Microsoft Drops Max CPC Limits for New Campaigns Using Automated Bidding Strategies

Microsoft Advertising has announced that it will no longer allow advertisers to set Max CPC limits on newly created campaigns using standalone bidding strategies, such as Maximize Conversions and Maximize Clicks. This change is effective October 1st.

The move marks the latest effort by Microsoft to shift away from cost-per-click (CPC) goals and toward alternative conversion-based controls and budget pacing mechanisms. Existing campaigns will not be immediately affected, but new campaigns created after October 1st using these strategies will no longer support Max CPC limits.

Microsoft's Product Liaison Navah Hopkins stated that the change is intended to improve performance by allowing automated strategies to bid more aggressively and reach their goals more efficiently. However, this may cause issues for advertisers who rely on Max CPC limits as a way to prevent excessive spending.

Advertisers are advised to use optimization experiments to assess the impact of this limitation in advance, rather than waiting until Max CPC is no longer available for new campaigns.