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How to Connect Microsoft Ads to Looker Studio

Cody Schneider•

Trying to view your Microsoft Ads (formerly Bing Ads) performance data in Looker Studio can feel frustrating. While you can connect Google Ads in seconds, there’s no big, easy "connect" button for Microsoft Ads. This article will show you exactly how to get your Microsoft Ads data into a clean, automated Looker Studio dashboard.

We'll walk through the two best methods: using third-party connectors (the fast and easy way) and using Google Sheets as a middle ground (the free, but more manual way). You’ll learn how to set everything up, step-by-step, regardless of your technical skill level.

Why Connect Microsoft Ads to Looker Studio?

Before jumping into the "how," it's good to remember the "why." Your Microsoft Ads account has its own reporting interface, but it exists in a silo. Running campaigns across multiple platforms - like Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and LinkedIn Ads - means your performance data is scattered. Logging into each one to get a complete picture is a slow, manual process.

Bringing your Microsoft Ads data into Looker Studio solves this by allowing you to:

  • See the Full Picture: Blend Microsoft Ads data with data from Google Analytics, your CRM, and other ad platforms to see the entire customer journey in one place.

  • Create Custom Visualizations: Go beyond the standard Microsoft Ads reports. Build tailored charts, graphs, and tables that show the exact metrics your team or clients care about.

  • Automate Your Reporting: Set up a live dashboard once and let it update automatically. No more downloading CSVs and building reports from scratch every Monday morning.

  • Share Insights Easily: A shareable Looker Studio link is far more professional and accessible than sending around a spreadsheet. Stakeholders can access real-time data whenever they need it.

Understanding the Connection Challenge

So, why is this difficult? Looker Studio has native connectors made by Google for its own products (Google Ads, Google Analytics, YouTube, etc.). Since Microsoft builds a competing ad platform, Google has little incentive to build and maintain a free, native connector. That leaves us with two primary options for getting the data across: paying for a dedicated tool to bridge the gap or building the bridge ourselves manually.

Method 1: Use a Third-Party Partner Connector

This is by far the simplest, most stable, and most efficient method. Partner connectors are pre-built data bridges developed by companies like Supermetrics, Power My Analytics, and Funnel.io. They handle all the technical complexity of connecting to the Microsoft Ads API and feeding the data directly into Looker Studio. While these services have a monthly subscription fee, they save you hours of manual work and prevent data errors.

Here’s how to set it up, using Supermetrics as an example (the process is similar for most connectors).

Step-by-Step Guide to Using a Partner Connector

1. Start in Looker Studio:Go to lookerstudio.google.com and either open a new report or an existing one. Inside the report, click Add data.

2. Find the Connector:On the "Add data to report" screen, you'll see a search bar. Type "Microsoft Ads" into the search bar. This will filter the list of over 800 partner connectors.

3. Select and Authorize Your Connector:Click on the partner connector of your choice (e.g., "Microsoft Advertising by Supermetrics"). You will be prompted to authorize two things:

  • First, you’ll authorize the connector to be used with your Google account.

  • Second, a new window will pop up asking you to log into your Microsoft Ads account. This gives the connector permission to access your ad data.

You may need to start a free trial or input payment information on the provider's website during this process if you don't already have an account.

4. Configure Your Data Source:Once authorized, you will see a configuration screen. This is where you tell the connector exactly what data you want to pull.

  • Select Accounts: Choose the specific Microsoft Ads account(s) you want to report on.

  • Select Report Type: Define the type and granularity of data you need. For example, you might choose a "Campaign performance" report.

  • Choose Date Range: Set a default date range (this can always be changed within your Looker Studio report later).

  • Set Options: Configure any other specific reporting options the connector offers.

5. Connect and Add to Report:In the bottom right corner, click the blue Connect button. This will bring you to a screen showing all the available fields (metrics and dimensions). Review them to ensure everything is correct, then click Add to Report in the top right.

And that’s it! Your Microsoft Ads data source is now fully connected to your report. It will refresh automatically, providing you with near real-time data for your dashboard without any extra work. You can now start building charts and tables by dragging and dropping dimensions and metrics onto your report canvas.

Method 2: Use Google Sheets as a Middleman

If you're on a tight budget and don't want to pay for a third-party connector, you can use Google Sheets as a bridge. The concept is simple: you export your data from Microsoft Ads into a CSV file, upload it to a Google Sheet, and then connect that Google Sheet to Looker Studio.

