Microsoft Ads Audiences

Freshpaint Audiences allows you to sync your segmented or imported audiences to Microsoft Ads Audiences — all while enabling you to maintain compliance with privacy regulations like HIPAA.

This guide walks through how to:

• Set up the connection between Freshpaint and your Microsoft Ads account

• Verify your Microsoft Ads account credentials and permissions

• Accept Microsoft Ads' Customer Match Terms of Service

• Test and enable your integration

1. Microsoft account requirements

The following must be true about the Microsoft account you use for this process:

1. Your Microsoft account is associated with the Microsoft Ads account used for this integration.

2. Your Microsoft account is in good standing with Microsoft and not in violation of their advertising policies.

2. Connect Microsoft Ads Audiences account to Freshpaint

2.1 Enter your Microsoft Ads account information

1. Navigate to Destinations > Integration Catalog in Freshpaint

2. Select Microsoft Ads Audiences from the audience targeting section

3. Click Configure and enter your:

   • Account ID: Find this by logging into the Microsoft Ads UI and looking for aid= in the URL (format: 12345678)

   • Customer ID: Find this by logging into the Microsoft Ads UI and looking for cid= in the URL (format: 12345678)

2.2 Connect your Microsoft account

1. Click Connect to authenticate your Microsoft account

2. This must be the same Microsoft Account you use to access your Microsoft Ads account

3. Note: Microsoft's login process does not require a password. Instead, Microsoft will send a passcode to the email address associated with your account that you'll use to complete the login process.

You'll see a "Connected" status when successful.

2.3 Accept Microsoft Ads Customer Match Terms of Service

Before you can use this integration, you must accept Microsoft Ads' Customer Match Terms of Service.

1. Click Review & Accept Terms to open the Microsoft Ads UI

2. Review and accept the Customer Match Terms of Service in the Microsoft Ads interface

3. Return to Freshpaint — the terms acceptance status will update automatically

Important: The connection test will fail if these terms have not been accepted.

2.4 Test your connection

1. Click Test Connection This tests that:

   • Your Microsoft account has permission to access the Microsoft Ads account used for this integration

   • Your Microsoft account is in good standing with Microsoft and not in violation of their advertising policies

   • Microsoft Ads' Customer Match Terms of Service have been accepted

   • Your Freshpaint integration configuration is valid

2. Wait for the test to complete — you'll see a success message when the connection is verified

2.5 Enable and save your integration

1. Click Enable, then click Save to agree to send the appropriate identifier to the Ad Platform. These properties are required by Microsoft Ads Audiences.

2. Add a label to your integration to help identify it later.

✅ That's it! Your Microsoft Ads Audience integration is now ready to use and can be viewed in the Microsoft Ads Audiences UI.

Best Practices & Reminders

Avoid health context in the alias name

The alias is the only name sent to the ad platform. Never include PHI or health-related terms.

Plan for processing time

Most audiences sync quickly, but external platforms may take 24–48 hours to fully process.

Monitor audience size

Ensure sufficient reach (1,000+ users recommended) for effective campaign performance.

Keep Terms of Service current

If you encounter connection issues, verify that Microsoft Ads' Customer Match Terms of Service are still accepted in your Microsoft Ads account.

Custom Consent Manager Integration

• Refer to this destination as Audiences in the Consent object

What's Next?

Now that you understand how Microsoft Ads Audiences integration works, you're ready to start syncing audiences.

Here's what you can do next:

• [Create a Segment] → Build behavioral audiences from your event data

• [Import an Audience] → Upload a CSV of users to target

• [Send an Audience] → Sync your audiences to Microsoft Ads for campaign targeting

💡 Need help?

If you're unsure how to set up your Microsoft Ads Audiences integration, please reach out to our team at [email protected].