📰 Microsoft Advertising, Meta Ads, TikTok Ads and other platforms news

Microsoft Advertising is introducing new device targeting options and search term landing page reports for Performance Max campaigns. This update allows advertisers to include or exclude specific device types, enhancing campaign precision and efficiency. In addition to device targeting, the new sear

Reddit shares fell sharply after its CEO warned that search referral traffic dropped significantly in the third quarter, weighing on the platform's advertising revenue outlook.

Since October, Microsoft Advertising has allowed advertisers to use LinkedIn company lists of up to 10,000 firms for campaign targeting, integrating LinkedIn data into the ad platform.

Microsoft Advertising made age and gender targeting generally available in Performance Max, and added new search term and auction insights reporting.

Microsoft Advertising announced on October 28 that its Conversions API is now generally available, sending website, app, CRM and point-of-sale conversions server to server alongside the UET tag.

Microsoft Advertising has launched a redesigned homepage for its official website , introducing a modern layout, updated navigation, and a stronger focus on its advertising solutions. The new homepage highlights Microsoft's reach of over 1 billion people across 187 markets globally and showcases its

Microsoft Advertising has expanded its MCP server functionalities with two new tools, GetAssets and GetChangeHistory . The server now allows AI-driven interfaces like Claude , ChatGPT , Copilot Studio , and GitHub Copilot to retrieve asset-level performance metrics and detailed account change histor

Microsoft Advertising has updated its options for LinkedIn profile targeting within Audience campaigns . Advertisers can now restrict ad delivery using "Target and bid" settings, allowing ads to be served only to users with the selected LinkedIn profiles. This change marks a significant shift from p

Pinterest announced programmatic deals with Magnite allowing its video and display inventory to be bought through DSPs such as Amazon DVA+, Google DV360 and Yahoo DSP, expanding its earlier partnership with Amazon Ads.

Pinterest made its Programmatic Deals program generally available in North America, South America and Asia Pacific, letting buyers purchase display and video inventory through Amazon DVA+, Google DV360 and Yahoo DSP, though Europe remains excluded for now.

Bing is currently testing a call-to-action (CTA) button within its Copilot ads. The test includes a "Learn more" button appearing on the left side of sponsored results. This update was spotted by Sachin Patel . The post Bing Tests CTA Button in Copilot Ads appeared on PPC News Feed .

Meta updated its Commercial Terms and Self-Serve Ad Terms, folding in Product Catalogue and Generative AI Ad Creative terms, and continuing to advertise after October 30 counts as accepting the changes.

Pinterest introduced Business Assistant, an AI collaborator built into Ads Manager that surfaces trends and performance alerts, along with Pinterest MCP, a connector letting AI agent tools pull campaign data.

TikTok confirmed on October 18 that it restored Bleecker Street's ad account after mistakenly blocking promotion of the 'Musk' documentary, allowing policy-compliant ads to resume.

Since October 1, Microsoft Advertising has stopped offering Max CPC as an option when creating certain new campaigns using Maximize Conversions, Maximize Conversion Value or Maximize Clicks, while existing campaigns keep the setting.

Microsoft is rolling out a new beta feature in Bing Webmaster Tools, within the 'AI Performance' section, grouping related search queries into broad themes to better understand visibility in AI-generated responses.

LinkedIn announced seven new features, including In-Stream Ads to pay creators for pre-roll ads, citing a 70% rise in profiles adding 'founder' and more members reporting multiple positions.

Starting October 14, advertisers began receiving a notice in Ads Manager saying the previously optional product browsing feature will switch to on by default for live ads starting October 28. Advertisers must opt out manually before that date if they don't want it.

TikTok unveiled Buy Direct, Shopping Assistant, Agentic Leads, Smart+ for search ads, and the expansion of its TikTok Ad Network (formerly Pangle) to US advertisers, reaching nearly 400,000 apps.

On October 15, Meta announced three new ad formats for Facebook and Instagram: Ads Super Burst with 3-to-24-hour reach windows, First Impression Ads reserving the first daily feed slot, and Reels Trending Ads.

Meta announced it will automatically turn on in-ad product browsing for already-running campaigns starting October 28, 2026, unless advertisers opt out.

