How to Use Automated Rules in Bing Ads (Microsoft Advertising)
- November 22, 2025
- 5:28 pm
If you want to know how to use automated rules in Bing Ads, the short answer is this: you use automated rules to automatically adjust bids, budgets, ads, and keywords based on preset conditions—allowing you to optimize performance without manually checking campaigns all day. Automated rules help you save time, prevent overspending, stabilize ROI, and improve overall efficiency across your Microsoft Advertising account. Now, let’s break down exactly how they work, why they matter, and how to set them up like a pro.
If you want expert help setting up automated rules correctly, you can explore our full range of Bing Ads management services to ensure your campaigns run efficiently from day one.
What Are Automated Rules in Bing Ads?
Automated rules in Bing Ads (Microsoft Advertising) are predefined actions that automatically change your campaign settings when specific conditions are met. You choose what action to automate, when to execute it, and what conditions must be true before the rule runs.
These rules allow advertisers to:
Increase or decrease bids based on performance
Pause or enable ads, keywords, or campaigns
Adjust budgets when campaigns run low
Receive alerts instead of taking automatic actions
Maintain performance targets without manual work
Apply consistent optimizations across many campaigns
Essentially, automated rules let Bing act as your “PPC assistant” that manages repetitive tasks—so you can focus on strategy.
Why You Should Use Automated Rules (Benefits You Cannot Ignore)
Automated rules are often underutilized, yet they are one of the most powerful tools inside Microsoft Advertising. After two decades working with PPC clients, here are the most important benefits:
1. Save Time at Scale
If you’re managing 20, 50, or 200 campaigns, manual adjustments are impossible to handle daily. Automated rules eliminate low-value tasks and keep performance steady even when you’re not online.
2. Prevent Wasted Ad Spend
Rules can pause:
high-spend keywords with no conversions
ads with low CTR
campaigns hitting CPA limits
assets with poor engagement
This helps you stop losing money without delays.
3. Improve Bidding Accuracy
Automated bidding rules allow you to:
raise bids when performance is good
lower bids when CPC becomes too high
optimize position without overspending
This is critical when competition increases during peak hours.
4. Maintain Ads 24/7
Even if you’re sleeping, traveling, or busy, automated rules work nonstop. They ensure campaigns remain optimized at all times—even when you’re not looking at the dashboard.
5. Keep Campaigns Stable
Rules help maintain:
daily budget limits
performance thresholds
conversion goals
impression share targets
Your campaigns become more predictable and easier to scale.
The Most Useful Types of Automated Rules in Bing Ads
Before diving into setups, you must understand the main categories of rules available.
1. Campaign-Level Automated Rules
These can:
adjust daily budget
pause or enable campaigns
send performance alerts
change bids for all keywords inside a campaign
Use these when you want broad control.
2. Ad Group-Level Rules
Perfect for:
enabling ad groups when promotions begin
pausing low-performing segments
adjusting bids for specific themes
Useful in large, segmented structures.
3. Keyword-Level Rules
These are some of the most powerful and commonly used rules:
pause high-CPC keywords
increase bids on top-performing keywords
reduce bids on low-CTR keywords
enable seasonal keywords
Keyword rules protect ROI and optimize visibility.
4. Ad and Asset Rules
Use these to:
pause ads with low CTR
rotate in new ads during testing
automatically enable ads for special events
remove underperforming ad extensions
This keeps your messaging sharp.
5. Shared Budget Rules
If your account has multiple campaigns on a shared budget, rules help:
prevent budget depletion
redistribute spend to higher ROI campaigns
boost budget during peak hours
How Automated Rules Actually Work (Step-by-Step Framework)
Automated rules always follow this structure:
Action → What you want Bing to do
(pause, raise bids, increase budget, etc.)Conditions → When Bing should do it
(CPC > $2, CTR < 1%, Cost > $50 with zero conversions)Scope → Where the rule applies
(specific campaigns, ad groups, keywords)Frequency → How often the rule runs
(daily, hourly, weekly, or a specific time)Backup Email Alerts → Optional notifications
(helpful for critical rules)
This 5-step structure ensures rules work correctly and don’t cause unwanted changes.
Where to Find Automated Rules in Bing Ads
You can access rules in two ways:
Method 1: Through the Campaigns Tab
Go to Campaigns
Select: Automate (top of the interface)
Choose your desired rule
Configure the settings
Method 2: Through Specific Components
You can also create rules directly inside:
Keywords tab
Ads tab
Ad groups tab
Simply click Automate and choose your rule type.
The 10 Most Important Automated Rules You Should Use
Below are the most valuable automated rules I recommend clients implement in their Microsoft Advertising accounts.
1. Pause Keywords If Cost Exceeds X Without Conversions
This prevents waste.
Example rule:
Pause keyword when:
Cost > $30
Conversions = 0
2. Increase Bids on High-Converting Keywords
Boost visibility on money-makers.
Example:
Increase bid by 15% when:
CPA < target
Conversions ≥ 2
Average Position > 2.5
3. Reduce Bids on High-CPC Keywords
Protect ROI if costs spike.
