Why is Microsoft Advertising asking me to verify my identity, and what do 'Action required' and 'Verified limited' mean?
Most new Microsoft Advertising accounts get 30 days to verify their identity, or their ads may stop showing in the European Economic Area (EEA). Microsoft asks so that people see ads from trusted sources. "Action required" means you applied, but Microsoft is still waiting for information it asked for. "Verified limited" means your business was verified but your personal identity wasn't, because you gave a public email (such as Gmail) as the business email. Check your status under Settings, then Account verifications. Review can take 3 to 5 business days.
As of November 2026.
Why is Microsoft Advertising asking us to verify?
Microsoft says it requires advertiser identity verification (AIV) "to ensure that customers see ads from trusted sources." Where marketplaces are regulated, it also checks that advertisers "are registered with authorities." The request comes as an email and an in-product notification. You only have to verify the accounts Microsoft names, and you can't opt other accounts in.
To check a request is real, sign in yourself and open Settings, then Account verifications, rather than using a link in an email. If you advertise financial services in the UK, there's a separate UK Financial services verification. Until it's done, those ads won't show to UK customers.
What happens if we don't verify within 30 days?
Your ads may stop showing in the EEA. Microsoft's list has 30 countries: the EU members plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. The UK and Switzerland aren't on it.
Microsoft also says "some payment methods may require advertiser identity verification prior to ads serving in any market," without saying which ones. So a US-only account can be held up too. Once you're verified, Microsoft enables the account and your ads start showing again. A suspended account is a different process: see why Microsoft Advertising suspends accounts.
What do the verification statuses mean?
Microsoft lists seven statuses:
| Status | What Microsoft says it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Pending | Under review. Microsoft emails updates and any requests for more information | Watch the inbox of whoever applied |
| Action required | Submitted, but some requested information hasn't arrived. Ads may stop in the EEA | Send the missing information soon |
| Not verified | Not verified, for example because no one has applied yet. Ads may stop in the EEA | Apply |
| Failed | Microsoft couldn't verify you and may stop your ads in some countries | Fix and resubmit, or appeal |
| Verified limited | Business verified, personal identity not, because a public email was used as the business email | Provide individual as well as business documents |
| Verified advertiser | Verified | Nothing |
| Verification not needed | The account doesn't need it or wasn't selected | Nothing |
Microsoft's status article carries the note "Currently only available for selected advertisers."
What does "Action required" mean, and how do we fix it?
It means your application is in, but Microsoft asked for more information and hasn't received it. Look for Microsoft's email asking for it. Then go to Settings, then Account verifications (pick the account first if you have several). If action is required, select Account settings from the three vertical dots menu and complete what's missing. Do it soon: until then, Microsoft says your ads may stop showing in the EEA.
What does "Verified limited" mean?
Microsoft's help says you asked to verify as a business, and your business identity was verified but your personal identity wasn't. It happens when you give a public email address as the business email, so Microsoft needs individual documents as well as business ones. Microsoft says this "won't impact your other current ad delivery." To avoid it, apply with an email address on your company's own domain.
Who in our company can complete verification?
A Super Admin or Standard User can apply. They can belong to the account owner or to "an authorized managing partner linked to the account," such as your agency. You can verify one account at a time. The exception: accounts in your manager account that share a business location are verified together.
Business verification sends a code to the business email address you enter, so whoever applies needs access to that inbox. If an agency runs your account, see how to give an agency access without losing ownership.
Should we verify as a business or an individual, and what do we need?
Verify as a business if you have documents registered with a government or registration authority: companies, partnerships, non-profits, government bodies and registered affiliates. Individual verification is for contractors, sole traders, freelancers and unregistered businesses. For it, the account's legal business name must match your full name.
For business verification, Microsoft asks for:
- A business name and location that "exactly match" your documents.
- A business website, plus a business email confirmed with a code.
- A public business identifier: business registration number, D-U-N-S number or tax ID.
- Business documents, such as articles of incorporation, government letters, licenses or registrations, registry records, or stock exchange or tax filings.
- Website documents: a domain purchase invoice or record that lists the exact domain and your company's name and address. A Microsoft Advertising support specialist said on Microsoft Q&A in October 2025 that this is "now a required step."
Every document must be current, with an expiry date at least two months away. Watch the domain papers. If an employee, a former agency or a parent company bought the domain, the invoice may not show your company's name and address.
Business verification also matters for billing. Monthly invoicing needs at least one account verified as Business or Business & Individual, not Individual only (see how Microsoft Ads monthly invoicing works).
How long does review take, and what if we fail?
Review can take 3 to 5 business days. You get three attempts. After a failure, you can fix the problem and resubmit. Appeals "ideally" take 7 to 10 business days, you can submit only one, and you can't make a new attempt while it's under review.
Microsoft's two articles differ on when you can appeal. The appeals article lets you appeal any failed decision you think is wrong, while the status article says you "can appeal after three verification attempts." To appeal, go to Settings, then Account verifications, and use the appeal form link under the status.
Will changing our business name or address undo verification?
It can. When you edit business details under Settings, then Account settings, and select Save, Microsoft shows a Verification status change box, where you select Proceed. If the change leaves you unverified, you have to start a new verification. So update your legal records first after a rebrand, move or merger, then change the account and verify with documents that match.
Will our verified business name be public?
Yes, for ads shown on Bing in the EU and EEA. Microsoft's Ad Library, which it says the EU Digital Services Act requires, shows the advertiser's name and country, who paid (if not the advertiser), the ad and its general targeting. Anyone can search it, including competitors. Once you're verified, it shows the business name you verified; before that, the business name on your account. You can't opt out, and ads stay listed for a year after they last ran.
Sources
- Identity verification status (Microsoft Advertising Help), checked November 5, 2026 (without JavaScript it loads an empty page, so this ID is matched to the article by its title in search results; its text here is from Microsoft's noindexed copy on Microsoft Learn, below)
- Identity verification status (Microsoft Learn, updated June 19, 2026), checked November 5, 2026
- Advertiser identity verification (Microsoft Learn, updated June 19, 2026), checked November 5, 2026
- Advertiser identity verification appeals (Microsoft Learn, updated June 19, 2026), checked November 5, 2026
- A note about how we verify our advertisers (Microsoft Learn, updated June 19, 2026), checked November 5, 2026
- About the Ad Library (Microsoft Learn, updated June 19, 2026), checked November 5, 2026
- About UK financial services verification (Microsoft Learn, updated June 26, 2026), checked November 5, 2026
- Apply for Monthly Invoice Billing (Microsoft Learn, updated June 17, 2026), checked November 5, 2026
- Advertiser Identity Verification (Microsoft Q&A, answered by a Microsoft Advertising support specialist, October 24, 2025), checked November 5, 2026