Meta unveiled four brand advertising updates: Ads Super Burst (3-24 hour booking windows with category exclusivity), First Impression Ads (first Facebook Feed slot in US testing), expanded Reels Trending Ads and a new Aggregated View Time metric.

Microsoft Advertising has introduced practical upgrades to its UI, enabling more efficient data manipulation within accounts. Advertisers can now use OR logic with multiple criteria in a single filter, benefiting performance tables and search terms reports. Additionally, users can filter tables by s

Starting October 28, Meta will automatically enable product browsing on existing ads unless advertisers manually opt out via Ads Manager.

Meta notified advertisers that starting October 28, active ads on Facebook and Instagram will show in-app product details and suggestions before redirecting to the website, unless manually opted out. The company claims this feature drives 3% more conversions on average.

Microsoft Advertising has introduced significant updates to its API, with new capabilities for tool builders and agencies managing accounts at scale. Conversion value rules can now be managed in bulk via the Bulk API, allowing adjustments to conversion values based on conditions like location, devic

Since October 8, Meta has blocked ByteDance ads and third-party campaigns directing traffic to TikTok in the US, Canada, Egypt, Indonesia, Japan, Thailand and Vietnam amid an escalating feud between the platforms.

Since October 8, Meta has stopped accepting ads from ByteDance and from any advertiser driving traffic to TikTok in seven countries, including the US and Canada, just three days after TikTok opened its global ad network to US buyers.

Microsoft Advertising's Gambling and Games policy has been updated to prohibit online casino and sports betting advertisements in Brazil. This change aligns with the September presidential declaration that restricts such advertising activities. Advertisers targeting Brazil will need to comply with t

TikTok split its Partner Program into Agency Partner and Premier Agency Partner tiers so agencies can better showcase their areas of expertise on the platform.

Meta dropped the requirement that Threads and Instagram usernames match in order to run Threads ads, allowing businesses without an Instagram profile to advertise natively on Threads.

Meta is removing the ability for advertisers to exclude ads from Facebook search results and in-stream Reels placements, giving its AI ad system more flexibility on where to display ads.

Microsoft Advertising has introduced Messaging guidelines to its text guardrails, expanding control for advertisers over AI-generated ad content. This new feature allows advertisers to specify themes, claims, products, offers, or topics to emphasize or avoid, in addition to existing term exclusions.

TikTok announced AI-driven automation tools including Smart+ campaigns for search ads, Smart+ Creative Selection, a conversational lead system called Agentic Leads, and updates to GMV Max.

Starting October 6, Meta is testing a conversational AI assistant that can create campaigns, generate imagery and text, update targeting and change budgets from chat prompts. Meta claims advertisers adopting the assistant's recommendations see 5% more conversions at the same cost.

Meta's new Commercial and Self-Serve Ad Terms, announced October 8, shift legal liability for AI-generated ad content to advertisers and grant Meta rights to run tests affecting campaign delivery.

TikTok introduced Buy Direct, a one-click checkout feature right in the For You feed, alongside a Shopping Assistant that answers sizing and shipping questions before purchase.

Meta began implementing a complete restriction on ads and paid marketing messages placed on its platforms by ByteDance, with the ban taking effect in the US, Canada, Egypt, Indonesia, Japan, Thailand and Vietnam.

TikTok opened its Ad Network to US advertisers inside Ads Manager, extending campaigns off-platform to nearly 400,000 apps, plus adding one-click Buy Direct checkout in the feed.

Meta has banned ads from ByteDance, TikTok's Chinese parent company, on its platforms in the United States and several other countries amid escalating rivalry.

At Advertising Week New York, TikTok announced Buy Direct in-app checkout, a Shopping Assistant, Agentic Leads, Smart+ for search ads, and the expansion of its TikTok Ad Network to US advertisers.

X released a new update to its ranking repository raising the coordinated-spam threshold to 125,000 followers and adding a value-events module that counts purchase, content-view and add-to-cart conversions capped at $100,000 per event.

X introduced X Lift, a feature that automatically converts a business URL into a full AI-generated advertising campaign.

Meta made its tool that turns static images into video generally available in Advantage+ Creative, while also widening access to Ads Creative Studio and opening Customer Lifecycle Strategy to all advertisers.