Condition examples:
CPC > $2.00
CTR < 1%
4. Raise Campaign Budget When Campaign Is Limited by Budget
If Microsoft flags your campaign as budget-limited, bump it slightly.
Example:
Increase daily budget by 10% when limited by budget.
5. Pause Low-CTR Ads
Improve Quality Score and relevance.
Example:
Pause any ad with CTR < 1% after 500 impressions.
6. Enable Ads for Scheduled Promotions
Set ads to automatically turn on/off.
Example:
Enable Christmas ads on December 1 at midnight.
7. Send Alerts for Sudden Performance Drops
Good for protection without automatic changes.
Example:
Email alert if:
Conversions drop 40%
CPC increases 20%
Spend spikes suddenly
8. Pause Campaigns When Daily Budget Nearly Exhausted
You protect against full depletion.
Example:
Pause campaign if spend reaches 95% of daily budget.
9. Bid Up for Top Positions During High-Value Hours
Run this rule hourly.
Example:
Increase bids 20% from 6 PM–10 PM if conversions typically peak.
10. Re-Enable Paused Keywords Weekly
Useful when you pause keywords for testing but want to retry them.
How to Set Up Automated Rules (Detailed Walkthrough)
Let’s walk through a real setup example so you understand every element.
Example Rule: Pause High-Spend, Zero-Conversion Keywords
Go to Keywords tab
Click Automate → Pause keyword when…
Action: Pause keyword
Conditions:
Cost > $30
Conversions = 0
Scope: All keywords in selected campaigns
Frequency: Daily at midnight
Email alert: Optional but recommended
Save rule
This rule runs daily, prevents waste, and keeps your budget focused on winners.
Advanced Strategies for Using Automated Rules in Bing Ads
Automated rules become truly powerful when you move beyond basic setups and start applying strategic combinations, layered rule structures, and seasonal logic. After managing thousands of campaigns over two decades, these are the advanced tactics that consistently deliver the strongest results.
Use Layered Rules to Maintain Control Without Over-Automating
One of the biggest mistakes advertisers make is applying a single rule that is too aggressive. For example:
“Pause keywords if CPC > $3.”
This will remove keywords that might still convert profitably.
Instead, use layered rules.
Layered Rule Example (Smart Version)
Rule 1: Lower bids by 20% if CPC > $3
Rule 2: Pause keyword only if
CPC still > $3 after the bid reduction
AND conversions = 0
AND cost > $40
This creates a smart, two-step evaluation:
Rule 1 attempts optimization
Rule 2 cleans up non-converting keywords
This approach protects performance without cutting off potential winners too early.
Use Time-Based Rules to Align with User Behaviors
You can dramatically boost ROI by adjusting bids only during profitable hours or days.
1. Hour-of-Day Bid Adjustments
If your account has strong evening performance (common in ecommerce), create:
Rule A (Daytime): Reduce bids 10% from 8 AM–4 PM
Rule B (Evening): Increase bids 15% from 6 PM–11 PM
Hourly rules help you follow demand patterns without switching to automated bidding.
2. Day-of-Week Adjustments
If weekends perform poorly, set:
Pause low-ROI campaigns Saturday–Sunday
Re-enable them Monday morning
3. Seasonal Rule Sets
During events like:
Black Friday
Christmas
Mother’s Day
Back-to-school
Local holidays
You can schedule:
Enabling promotional ads
Increasing budget
Prioritizing specific product groups
Pausing non-seasonal campaigns
This automation creates a more predictable spike strategy.
Use Automated Rules With Manual Bidding (Perfect Hybrid Strategy)
Many advertisers think they must choose either:
full manual bidding
ORfull Smart Bidding
But the best-performing accounts often combine:
manual bidding for control
automated rules to maintain stability
Examples of Hybrid Tactics:
1. Auto-lower bids when CPA is too high
2. Auto-raise bids when conversion volume is strong
3. Automatically pause keywords that stop performing
This hybrid model gives you the control of manual bidding with the safety net of automation.
Create Bid Floors and Bid Ceilings to Prevent Overspending
You should never let automated rules push bids too high or too low.
Set a Bid Floor (Minimum Bid)
Example rule:
If keyword bid < $0.30 → Raise to $0.30
This prevents losing impressions or dropping out of the auction.
Set a Bid Ceiling (Maximum Bid)
Example rule:
If bid goes above $2.50 → Reduce to $2.50
This prevents runaway cost spikes.
Bid floors and ceilings are essential for brand campaigns and competitive markets.
Use Rules to Control Ad Testing Automatically
If you run 2–3 ads per ad group, rules can optimize rotation automatically.
Example: Pause Ads With Weak Performance
Pause any ad when:
CTR is 30% below ad group average
AND impressions ≥ 1,000
Example: Auto-enable a new testing ad
Use a scheduled rule:
Every Monday at 9 AM → Enable 1 new A/B test ad
You can run continuous tests all year without lifting a finger.
Use Spend-Based Rules to Maintain Budget Stability
Large accounts often struggle with uneven budget consumption.
