When you search for products online, you get links to shady advertisements. click or not? Microsoft Advertising takes security measures to ensure that the ads you see and click are from verified advertisers and trusted sources.

Advertisers using Microsoft Ads are required to complete an identity verification process to prevent malicious individuals from displaying potentially fraudulent ads and improve the customer experience. A recent trend in the digital world, allowing customers to easily purchase goods from advertisers online, has raised the topic of digital payment fraud. Customers deserve to feel safe when conducting transactions online. This is exactly the experience Microsoft strives to provide.

Advertisers, don’t worry! Microsoft makes this verification process easy and fast, so it’s not a hassle to complete. As an advertiser, Microsoft will send you an email requesting verification of your identity. Follow the instructions in the email. Depending on your advertising business, you may need to verify your status as a business, individual, or both.

The task must be completed within 30 days of the email requesting ID being sent. Please note that if you do not complete the verification task within that time period, your account will be suspended by Microsoft and you will no longer be able to see ads on our advertising platform.

However, this does not mean that your account will be permanently suspended. Please complete the process as soon as possible. Once verified and approved, Microsoft will start showing ads. It may take 3-5 business days to review and approve the confirmation sent.

Here are some other helpful tips to know as you complete Microsoft’s identity verification process.

1. Only the Super Admin owner of the account can request verification.
2. You only need to complete identity verification for your Microsoft Advertising account as notified by Microsoft. You cannot opt ​​in other accounts to verify your identity.
3. Currently, you can request verification for one account at a time.

If you’re interested in reading more about these guidelines, or to better understand how to verify as a business, individual, or both, please visit Microsoft’s Advertiser Identity Verification page.

Advertisers are probably wondering: What exactly do I need to provide to Microsoft, and how will this information be presented to the end user?

Microsoft will ask you to identify your business identity status (business, personal, or both). You must provide your business name and/or personal name and the country in which you operate. To verify your legal identity, you must use government-issued photo identification or business-related documents issued by the appropriate regulatory authority.

Once the verification process is approved and your ad appears on the SERP, your end user will be able to verify your business or personal name and country or region of operation. This information will appear below the headline of your ad. The URL will be displayed with a small drop-down arrow next to the URL. This is where customers can see their verified credentials. Please see the image below for reference.

This new security measure is a step in the right direction to improve customer trust in advertisers, and in return will help attract loyal customers who trust and appreciate your trust. The sooner advertisers begin this identity verification process, the better the advertising ecosystem will be.