At Advertising Week New York, Meta made static-to-video generation generally available in Advantage+ creative and opened Customer Lifecycle Strategy to all advertisers, while testing an AI assistant that edits campaigns.

Meta announced that from October 27 to November 3, new political ads without prior impressions cannot run, recommending advertisers complete authorization by October 13.

At Advertising Week New York, TikTok opened the TikTok Ad Network (TTAN), its nearly 400,000 third-party app network formerly known as Pangle, to US advertisers, alongside launching Buy Direct, an AI shopping assistant and Agentic Leads.

Meta will implement a restriction period for ads about social issues, elections or politics in the US ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, consistent with its approach in prior election cycles.

Reddit announced enhancements to its Lead Gen Ads, including expanding its AI-powered Max campaigns to lead gen objectives, plus a test of in-market audiences and a new HubSpot integration.

TikTok updated GMV Max to include affiliate commissions, coupons and referral fees in TikTok Shop optimization, aiming to reflect a truer return on investment for sellers.

The feature that generates video from static images is now generally available to all advertisers in Advantage+ Creative, while other AI tools remain in testing.

Meta announced an agentic business assistant in Ads Manager that can create campaigns, adjust targeting and budgets via chat, alongside generative video in Advantage+ and in-conversation checkout.

At Advertising Week New York, TikTok introduced a suite of AI tools including in-feed checkout, a conversational shopping assistant and a lead agent for direct messages, available through selective eligibility tests.

At Advertising Week New York, TikTok introduced in-app checkout Buy Direct, an AI Shopping Assistant, the Agentic Leads agent, Smart+ for search, and opened its TikTok Ad Network (nearly 400,000 apps) to US advertisers.

Microsoft Advertising opened the nomination period for its partner awards, including a Product Champion Award, and launched a partner sweepstakes offering prizes like Xbox Series X consoles for actions such as linking new client accounts.

At Advertising Week NY, TikTok announced opening the TikTok Ad Network to US advertisers, covering nearly 400,000 third-party apps, alongside a new 'Buy Direct' checkout feature and an AI shopping assistant.

At New York Advertising Week, TikTok unveiled the expansion of its global mobile ad network (TikTok Ad Network) to US-based advertisers, reaching almost 400,000 third-party publisher apps, along with a new conversational AI Shopping Assistant.

At Advertising Week New York, TikTok unveiled Buy Direct for one-click checkout, an AI-powered Shopping Assistant, and opened TikTok Ad Network (TTAN) to US advertisers for the first time, extending reach to nearly 400,000 third-party apps.

At Advertising Week New York 2026, TikTok revealed new AI tools including the 'Buy Direct' checkout, a lead-generation agent, and access to TikTok Ads Network (TTAN) for US advertisers, with no confirmed launch dates yet.

TikTok announced Buy Direct (one-click checkout from the feed), Shopping Assistant, Agentic Leads and the opening of TikTok Ad Network to US advertisers, alongside an MCP connector and Smart+/GMV Max updates.

TikTok is giving advertisers expanded capacity to use artificial intelligence to generate video ads with the help of ByteDance's latest AI model, Dreamina Seedance 2.5.

Microsoft Advertising now includes a "consumer review" extension in Bing's sponsored results section. These are one-line snippets from sources like Trustpilot, visible under sponsored ads. This resembles Google's third-party endorsement ads. This update was spotted by Khushal Bherwani and Barry Schw

Snapchat reached the milestone of 2 trillion Snaps sent while unveiling new ad formats to attract advertisers despite its modest ad revenue share.

Microsoft Advertising set October 1, 2026 as the date when all new features become REST-only, with full SOAP deprecation scheduled for January 2027.

Microsoft Advertising stopped letting advertisers add a Max CPC cap to new non-portfolio campaigns starting October 1, 2026, first affecting the web interface and Editor.

Microsoft Advertising announced optimization experiments are now generally available for Search, Shopping, Audience and Performance Max campaigns, with a unified side-by-side results page.

X launched its Cashtag Partner Program, letting US users tap any stock or crypto cashtag, view a live price chart alongside related posts, and trade through partner brokerages like Interactive Brokers, Kraken and Coinbase.

Pinterest unveiled Visual Search Ads, a new format placing sponsored products in search results and Pin closeups, aimed at lower-funnel campaigns and compatible with Performance+.

