Microsoft Advertising is pulling Max CPC out of new campaign setups, another step in its push toward fully automated bidding. Starting Oct. 1, 2026, the setting will no longer be available when creating new non-portfolio campaigns on Target CPA, Target ROAS, Maximize Conversions, Maximize Conversion Value, or Maximize Clicks.
Microsoft’s stated reason is that Max CPC can work against its own bidding system’s ability to hit performance goals — even when the ceiling is set comfortably above a campaign’s average CPC.
What actually changes on Oct. 1
The change is forward-looking only. Existing campaigns created before Oct. 1 that already use Max CPC keep it — nothing is being stripped from live campaigns. Portfolio bid strategies are unaffected entirely, for both new and existing campaigns. Target Impression Share and Enhanced CPC also sit outside this change.
What’s affected is specifically the option to set a Max CPC when building a new non-portfolio campaign on one of the five automated strategies listed above, going forward from that date.
The rollout itself happens in stages. Microsoft will first remove the Max CPC option from campaign creation in the web interface. It will also drop from Microsoft Advertising Editor, though Microsoft hasn’t given a firm date for that piece. An API-level update is expected to follow later, meaning campaigns built programmatically will keep the option slightly longer than those built through the UI.
Why Microsoft says the setting causes problems
Microsoft’s explanation centers on conflicting instructions. Setting a Target CPA or Target ROAS tells the bidding system to optimize toward a specific outcome. Layering a Max CPC ceiling on top of that — even a generous one — can cap the system out of auctions it would otherwise want to enter to actually hit that target. The advertiser ends up asking for two things that pull against each other: hit this performance number, but don’t bid past this ceiling to get there.
Microsoft says this sits alongside separate back-end improvements it’s been making to automated bidding, aimed at improving responsiveness so campaigns reach their targets faster.
What advertisers should actually do about it
For accounts that already run automated bidding without a Max CPC ceiling, this change won’t be felt at all. The impact lands on advertisers who use Max CPC deliberately, as a guardrail against any single bid spiking too high.
Microsoft’s own recommendation is to shift that control to levers tied more directly to outcomes: budgets, Target CPA and Target ROAS goals set realistically, conversion value rules, and seasonality adjustments where relevant. Conversion value rules in particular give the system more to work with — they let advertisers flag that certain audiences, locations, or device types are worth more to the business, which the bidding system can then factor into how aggressively it bids for that traffic.
That shift puts more weight on getting the inputs right. With no bid ceiling as a backstop, conversion tracking needs to accurately reflect the actions that actually matter to the business, and CPA or ROAS targets need to reflect numbers advertisers are genuinely willing to pay — not aspirational ones. Feeding automated bidding a clean, accurate signal matters more once the guardrail is gone, which is the same underlying discipline that determines whether automated bid strategies on any platform actually optimize toward the right thing.
Advertisers who genuinely need bid-level control don’t have to change anything on existing campaigns, and portfolio bid strategies remain an option for building new ones after Oct. 1 with Max CPC still available. This isn’t a mandate to strip Max CPC from everything running today — it’s a constraint on how new campaigns get built going forward.
How this fits the broader pattern
Microsoft removing a manual control in favor of automated inputs follows a direction most major ad platforms have been moving in for a while, and it’s not unique to Microsoft — Google made a comparable move recently in removing language targeting from Search campaigns in favor of signals the system already infers automatically. Both changes shift responsibility away from manual settings and toward the quality of the underlying data feeding the algorithm.
The timing also lands alongside Microsoft’s recent additions to Performance Max testing and AI visibility reporting, part of a broader push that makes automated, AI-informed bidding the default rather than the advanced option — a direction worth tracking closely, since Microsoft’s AI ad strategy has generally moved faster than PPC managers give it credit for.
The practical next step for most accounts: review where Max CPC is currently in use and why, before Oct. 1. If it’s protecting against a specific risk, portfolio bidding is the path forward for new campaigns. If it’s a leftover default nobody actively relies on, this change will pass without requiring any action at all.
Frequently asked questions
Will Max CPC be removed from my existing campaigns?
No. Campaigns created before Oct. 1, 2026 that already use Max CPC keep the setting. Only new non-portfolio campaigns created after that date lose the option on the affected bid strategies.
Which bid strategies are affected?
Target CPA, Target ROAS, Maximize Conversions, Maximize Conversion Value, and Maximize Clicks, for new non-portfolio campaigns. Target Impression Share and Enhanced CPC are not affected.
Can I still get bid-level control after Oct. 1?
Yes, through a portfolio bid strategy, which continues to support Max CPC for both new and existing campaigns. That’s the recommended path for advertisers who need a hard ceiling on individual bids.
Do I need to change anything before Oct. 1?
Only if you plan to build new non-portfolio campaigns using Max CPC after that date. It’s worth reviewing current campaign templates now to confirm whether any depend on the setting.