The main drawback of this method is that it is manual and not real-time. Every time you want updated data, you have to repeat the process of exporting and uploading. However, there's a handy add-on that can automate part of this process, which we'll cover as well.

Step-by-Step Guide for the Manual CSV Process

1. Export Your Data from Microsoft Ads:

  • Log into your Microsoft Ads account.

  • Navigate to the Reports section in the top menu.

  • Create a new report. Select the report type you need, such as campaign, ad group, or keyword performance.

  • Select the columns (metrics and dimensions) you want, such as Campaign, Clicks, Impressions, CTR, Spend, and Conversions.

  • Choose your desired date range.

  • Run the report and click the Download button, choosing CSV as the format.

2. Import the CSV into Google Sheets:

  • Open a new Google Sheet.

  • Go to File > Import.

  • Click on the Upload tab and drag your CSV file into the window, or select it from your computer.

  • In the import options pop-up, choose "Replace spreadsheet" or "Insert new sheet(s)" and leave the other settings as default. Click Import data.

3. Connect Google Sheets to Looker Studio:

  • Go to your Looker Studio report and click Add data.

  • Select the Google Sheets connector.

  • Find and select the spreadsheet you just created. Then, select the specific worksheet that contains your data.

  • Make sure "Use first row as headers" is checked.

  • Click the blue Add button in the bottom right, and confirm by clicking Add to Report.

Your data is now in Looker Studio. However, remember that this is a static snapshot. To update it next week, you'll need to download a new CSV and either paste the data into the same Google Sheet or replace the file.

An Automated Twist: The Microsoft Ads Google Sheets Add-on

To avoid the pain of endlessly downloading CSVs, you can automate data dumps into Google Sheets using the official Microsoft Advertising add-on. This gives you refreshed data in Looker Studio without needing a paid connector.

1. Install the Add-on:In an empty Google Sheet, go to Extensions > Add-ons > Get add-ons. Search for "Microsoft Advertising" and install it, granting the necessary permissions.

2. Create a Report:Go to Extensions > Microsoft Advertising > Create a new report. A sidebar will open. Log into your Microsoft account here.

3. Configure and Schedule the Report:In the sidebar, you can configure your report just as you would in the Microsoft Ads interface - choose your accounts, date range, metrics, dimensions, and any filters. Most importantly, at the bottom, you can Schedule reports to run daily, weekly, or monthly.

Set it to run automatically, and the sheet will update on its own. Now your Looker Studio report connected to this sheet will also show refreshed data, usually updating within an hour of your scheduled refresh.

Building Your Microsoft Ads Dashboard

Once your data is connected, the fun begins. Here are a few essential elements every Microsoft Ads performance dashboard should have:

  • Scorecards for KPIs: At the top of your page, add scorecards for your main key performance indicators (KPIs) like Total Spend, Clicks, Impressions, Conversions, Cost per Acquisition (CPA), and Click-Through Rate (CTR).

  • Time Series Chart: Visualize your key metrics over time. A line chart showing clicks vs. impressions or spend vs. conversions can quickly reveal performance trends.

  • Campaign Performance Table: Include a detailed table that breaks down performance by campaign. Feel free to add optional metrics and filters to let users drill down into the data.

  • Geo Map: See where your clicks and conversions are coming from by using a map visualization. This is perfect for identifying high-performing regions.

  • Device Breakdown: Use a pie or bar chart to show performance across desktops, tablets, and mobile devices to inform your bidding strategies.

Final Thoughts

Getting your Microsoft Ads data into Looker Studio opens up a world of possibilities for better reporting and deeper analysis. For most businesses, a paid third-party connector is the best investment, saving time and delivering reliable, real-time data. But if you're just starting, the Google Sheets approach provides a free pathway to get started with centralized reporting.

Building dashboards yourself is a powerfully rewarding skill. As you get more comfortable, though, the process naturally shifts from connecting data to figuring out which business questions your dashboards should even be answering. For us, an endless cycle of creating reports led us to build Graphed. We wanted a tool that connects to all of our marketing sources, like Microsoft Ads and Google Analytics, and lets us instantly build dashboards and get insights just by asking for them in plain English. We believe the future of analytics lies in getting from a difficult data question to a clear, actionable insight in seconds, not hours.