TikTok updated its gambling and games advertising policies in Brazil to prohibit all forms of online gambling ads, including online casinos and sports betting, as well as related information services.

Meta has started notifying advertisers it will remove placement, platform, device, and operating system exclusions from the ad set level, replacing them with value rules that currently cover only about seven eligible placements.

Optimization experiments now cover Search, Shopping, Audience and Performance Max campaigns, with a unified side-by-side results page to compare against the original setup and apply winning changes. LinkedIn company lists were also expanded from 1,000 to 10,000 names.

Meta now lets brands amplify a creator's live Instagram broadcast as a paid advertisement, extending a feature that already exists on Facebook to Instagram for the first time.

Reddit announced general availability of its Max campaigns, which automate targeting, creative selection and rotation, placements, and budget allocation, after testing them with a limited group of advertisers since January 2026.

For the first time, advertisers can see the overall health status of their campaigns directly in TikTok Ads Manager, labeled Good, Fair, or Poor, with clear guidance to improve and qualify for available coupons and incentives.

TikTok evolved its Agency Badging Program with a new two-tier model to highlight best-in-class agency performance.

Starting January 12, 2027, Microsoft Advertising will remove access to the MaxCpc field in the API for new campaigns and existing campaigns that do not currently use it. Advertisers relying on scripts, bulk uploads, or bid management tools using MaxCpc should review their setups ahead of the deadlin

TikTok updated its advertising policy for alcohol-related establishments to require approval and certification from local regulating authorities, and explicitly prohibited certain surgeries, including weight loss and aesthetic genital surgeries, in ads.

Microsoft has removed the limited release restriction for Excluded content terms within its Microsoft Advertising platform. Advertisers can now block ads from appearing alongside unwanted page titles by specifying up to 1,000 terms at account or campaign level. Campaign-level terms apply across all

Microsoft Advertising has updated its bid strategies to allow setting a maximum CPC for portfolio strategies. The prior restriction to campaign-level only configurations has been lifted, and the eligible strategies list has been removed. Previously, maximum CPC was limited to campaigns using Enhance

Meta and YouTube confirmed they will accept advertising for director Alex Gibney's upcoming Elon Musk documentary, following earlier reports that several social platforms had rejected the ads.

TikTok introduced a new Agentic Hub that automates reporting, audience management, and budget optimization via AI, alongside a Pulse Mentions feature, though rollout timing to all markets remains unclear.

Microsoft Advertising's recent API update introduces several enhancements, particularly for tool builders and script users. Among the changes, a new Search Term Landing Page Report has been added, providing deeper insights into ad performance. Additionally, the update allows for campaign-level devic

Meta introduced its official Ads CLI, a tool that enables system user token setup and campaign management commands, compatible with AI assistants like Claude Code or Codex.

Meta no longer requires matching Instagram and Threads usernames to run Threads ads, letting brands with no Instagram profile advertise directly on the platform.

Meta launched a new Creative Diversity rating inside Ads Manager that scores the creative variety of advertisers' campaigns.

Microsoft Advertising is testing Copilot Audience Generation, a new feature available in closed beta for Audience campaigns in the US, Canada, UK, and Australia. Advertisers can use natural language to describe their ideal customer, and Copilot will generate a custom AI-driven audience along with it.

TikTok unveiled expanded measurement and ad integrity solutions along with new advertiser controls, aiming to build a more transparent, measurable, and trusted advertising ecosystem.

Starting September 29, Meta made live video ads generally available on Instagram, allowing brands to sponsor creator livestreams as partnership ads.

Microsoft Advertising has launched a HubSpot integration designed to connect advertising activity with CRM data and enable closed-loop marketing. Advertisers can track, measure, optimize, and report on Microsoft Advertising activity directly within HubSpot, opening up several new possibilities for shared users.

Snapchat announced it will focus on AI-driven performance improvements and expanding native ad formats like Reminder Ads and Sponsored Snaps, amid stalled user growth in the US and EU.

The Microsoft Advertising API's GetEditorialReasonsByIds service now supports ImageAsset and TextAsset types alongside the existing Ad and Keyword entities. This lets advertisers programmatically retrieve disapproval reasons for these assets, improving workflows for managing Responsive Search Ads and other asset-based formats.

