How to Connect Microsoft Advertising to ChatGPT and Claude Using MCP

Microsoft Advertising can now be analyzed directly in ChatGPT and Claude, without manually exporting reports to Excel. An advertiser can ask an AI assistant to compare campaign performance, find the reasons for an increase in CPA, check Performance Max, or examine the change history of an advertising account.

On October 20, 2026, Microsoft published updated instructions and practical use cases for working with Microsoft Advertising MCP Server. The company now explains in detail how to connect advertising data to ChatGPT, Claude, GitHub Copilot, and Copilot Studio.

Let's examine the connection process and the tasks that can already be performed with AI.

What Is Microsoft Advertising MCP Server?

MCP (Model Context Protocol) is a standard for interaction between AI assistants and external systems and data sources.

Microsoft Advertising MCP Server allows ChatGPT or Claude to access data from a Microsoft Advertising account through Microsoft's official server.

Instead of creating API requests manually, users can ask questions in natural language:

• Which campaigns showed the largest increase in CPA over the last month?
• Why did ROAS decline in Performance Max?
• Which keywords are spending the budget without generating conversions?
• Who changed the campaign budget last week?

The AI assistant receives data through MCP, compares metrics, and generates an answer.

Importantly, the server provides read-only access. It allows users to examine data but not change bids, budgets, or advertisements.

What You Need to Connect

Microsoft provides the official MCP server at the following address:

https://partner.api.bingads.microsoft.com/ext/mcp/vnext

The connection requires:

1. An account with access to Microsoft Advertising.
2. A supported AI assistant: ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot Studio, or GitHub Copilot.
3. A Microsoft Entra ID application with configured OAuth authorization if the selected AI client requires its own OAuth Client ID.

For ChatGPT, Microsoft documents the connection through Developer Mode in the web version. For Claude, the connection is available through a Custom Connector.

Creating an application in Microsoft Entra ID is a separate step that cannot be replaced by regular authorization in Microsoft Advertising.

Step 1. Create an Application for Authorization

For ChatGPT and Claude, an OAuth application must be registered in Microsoft Entra ID.

According to Microsoft's official instructions, you need to install Azure CLI, sign in, and create an application that supports both work and personal Microsoft accounts.

Example command:

az ad app create --display-name "Ads MCP App" --sign-in-audience AzureADandPersonalMicrosoftAccount

After creating the application, save its Client ID.

It is important to have permission to register applications in the corresponding Microsoft Entra tenant. Access to an advertising account alone does not provide these permissions.

Next, you need to register the Callback URL of the selected AI assistant. This is the address used to complete OAuth authorization.

Step 2. Connect Microsoft Ads to ChatGPT

According to Microsoft's instructions, the connection is configured in the web version of ChatGPT.

1. Open Workspace Settings → Plugins → Developer Mode and enable developer mode.
2. Go to Plugins and select the option to create a new application.
3. Enter a name, such as Microsoft Ads MCP.
4. Paste the address of the official MCP server.
5. Select OAuth as the authorization method.
6. In Advanced OAuth Settings, select User-Defined OAuth Client and enter the Client ID of the application you created.
7. Set the authorization parameters according to Microsoft's instructions, including the scopes https://ads.microsoft.com/msads.manage and offline_access.
8. Copy the Callback URL generated by ChatGPT and add it to the application in Microsoft Entra ID as a Public Client Redirect URI.
9. Complete the connection setup and authorize with a Microsoft account that has access to the advertising account.

For corporate workspaces, Developer Mode may require administrator approval.

After authorization, you can test the connection with the following request:

List my advertising campaigns for AccountId 123, CustomerId 456.

Replace the identifiers with the values from your advertising account.

Step 3. How to Connect Microsoft Ads to Claude

Claude uses a similar mechanism, but the setup interface is different.

