New PPC Login Required: Bing Ads Moves To Microsoft Account Logins Starting Today

Bing Ads users may start seeing a new screen at login asking them to sign in with a Microsoft account, in much the same way AdWords users are required to have a Google account.

Once you make the switch, you’ll need to use your Microsoft account name and password to access Bing Ads and Bing Ads Editor. Marketing tools that use the Bing Ads API will switch over early next year.

Microsoft says the new process is being implemented primarily for security, including two-factor authentication. The other reason given is users will have one login to access more Microsoft services.

So, what is a Microsoft account? Turns out that’s the first question on the FAQ. What used to be known as “Windows Live ID”, Microsoft accounts can be used to sign in to Hotmail, Messenger, SkyDrive, Windows Phone, Xbox LIVE, or Outlook.com. You can opt to use an existing Microsoft account or create a new one for Bing Ads.

Also important to note, with this new login, the “Create User” option has been removed from the UI. To add users to your account, you will send them an invite from the “Users” tab on the “Accounts & Billing” page.