Microsoft Warns Publishers To Replace Old Ad Connection
Microsoft is ending support for the old AppNexus ad connection, affecting publishers who use it to request ad bids. Publishers must replace it with the Microsoft Prebid Adapter before the shutdown in early 2027.
Original reporting · searchenginewatch.com
Original: “Microsoft warns publishers to replace their old ad connection before it shuts down”
Read “Microsoft warns publishers to replace their old ad connection before it shuts down” at Search Engine Watch →
How this was written. Awesome B2B wrote this article with a language model from Search Engine Watch’s reporting (model: @cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast); it describes that reporting rather than adding to it. The original, linked above, is the full story.
Key points from Search Engine Watch’s report
- Microsoft is shutting down the old AppNexus ad connection in early 2027, affecting publishers who use it to request ad bids.
- Publishers must replace the old adapter with the Microsoft Prebid Adapter to continue requesting bids from Microsoft.
- The migration to the new adapter requires changes to ad-server rules and may involve additional setup for native inventory.
Microsoft has issued a warning to publishers using the old AppNexus ad connection, stating that it will be shut down in early 2027. This change affects publishers who rely on this connection to request bids for their ad space. The warning was published in Microsoft's October 21 Monetize update.
The old AppNexus ad connection will be removed from Prebid.js, and its legacy endpoint will be retired. As a result, publishers will no longer be able to use this route to request advertising bids. Microsoft is directing publishers to use the Microsoft Prebid Adapter instead.
The Microsoft Prebid Adapter connects publishers' available ad placements to Microsoft's advertising exchange. This adapter supplies the necessary connection to Microsoft's advertising system, allowing publishers to request bids for their ad space. However, replacing the old adapter with the new one may require changes to the publisher's ad-server rules.
Publishers who still use AppNexus-specific bidder keys in their ad-server rules will need to revise these rules to work with the new Microsoft adapter. This is necessary to ensure that the ad server can properly process bids from Microsoft. Additionally, the new adapter requires a standardized native-ad setup, which may require further changes for some publishers.
The migration to the new adapter involves two separate checkpoints: verifying that Microsoft receives a valid request and ensuring that the returned bid matches the publisher's ad-server setup. Simply loading the new adapter on a page is not enough to confirm that the migration is successful. Publishers must also test their native inventory to ensure that it is properly set up with the new adapter.
Prebid.js version 11.36.0 is recommended for consent support, as it includes a fix for passing additional consent information. This is particularly important for buyers like Google's Display & Video 360, who may be affected by consent issues. The new adapter also includes an auction-debug mode, which can be used for diagnosis but should be turned off in production to ensure proper ad delivery.
The shutdown of the old AppNexus ad connection is an important change for publishers who use it. Failing to replace the old adapter with the new Microsoft Prebid Adapter may result in lost revenue and disrupted ad delivery. Publishers should take steps to migrate to the new adapter as soon as possible to avoid any potential issues. This article is based on reporting by Search Engine Watch.
Questions and answers
What is happening to the old AppNexus ad connection?
The old AppNexus ad connection will be shut down in early 2027, and publishers must replace it with the Microsoft Prebid Adapter.
What changes are required to migrate to the new adapter?
Publishers may need to revise their ad-server rules and set up their native inventory to work with the new adapter.
Why is it important to migrate to the new adapter?
Failing to migrate to the new adapter may result in lost revenue and disrupted ad delivery, so publishers should take steps to migrate as soon as possible.