1. Open Settings → Connectors.
2. Select Add Custom Connector.
3. Enter the name Microsoft Ads MCP.
4. Add the Microsoft MCP server URL.
5. Select the option to use your own OAuth client.
6. Enter the Client ID of the registered application.
7. Add the Claude authorization address to Microsoft Entra ID: https://claude.ai/api/mcp/auth_callback.
8. Click Connect, sign in to Microsoft Advertising, and grant the necessary permissions.

After connecting, enable the integration in your conversation with Claude.

On enterprise plans, the ability to add connectors depends on the permissions granted by the workspace owner.

Five Tasks You Can Perform Through MCP

1. Find Campaigns with Deteriorating CPA

Compare campaign CPA, spend and conversions for the last 30 days versus the previous 30 days. Identify campaigns with the largest deterioration.

The AI retrieves data for two periods and identifies campaigns where an increase in spending is not accompanied by a corresponding increase in conversions.

2. Analyze Performance Max

Analyze my Performance Max campaigns and asset groups. Identify performance changes and possible areas for improvement.

The assistant can examine available campaign metrics, the structure of asset groups, and information about assets.

3. Find Inefficient Keywords

Show search keywords with significant spend but no conversions over the last 30 days. Include clicks, CPC and total cost.

This allows users to create a list of items for review more quickly, without generating a report manually.

4. Examine Change History

Show budget and bid changes made during the last 14 days. Include previous values, new values and the users responsible where available.

Microsoft MCP provides access to change history for the last 180 days.

However, a change occurring on the same date as a decline in performance does not prove a causal relationship.

5. Compare Microsoft Ads and Google Ads

Compare campaign performance across Microsoft Advertising and Google Ads for the last month. Highlight differences in CPA, ROAS and conversion volume.

For this analysis, a Google Ads data source must be connected separately. Microsoft Advertising MCP Server alone does not provide access to Google.

How MCP Differs from Microsoft Advertising API

Microsoft Advertising API remains the primary tool for programmatic integration with advertising systems.

Developers use it to create custom applications, reporting systems, and automated advertising management processes.

MCP Server provides a different way to interact with some of these data: through an AI assistant and natural language requests.

For an analyst, this reduces the number of technical steps. Instead of developing a report, the analyst can formulate a question and receive an answer using the available MCP tools.

However, MCP does not replace the API in every scenario. For example, bulk campaign changes, complex data processing pipelines, and custom analytics infrastructure may still require direct API integrations.

Limitations and Security

Microsoft Advertising MCP operates in read-only mode: AI requests should not directly modify advertising campaigns.

The connection uses OAuth, and access is limited to advertising accounts for which the authorized user has the appropriate permissions.

However, authorization security does not guarantee the accuracy of analytical conclusions.

AI may misinterpret changes in conversions, fail to account for attribution delays, or mix metrics from different campaign types.

Therefore, recommendations for changing bids, budgets, or strategies must be verified against the underlying data.

Connecting to Microsoft's server is free, but access to individual AI assistants and their features may depend on a subscription.

What Changed in October 2026?

Since the initial launch of MCP, Microsoft has significantly expanded its practical documentation.

The new materials describe in detail use cases for analyzing campaigns, keywords, audiences, creatives, change history, and comparisons across multiple advertising platforms.

The company also provides examples of MCP use in agencies, including the use of AI assistants to accelerate audits and create analytical tools.

Thus, Microsoft Advertising MCP is gradually evolving from an experimental interface for developers into a tool for the everyday work of marketers and PPC specialists.

The main advantage is not that AI gains access to an advertising account, but that an analyst can explore data faster by asking questions in natural language.

Sources

1. Microsoft Advertising MCP Server Setup Guide. Microsoft Learn
2. Microsoft Advertising MCP Server Use Cases. Microsoft Learn
3. Microsoft Advertising MCP Server — Official Product Overview. Microsoft Advertising
4. Affect: Microsoft Advertising MCP Server for AI Workflows. Affect Blog