Snapchat, Pinterest and Reddit are leveraging AI tools to make ad buying easier for small and medium businesses, aiming to diversify revenue beyond major brand budgets.

Reddit introduced a Split Testing feature in Ads Manager offering five test types, including Max-vs-standard campaign comparisons, to optimize ad performance.

Meta released its own first-party MCP (Model Context Protocol) server for ads, enabling AI agents to connect directly to ad account management.

Microsoft Advertising has expanded its Customer Match partner list to include several new customer data platforms (CDPs), effectively doubling the number of available partners to 20 and giving advertisers more options for syncing customer data. New additions include Adobe Real-Time CDP, among others.

Starting October 1, 2026, new non-portfolio campaigns using Maximize Conversions, Maximize Conversion Value, or Maximize Clicks will lose the Max CPC cap option, while campaigns created before that date keep the setting.

Meta introduced Meta One on September 15, a four-tier paid subscription that gates previously free features like Competitive Insights and Custom Audience Insights, available across Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Meta AI.

Microsoft emailed advertisers notifying them that Microsoft Advertising will update UTM auto-tagging beginning on September 2, 2026, to improve how campaign performance is measured in third-party analytics platforms like GA4. Format-specific UTM tags will be applied automatically, with no action required from advertisers.

Snapchat introduced Total Snap Takeovers, a format placing brands in the first ad slot across all app tabs, and opened its ads platform to third-party AI agents via its own MCP server.

Microsoft Advertising has published a dedicated help page outlining transparency rules for AI-generated and synthetic content. Advertisers are now required to disclose AI use in their ads, preserve metadata, and avoid deepfakes in order to maintain consumer trust. Read the official announcement, spotted by Hana Ko.

TikTok continues strengthening requirements for brands and agencies to operate from a verified, official presence on the platform, expanding formal agency recognition based on managed spend.

Microsoft introduced Curate, a tool that helps publishers and data owners turn proprietary assets into scalable revenue through programmatic curation, announced on September 10, 2026.

Meta's Marketing API v24.0 sunsets on October 6, 2026, and on October 27 the v26.0 field removals extend to all remaining API versions, affecting developers and integration tools.

Microsoft sent emails confirming that Max CPC will no longer be available when creating new non-portfolio campaigns using Maximize Conversions, Maximize Conversion Value, or Maximize Clicks after October 1, 2026; existing and portfolio-strategy campaigns keep the setting.

X is rolling out a new ad platform that consolidates campaign objectives and standardizes structure, including ad-group-level budgets and simplified optimization options.

Starting Oct. 1, Microsoft Advertising will stop allowing advertisers to set Max CPC limits on new campaigns using several standalone automated bidding strategies. Existing campaigns with Max CPC won't immediately lose it, but removing it after that date will be irreversible.

Starting October 1, Microsoft will remove the Max CPC setting from new campaigns using Maximize Conversions, Maximize Conversion Value, or Maximize Clicks, pushing advertisers toward budget and CPA/ROAS-based controls instead. Existing campaigns created before that date will keep the setting.

Microsoft Advertising has published its 2026 Holiday Playbook, outlining six key global trends advertisers need to keep on their radar heading into the holiday season. The guide puts a strong focus on AI's growing influence on shopping behavior, with 76% of U.S. shoppers saying they plan to use AI to help with their holiday purchases.

Microsoft Advertising has rolled out new average target metrics to help advertisers track performance more accurately as their targets shift over time. These metrics are now available in the Campaign overview, Campaign grid, and portfolio bid strategies, giving advertisers a cleaner way to analyze trends and measure results against fluctuating goals.

TikTok struck a first-of-its-kind IP licensing deal with Disney that turns fan content into a formal distribution channel, amid a month of major regulatory and platform shifts.

Reddit introduced a new 15-second Engaged Video Views optimization goal that lifted view-through rates by 51% and completion rates by 71% in alpha testing, suited for trailers and testimonials.

Microsoft Advertising is rolling out a Dual-ID requirement to strengthen account security when linking accounts. Advertisers managing multiple accounts will now need to provide two identifiers instead of one. For Manager account (CID) linking, both identifiers must be included to complete the process — reducing the risk of unauthorized account access.

