If images are missing from a Microsoft Advertising search ad, first identify where you expect to see them: as an image extension on a search results page, or in a supported native or Audience placement. Then check the image’s association, delivery and policy status, and format. Even an approved, eligible image extension may not appear on every impression.
First identify the ad and placement
Microsoft Advertising supports images in more than one context. An image extension can accompany a search ad, while search creative may also extend into native placements. Audience placements have their own image coverage requirements. The right specifications and checks depend on which placement is missing imagery, so start by confirming where the ad was expected to appear.
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Microsoft describes image extensions as a way for ads to include an image or alternative text. Their presence in the account, however, does not by itself mean they are eligible for every campaign or will show on every search.
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Microsoft keeps extensions in a shared account library. Uploading or creating an extension there is not enough: associate it with the account, campaign, or ad group where it should be eligible. In Microsoft Advertising, open the relevant extension and verify its associations and target. Check that the association has not been removed.
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Account-, campaign-, and ad-group-level settings can affect which extension applies. Microsoft says ad-group-level extensions can override those at the account or campaign level, so inspect the most specific level relevant to the ad group rather than assuming an account-level association governs it.
Read delivery and editorial status
In the current Microsoft Advertising help path, go to Campaigns and inspect the Delivery column for the relevant extension or other entity. Open the issue details and follow the suggested action. Delivery status is a practical clue about whether an item can serve; editorial status describes its review state. Check both, and make sure the status applies to the market where you expect the ad to run.
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- Active: The extension passed review.
- ActiveLimited: It passed review in one or more markets, while an element remains under review elsewhere.
- Disapproved: The extension failed review.
- Inactive: One or more elements are under review.
These editorial states are documented for bulk association records. For image assets used in supported formats such as multimedia, native, and responsive search ads, open the asset details and check the Policy status column as well. That can reveal a disapproved asset even if the broader campaign status does not make the specific problem obvious.
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Verify that the image fits the specific asset type
Do not apply one image specification to every Microsoft ad format. Microsoft’s Image Data Object documentation describes the media object used by the API; the requirements for a particular extension or ad type can differ. Confirm the relevant subtype and ad format before resizing or replacing an asset.
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For the image object described in that documentation, GIF, JPEG, and PNG are supported; animated images are not. Microsoft recommends a GenericImage at 703 × 368 pixels or larger. The listed subtype minimums are:
| Image subtype | Minimum dimensions |
|---|---|
| Image16x9 | 640 × 360 pixels |
| Image15x10 | 300 × 200 pixels |
| Image4x3 | 100 × 75 pixels |
| Image1x1 | 128 × 128 pixels |
| Image191x100 | 703 × 368 pixels |
| Image4x1 | 512 × 128 pixels |
The same documentation sets maximum dimensions of 2,592 pixels wide by 2,048 pixels high and requires a supported aspect ratio. Microsoft says PNG uploads are converted to JPEG. These are specifications for the documented image object, not a guarantee that every ad format accepts every subtype.
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Check the intended placement and image coverage
If the image is meant for an Audience placement rather than a search-results image extension, check its placement coverage separately. Microsoft says one image is the minimum for image ad extensions in Audience placements; four images corresponding to supported aspect ratios qualify for all Audience placements. A single asset may therefore be enough for some coverage without meeting the documented requirement for all placements.
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An image extension can be approved and eligible without appearing in a particular search. Microsoft says serving can depend on the ad and extension’s relevance and quality, available page space, user signals such as location and device, other enabled extensions, and competing ads’ extension data. Treat eligibility as permission to serve, not a promise that every impression will include the image.
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Use Ad Preview and Diagnostics for what it can show
Microsoft’s Ad Preview and Diagnostics tool can check whether a search ad appears for selected query and targeting settings and provide explanations when it does not. It does not display ad extensions alongside ads in the preview. As a result, seeing the ad without its image extension in this tool cannot establish that the extension is missing from live impressions.
A practical troubleshooting order
- Identify the placement. Determine whether the missing image is a search image extension, an image in a native placement, or an Audience placement asset.
- Verify association. In the extension library, confirm that the image extension is associated with the correct account, campaign, or ad group, and check for a more-specific ad-group setting.
- Inspect status. In Campaigns, review the relevant Delivery status and its issue details; check editorial status and the applicable market. For supported asset-based formats, inspect the asset’s Policy status.
- Check compliance and coverage. Confirm the correct format, subtype, dimensions, and aspect ratio for the ad type. For Audience placements, compare the number and ratios of images against the desired placement coverage.
- Interpret visibility correctly. If the extension is eligible, account for impression-level selection. Use Ad Preview and Diagnostics to investigate whether the search ad itself appears, not to confirm extension rendering.
Public Microsoft documentation explains these checks but cannot identify the cause in a particular account without its association settings, delivery and policy details, market, and campaign configuration.
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