Microsoft account, then connect or create a Microsoft Advertising account and a Microsoft Merchant Center store. Microsoft says products are reviewed in 3 to 5 business days, after which they can appear as free listings and in paid campaigns.

Can I import my Google Ads campaigns into Microsoft Ads?

Yes. Microsoft Advertising can import campaigns, ad groups, keywords and many settings from Google Ads, and you can schedule the import to run daily, weekly or monthly. Check budgets, bids, negative keywords and location settings after each import, because the two platforms do not behave identically.

How much should I spend on Microsoft Ads?

Start with a test budget scaled to the search volume available. As a rule of thumb we start at around 10% of the matching Google Ads budget, so a store spending £4,000 a month on Google would test with £400, then move budget up or down on results.

Does Microsoft Ads have Shopping ads?

Yes. Products synced to Microsoft Merchant Center can appear as free listings and in paid Shopping and Performance Max campaigns. The Microsoft Channel app for Shopify syncs your catalogue and adds Microsoft's UET tracking tag to your store automatically.

What share of UK searches happen on Bing?

Statcounter puts Bing at 6.08% of UK search across all devices in September 2026, against 91.39% for Google. On desktop computers alone the figure is far higher, 18.33% against 75.99% for Google, because Bing is the default in Windows and Microsoft Edge.

Final Thoughts

Microsoft Ads will not replace Google for a Shopify store, but it can add profitable sales from buyers Google does not reach as cheaply, especially on desktop. The Microsoft Channel app and campaign import make the test quick to set up.

Start small, reset the imported budgets and bids, track purchases properly and judge it on new customers over two to three months. If you would like us to set it up or review it, email us.

Related Articles

• Google Shopping for Shopify
• Google Merchant Centre for Shopify
• Performance Max for Ecommerce
• Google Ads Audit Checklist for Ecommerce
• What Is a Good ROAS for Ecommerce?
• ROAS Calculator
• How Much Does a PPC Agency Cost in the UK?
• Customer Acquisition for Ecommerce