Microsoft has updated its advertising guidelines for the Xbox Dash placement within the Microsoft Audience Network. The revised rules significantly expand the list of prohibited ad categories — including credit cards and other sensitive verticals — and introduce new requirements specifically for non-endemic campaigns running on the placement.

Pacvue, a commerce operating system for retail media, integrated Reddit Ads in 2026 so brands can buy and track campaigns alongside more than one hundred retail media networks like Amazon and Walmart.

Meta announced new AI-powered tools to boost purchases from livestreams working with platforms like CommentSold and Firework, and rolled out 'Post-view ads,' a new ad format for Instagram Reels.

Microsoft Advertising unveiled the finalists for its annual Partner Awards across multiple global regions, recognizing innovation and client impact within its partner ecosystem.

Microsoft Advertising unveiled the finalists for its 2026 Partner Awards, recognizing achievements, innovation and client impact across its North American partner ecosystem.

TikTok Ads introduced Mini Series, an in-app episodic storytelling feature for brands and marketers, paired with Growth Max to amplify automated ad performance.

TikTok published its ad policy change log updated through September 2026, with accumulated modifications across categories like financial services, alcohol, prediction markets, and adult content.

Reddit launched Max campaigns on a limited basis in January 2026 and, after encouraging initial results, opened them to all advertisers in September 2026; the tool automates nearly the entire ad creation process.

TikTok introduced Growth Max: Mini Games, a new way to promote games directly within the app, letting users engage without ever leaving TikTok.

Meta now allows advertisers to build custom audiences specifically for excluding groups such as existing customers or opted-out users, helping avoid wasted budget on unwanted audiences.

TikTok announced an update to its Financial Services ad policy allowing Contracts for Difference (CFD) ads in Canada and the United States, subject to strict compliance and prior approval from a TikTok sales representative.

TikTok announced that SMB advertisers can now choose full, partial, or manual automation control over audience, budget, placements, and catalog within Smart+, with new visual labels in the interface.

Meta is removing placement checkboxes from ad sets, replacing them with a value rule that can cut bids by 90% but cannot fully switch off a placement, impacting existing brand-safety exclusions.

As AI Max rolls out across Microsoft Advertising, advertisers will see changes to their Search campaigns. Existing auto-generated assets for Responsive Search Ads will migrate into the text customization feature within AI Max, ensuring previous AI settings are preserved during the transition.

Microsoft Advertising has unveiled a refreshed UI featuring redesigned navigation and improved tables, aimed at making the platform cleaner and easier to use. The update brings greater clarity, consistency, and smoother data interaction, while users who prefer the old layout can still switch back to the classic experience.

Microsoft Advertising announced AI Max for Search becoming generally available, along with new tools to view asset policy status directly in the Assets tab, helping advertisers resolve delivery issues faster.

Microsoft Advertising has launched a new aggregate delivery status column in the Campaigns grid, currently rolling out to select users. It shows an overall delivery status per campaign, surfacing the single highest-priority issue affecting performance, making it easier to spot and prioritize problems at a glance.

Microsoft Advertising has updated its help documentation to cover campaign-level tracking templates for Performance Max shopping product URLs. Advertisers can use dynamic parameters like {AdGroup} in campaign-level tracking templates to populate asset group values, with a sample UTM string provided as a reference.

Microsoft Advertising has updated its Government Services Policy, effective August 19, 2026. Under the new guidelines, third-party providers of government-related services — such as passports and visas — must now provide documentation proving their authorization in the target market and obtain pre-approval through the Government Services program.

Microsoft Advertising is doubling down on its bidding and measurement capabilities. Advertisers using conversion-based strategies like tCPA and tROAS are finding it easier to hit their targets, while legacy controls like Max CPC are increasingly seen as disruptive to spend efficiency. Microsoft is removing Max CPC as an option for conversion-based bidding strategies.

Microsoft Advertising has released official documentation for its Conversions API (CAPI). Currently in beta, this server-side solution lets advertisers send conversion and customer interaction data directly from their own systems to Microsoft Advertising, supporting a range of measurement scenarios.

Meta introduced Muse Image, its first image generation model from Meta Superintelligence Labs, rolling out into Advantage+ creative, alongside text-on-media translation in five languages and AI voiceover in eleven.