Microsoft Advertising is changing the way advertisers control automated bidding.
From 1 October 2026, advertisers creating new campaigns with standalone Maximise Conversions, Maximise Conversion Value or Maximise Clicks bidding strategies will no longer be able to add a maximum cost-per-click limit.
Existing campaigns that already use Max CPC will keep the settings for now. Portfolio bidding strategies, Target Impression Share and enhanced CPC will also continue to support Max CPC controls.
The update represents another move away from individual bid controls and towards automated strategies driven by conversion data, budgets and performance targets.
What Is a Max CPC Limit?
A maximum cost-per-click limit allows you to set the highest amount you are prepared to pay for a single click.
For example, you might use an automated bidding strategy while setting a maximum CPC of £5. The platform can adjust bids based on the likelihood of someone converting, but it cannot bid more than your £5 limit.
Many advertisers use this setting as a financial safeguard. It can prevent an automated strategy from paying significantly more than expected for individual clicks, particularly in competitive industries.
However, a strict CPC limit can also restrict the bidding system. The platform may identify a valuable search where a slightly higher bid could produce a profitable sale or enquiry, but the Max CPC setting prevents it from entering the auction competitively.
Why Is Microsoft Advertising Removing Max CPC?
Microsoft Advertising says Max CPC controls can conflict with the wider goal of an automated bidding strategy.
A campaign may aim to generate conversions at a particular target CPA or achieve a set return on ad spend. However, a restrictive maximum bid could prevent the campaign from entering auctions that support those goals.
Microsoft also says Max CPC limits can create irregularities in how campaign budgets get spent. The platform wants advertisers to communicate their priorities through controls linked more directly to business results, including target CPA, target ROAS and conversion values.
This approach gives Microsoft’s bidding system more freedom to decide how much an individual click may be worth based on the likelihood of that click producing a valuable result.
Which Microsoft Advertising Campaigns Will Be Affected?
The change will apply to new campaigns created from 1 October 2026 using the following standalone bidding strategies:
- Maximise Conversions
- Maximise Conversion Value
- Maximise Clicks
Microsoft Advertising will not immediately remove Max CPC settings from existing campaigns. Campaigns created before the deadline can continue using their current limits.
Portfolio bidding strategies will also retain the option. These strategies allow advertisers to manage bidding goals across several campaigns rather than setting the strategy at the individual campaign level.
Target Impression Share and enhanced CPC will continue to support maximum CPC limits, too.
The distinction between new and existing campaigns matters. Businesses planning to restructure accounts, replace campaigns or launch seasonal activity after 1 October should consider how the reduced bidding controls could affect their approach.
What Could the Change Mean for Campaign Performance?
Removing a CPC cap may give automated bidding more room to find conversions and respond to changing auction conditions.
The platform could bid more aggressively for searches that appear likely to generate a sale or enquiry. It may also reduce bids when the likelihood of a valuable outcome appears lower.
However, a higher individual CPC does not automatically mean better performance. The success of automated bidding still depends on the quality of the information provided to the platform.
Businesses should judge performance using meaningful commercial outcomes, such as qualified leads, sales, revenue, customer acquisition cost and return on ad spend. Focusing only on the average cost per click could hide whether a campaign produces genuine value.
The change also means advertisers using Maximise Clicks will need to monitor traffic quality carefully. Without a maximum CPC limit, businesses must make sure their budgets, targeting and search terms remain aligned with their objectives.
Why Will Conversion Tracking Become Even More Important?
Automated bidding needs accurate conversion data to understand which clicks create value.
Microsoft Advertising uses Universal Event Tracking, commonly known as UET, to record actions people take after interacting with an advert. These actions can include purchases, form submissions, registrations, downloads and telephone enquiries.
UET supports conversion tracking and automated bidding strategies. If the tracking setup records the wrong actions, duplicates conversions or assigns inaccurate values, the bidding system may optimise towards results that do not support the business.
Businesses using Maximise Conversion Value or target ROAS should pay particular attention to conversion values. A platform can only prioritise the most valuable outcomes when the data reflects the real commercial importance of each action.
For ecommerce businesses, that may mean passing accurate transaction revenue into Microsoft Advertising. Lead generation businesses may need to assign different values to calls, contact forms, quotation requests and other enquiries.
How Should Advertisers Prepare for the Update?
Advertisers do not need to make immediate changes to every existing campaign, but the period before 1 October provides an opportunity to test and prepare.
Start by identifying which campaigns currently use Max CPC alongside Maximise Conversions, Maximise Conversion Value or Maximise Clicks. Review whether the limit regularly restricts bidding and whether the campaign currently achieves its wider performance goal.
Microsoft Advertising recommends using campaign experiments to test how existing activity performs without the CPC limit. Experiments can divide traffic and budget between two versions of a campaign, allowing businesses to compare bidding approaches without changing everything at once.
Advertisers should also:
- Check that UET tags and conversion goals work correctly.
- Remove conversions that do not represent meaningful business actions.
- Review the values assigned to sales and enquiries.
- Set realistic target CPA or target ROAS figures.
- Monitor CPC, conversion quality, budget pacing and overall return.
- Allow enough time and data before judging an automated strategy.
A controlled test will provide more useful information than removing every limit across an account and reacting to short-term changes.
Does Removing Max CPC Mean Advertisers Will Lose Control?
Advertisers will lose one form of control within the affected new campaigns, but they will not lose control of the entire strategy.
Businesses can still set campaign budgets, choose conversion goals and use target CPA or target ROAS to guide bidding. They can also use conversion values to show Microsoft Advertising which sales or enquiries matter most.
The focus will shift from controlling the maximum price of each click to controlling the overall result the campaign should achieve.
This approach may produce stronger results when campaigns have accurate tracking, suitable targets and enough conversion data. It can also create risks when businesses rely too heavily on automation without reviewing what the platform spends or which outcomes it generates.
Automated bidding should support a clear PPC strategy, not replace active campaign management.
How Can Outrank Help With Microsoft Advertising?
Outrank is an official Microsoft Advertising Partner, giving our PPC team access to platform expertise, product developments and additional support.
We create and manage Microsoft Advertising campaigns around the outcomes that matter to your business, including qualified leads, ecommerce sales, revenue and return on ad spend. Our team reviews conversion tracking, bidding strategies, campaign structures and budget allocation to make sure automation supports your goals rather than spending without direction.
With further bidding changes approaching, now is a good time to review how your campaigns use Max CPC and whether your conversion data gives automated bidding the information it needs.
Speak to Outrank about Microsoft Advertising and discover how a carefully managed PPC strategy can help you reach more customers and make better use of your advertising budget.