How to Connect Bing Ads to Looker Studio

Trying to view your Microsoft Ads (formerly Bing Ads) performance data in Looker Studio can feel like you're missing a step. Looker Studio connects seamlessly with Google products, but when you look for a native connector for Microsoft Ads, you’ll find it’s not there. This article will show you exactly how to bridge that gap. We’ll walk through the most reliable methods for connecting Microsoft Ads to Looker Studio and provide tips for building a dashboard that gives you clear, actionable insights into your campaign performance.

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Why Connect Microsoft Ads to Looker Studio?

You already have access to performance data within the Microsoft Advertising platform, so why pipe it into Looker Studio? The primary reason is to create a single source of truth for all your marketing efforts. Most marketers don't just run ads on Microsoft, they also have campaigns on Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and traffic data in Google Analytics. Pulling your Microsoft Ads data into Looker Studio allows you to:

• Create Unified Reports: Place charts displaying Microsoft Ads metrics right next to charts showing Google Analytics sessions or Google Ads conversions. This allows you to see the full picture of your marketing funnel without jumping between platforms.
• Build Custom Visualizations: Microsoft Ads has standard reporting, but Looker Studio gives you total freedom to design dashboards that answer your specific business questions. You can customize charts, colors, and layouts to tell a clear story with your data.
• Automate Reporting: Once you set up the connection, your Looker Studio dashboard can refresh automatically. This ends the weekly or monthly routine of exporting CSVs and manually updating spreadsheets.
• Share Insights Easily: A Looker Studio report can be shared with a simple link, giving stakeholders a real-time view of campaign performance without needing login credentials for Microsoft Ads.

Understanding Looker Studio Connectors

To pull data into a report, Looker Studio uses "Connectors." Think of a connector as a bridge that allows Looker Studio to access and interpret data from another platform, like Google Analytics or a Google Sheet. Google has built and maintains official connectors for all its own services, which is why connecting GA4 or Google Ads is so straightforward.

Here's the key challenge: Google does not offer a native connector for Microsoft Ads.

Because Microsoft is a direct competitor, there isn't an official, free connector available in the Looker Studio gallery. To solve this, you need to use one of two methods: a third-party Partner Connector or a manual workaround using a "middleman" like Google Sheets.

How to Connect Microsoft Ads to Looker Studio: Two Methods

Let's break down the most popular ways to get your ad data flowing into your dashboards. The best method for you depends on your budget, technical comfort, and need for real-time, automated data.

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Method 1: Use a Third-Party Partner Connector (Recommended)

The easiest and most robust way to connect Microsoft Ads to Looker Studio is by using a third-party data connector. These are tools built specifically to pull data from platforms like Microsoft Ads via their API and feed it directly into Looker Studio on your behalf. They handle the technical heavy lifting, authentication, and data syncing automatically.

Popular and reliable connectors for Microsoft Ads include:

• Windsor.ai
• Funnel.io
• Power My Analytics
• Supermetrics

While these are paid subscription services, they save an enormous amount of time and eliminate the errors that come with manual reporting. The investment is often well worth it for agencies and businesses that rely on timely, accurate data.

Step-by-Step Guide to Using a Partner Connector

The exact steps vary slightly between providers, but the general process is nearly identical for all of them. Here’s how it works, using Supermetrics as a general example:

Step 1: Get a License for Your Chosen Connector First, navigate to the provider's website (e.g., Supermetrics) and sign up for a plan that includes the Microsoft Ads connector for Looker Studio. Most offer a free trial, so you can test it out before committing.

Step 2: Start a New Data Source in Looker Studio Open Looker Studio and click the "Create" button, then select "Data Source." This will take you to the connector gallery.

Step 3: Find and Select Your Connector In the search bar at the top of the gallery, type the name of the connector you signed up for (e.g., "Supermetrics"). You should see a connector titled "Microsoft Advertising by Supermetrics" (or similar). Click on it.

Step 4: Authorize Looker Studio and Microsoft Ads You will be prompted to authorize two connections. The first authorization gives the connector permission to work within your Google account. The second authorization will redirect you to a Microsoft login screen, where you must grant the connector permission to access your Ads data. This is a secure, standard practice (OAuth).

Step 5: Configure Your Data Source Once authorized, you’ll land on a configuration screen. Here, you get to choose exactly what data to pull in. You will typically need to select:

• The specific Microsoft Ads accounts you want to sync.
• The date range (e.g., Last 30 days - this can be changed in the report itself).
• Report options like preventing data sampling if needed.