Use these rule types:
1. Daily Spend Cap Rule
Pause campaign when spend reaches 95% of daily budget.
2. Daily Budget Boost Rule
If conversions are strong early in the day:
Increase daily budget by 20% after 12 PM
Only if CPA is below target
3. Spend Distribution Rule
If multiple campaigns share a budget:
Raise bids on top performers
Lower bids on poor performers
This maintains balanced spending and prevents shortages.
Combine Automated Rules With Labels for Cleaner Management
Labels help organize rule targeting.
Examples:
Label top-performing ad groups as “High-ROI”
Label seasonal ads as “Holiday Promo”
Label experimental campaigns as “Testing”
Then your automated rules can target:
only high-ROI keywords
only testing ads
only seasonal campaigns
This keeps rule logic clean and scalable across accounts.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Using Automated Rules
Automated rules are powerful—but they can also break your account if misused. Here are the six most common mistakes I’ve seen advertisers make.
1. Setting Rules Too Aggressively
This is the #1 mistake.
Example of a dangerous rule:
Pause keywords if CPC > $1.50
CPC spikes are normal. You must include conversion or ROAS conditions to avoid trashing good keywords.
2. Not Using Backup Notifications
Always add email alerts.
Without them, rules can silently:
pause entire campaigns
reduce bids too much
increase budgets excessively
You need visibility.
3. Using Too Many Rules at Once
Over-automation leads to:
conflicting actions
unpredictable bidding
rules undoing each other
Start small, with only 5–10 essential rules.
4. Forgetting to Review Rule History
You must check:
when rules ran
what they changed
whether the changes helped
Otherwise automation will “blindly optimize” without human oversight.
5. Not Using Time-Specific Logic
Rules should match performance patterns—not run at random times.
Great examples:
hourly bid rules during peak times
weekend pause rules
holiday auto-switch ads
Time-based rules always outperform generic ones.
6. Letting Rules Overwrite Smart Bidding
If you’re using automated bidding strategies like:
Target CPA
Max Conversions
Enhanced CPC
Be careful not to add rules that change:
bids
keyword statuses
device adjustments
This may conflict with Microsoft’s bidding algorithm.
Use rules for:
ads
budgets
schedules
alerts
Avoid bid-based rules if Smart Bidding controls bidding.
Industry-Specific Automated Rule Templates
To make implementation easier, here are pre-built rule ideas for different business types.
Ecommerce Rule Templates
Raise bids 20% on top ROAS product groups
Pause product ads with 0 conversions after $40 spend
Enable seasonal product groups (Christmas, BFCM, Lunar New Year)
Reduce bids for mobile if ROAS is lower than desktop
Lead Generation Rule Templates
Pause keywords with 3+ conversions above target CPA
Boost bids during business hours
Reduce bids during weekends
Enable call extensions on peak call days
Local Businesses Rule Templates
Increase radius bids during open hours
Pause ads outside service hours
Promote local offers automatically during events
Pause high CPC keywords not related to location
B2B Rule Templates
Pause high-spend, low-intent keywords
Increase bids for “bottom-of-funnel” terms
Enable retargeting campaigns on weekdays only
Send alerts for sudden CPL fluctuations
How Often Should You Review Automated Rules?
A good schedule:
Daily
Check rule notifications
Review major changes
Weekly
Remove useless rules
Update rule thresholds
Review CPC, CPA, ROAS
Monthly
Rebuild seasonal rule sets
Create improved layered rules
Study the impact of each rule
This ensures your automation evolves with your account.
Final Recommendations for Using Automated Rules in Bing Ads
To maximize the impact of automated rules, follow these guidelines:
Start simple: Begin with a few high-value rules.
Use layered logic: Avoid aggressive one-step actions.
Combine rules with labels: It keeps your account clean.
Review rule performance weekly: Automation requires monitoring.
Avoid conflicting rules: Use an organized structure.
Don’t rely on automation alone: Human strategy is still the most important.
Conclusion
Learning how to use automated rules in Bing Ads is one of the most valuable skills you can build as an advertiser. Whether you manage one campaign or hundreds, automated rules make your account smarter, faster, and more stable.
With the right setup—layered conditions, time-based logic, bid controls, and smart testing automation—you can improve ROI while reducing manual labor dramatically. Automated rules aren’t just a convenience; they’re a competitive advantage.
If you want a specialist to implement these automated rule frameworks for you, check out our Microsoft Ads optimization services and let us build a fully automated system tailored to your business.
About Marketing LTB
Marketing LTB is a full-service marketing agency offering over 50 specialized services across 100+ industries. Our seasoned team leverages data-driven strategies and a full-funnel approach to maximize your ROI and fuel business growth.
About the author, Bill Nash
Bill Nash is the CMO of Marketing LTB with over a decade of experience, he has driven growth for Fortune 500 companies and startups through data-driven campaigns and advanced marketing technologies. He has written over 400 pieces of content about marketing, covering topics like marketing tips, guides, AI in advertising, advanced PPC strategies, conversion optimization, and others.