Make your selections and click the "Connect" button in the upper right corner.

Step 6: Start Building Your Report A few moments later, you'll see a screen showing all the available fields (metrics and dimensions) from your Microsoft Ads account. From here, click the "Create Report" button. You can now start dragging dimensions and metrics onto your report canvas to build charts and tables.

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Method 2: Use Google Sheets as a Manual Bridge (The Free Workaround)

If you don't have the budget for a partner connector and don’t need your data to be updated in real-time, you can use Google Sheets as a middleman.

The workflow is simple: you manually export your data from Microsoft Ads, import it into a Google Sheet, and then use Looker Studio’s free, native Google Sheets connector to visualize the data.

Pros:

• Completely free to use.
• Gives you full control over cleaning and formatting the data before it enters Looker Studio.

Cons:

• Highly manual and time-consuming.
• The data is static. To refresh your report, you must repeat the entire export/import process.
• Prone to human error (e.g., copy-paste mistakes, incorrect formatting).

How to Use the Google Sheets Method

1. Export Your Microsoft Ads Report: Log in to your Microsoft Ads account. Create a report with the metrics (Impressions, Clicks, Spend, Conversions) and dimensions (Date, Campaign Name, Ad Group Name) you need. Download this report as a CSV or Excel file.
2. Import into Google Sheets: Create a new Google Sheet. Go to File > Import > Upload and select the CSV file you just downloaded. Make sure your data is organized with clear column headers.
3. Connect Looker Studio to Your Google Sheet: In Looker Studio, create a new data source. In the connector gallery, select "Google Sheets." Find and select the spreadsheet you just created, ensure "Use first row as headers" is checked, and click "Connect."
4. Build Your Report: You can now use the fields from your Google Sheet to build visualizations in Looker Studio, just as you would with any other data source.

This method breaks down quickly when you're managing multiple accounts or need daily updates, but it's a workable option for simple, one-off reports.

What to Include in Your Microsoft Ads Dashboard

Once you've successfully connected your data source, the fun begins. A blank dashboard can be intimidating, so here are a few essential components every Microsoft Ads performance dashboard should have.

1. KPIs and Scorecards

Place a series of scorecards at the very top of your report to show key performance indicators (KPIs) at a glance for the selected date range. This gives viewers an instant summary of overall performance.

• Spend: Total amount spent.
• Impressions: The number of times your ads have appeared.
• Clicks: Total clicks on your ads.
• CTR (Click-Through Rate): Clicks / Impressions
• CPC (Average Cost Per Click): Cost / Clicks
• Conversions: Total number of desired actions taken.
• CPA (Cost Per Acquisition): Cost / Conversions

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2. Trended Performance Over Time

Use a time-series chart to visualize performance trends. This helps you spot seasonality, the impact of campaign changes, or potential issues.

• Primary Metric: Spend
• Secondary Metric: Conversions or Clicks

Plotting cost against results on the same chart instantly shows if your efficiency is improving or declining over time.

3. Top Performing Campaigns and Ad Groups

Use a bar chart or table to compare performance across your campaigns, ad groups, or even specific keywords. Sort the table by a key metric like Spend, Conversions, or CPA to easily identify your top performers and those that may need attention or adjustments.

Key Dimensions:

• Campaign Name
• Ad Group Name
• Keyword Text

Key Metrics:

• Spend
• Clicks
• Conversions
• CPA

4. Breakdowns by Device and Network

Use a pie chart or bar chart to break down your performance by factors like device type (Computer, Smartphone, Tablet) or ad network (Bing, AOL & MSN search vs. Audience Network). This can reveal insights like whether you should use bid adjustments for mobile users or whether the audience network is profitable for your campaigns.

Final Thoughts

Getting your Microsoft Ads data into Looker Studio creates a consolidated view of your marketing performance, and the process is straightforward once you know your options. For automated, real-time reporting, using a paid third-party connector is the most efficient and reliable path. For smaller projects or if you're on a tight budget, the manual Google Sheets method is a viable, if time-consuming, alternative.

Making cross-channel reporting simple is why we built our platform. Instead of managing third-party connectors or manually wrestling with CSV files, we give you a way to centralize your sources painlessly. With Graphed, you connect Microsoft Ads, Google Ads, Salesforce, and other platforms in a few clicks. From there, you just describe the dashboard you want in plain English - like "create a report comparing spend vs. conversions from Google Ads and Microsoft Ads last quarter" - and watch it build in seconds, giving you back hours of your week.