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Data Source

Follow the instructions below to create a new data flow that ingests data from a Microsoft Bing Ads source in Nexla.
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Microsoft Bing Ads

Create a New Data Flow​

  1. To create a new data flow, navigate to the Integrate section, and click the New Data Flow button. Then, select the desired flow type from the list, and click the Create button.

  2. Select the Microsoft Bing Ads connector tile from the list of available connectors. Then, select the credential that will be used to connect to your Microsoft Advertising account, and click Next; or, create a new Microsoft Bing Ads credential for use in this flow.

  3. In Nexla, Microsoft Bing Ads data sources can be created using pre-built endpoint templates, which expedite source setup for common Microsoft Bing Ads endpoints. Each template is designed specifically for the corresponding Microsoft Bing Ads endpoint, making source configuration easy and efficient.
    • To configure this source using a template, follow the instructions in Configure Using a Template.

    Microsoft Bing Ads sources can also be configured manually, allowing you to ingest data from Microsoft Bing Ads endpoints not included in the pre-built templates or apply further customizations to exactly suit your needs.
    • To configure this source manually, follow the instructions in Configure Manually.

Configure Using a Template​

Nexla provides pre-built templates that can be used to rapidly configure data sources to ingest data from common Microsoft Bing Ads endpoints. Each template is designed specifically for the corresponding Microsoft Bing Ads endpoint, making data source setup easy and efficient.

Endpoint Settings​

  • Select the endpoint from which this source will fetch data from the Endpoint pulldown menu. Available endpoint templates are listed in the expandable boxes below. Click on an endpoint to see more information about it and how to configure your data source for this endpoint.

    Get Authenticated User

    This endpoint template retrieves the details of the authenticated user from your Microsoft Advertising account. Use this template when you need to verify authentication, retrieve user information, or access user account details for your Microsoft Advertising account.

    • This endpoint automatically retrieves the authenticated user's details. No additional configuration is required beyond selecting this endpoint template.

    This endpoint returns the authenticated user's details including user ID, username, and account information. Use this endpoint to verify that your authentication is working correctly and to retrieve user account information. The endpoint uses SOAP requests to the Microsoft Advertising Customer Management Service.

    For detailed information about user management, API endpoints, and response structures, see the Microsoft Advertising Customer Management Service documentation.

    Request & Download Report

    This endpoint template submits an asynchronous report request and then downloads the report data when it is ready. Use this template when you need to retrieve performance reports, campaign data, keyword performance, or other reporting data from your Microsoft Advertising account. The endpoint handles the complete report generation workflow, including request submission, status polling, and report download.

    • Select the report type from the Report Type field. Available options include Keyword Performance Report, Campaign Performance Report, Search Query Performance Report, Search Campaign Change History Performance Report, and other report types. You can also type a custom report type if needed. The report type determines which data will be included in the generated report.
    • Enter the Customer Account ID in the Customer Account ID field. This is the identifier of the ad account that owns or is associated with the entities in the report request. You can find this ID in your Microsoft Advertising account or by using the "Get Authenticated User" endpoint to retrieve account information.
    • Enter the Customer ID in the Customer ID field. This is the identifier of the customer that owns the account. You can find this ID in your Microsoft Advertising account or by using the "Get Authenticated User" endpoint to retrieve customer information.
    • Enter the report columns in the Columns field. This should be a list of column names that you want to include in the report, formatted as XML elements. The columns determine which data fields will be included in the report. Refer to the Microsoft Advertising API documentation for available columns for each report type.
    • Enter the report filters in the Filters field (optional). This should be XML elements that define filters to apply to the report data. Filters allow you to narrow down the data included in the report based on specific criteria. Leave this field empty if you don't need filters.
    • Enter the report scope in the Scope field. This should be XML elements that define the scope of entities to include in the report (e.g., specific campaigns, ad groups, or keywords). The scope determines which entities will be included in the report data.
    • Enter the time range in the Time field. This should be XML elements that define the date range for the report data. The time range determines which time period's data will be included in the report.
    • Enter any additional root tags in the Extra Root Tags field (optional). This should be additional XML elements to include in the report request. Leave this field empty if you don't need additional tags.

    This endpoint uses a multi-step process: first, it submits a report generation request; then, it polls for the report status until it's ready; finally, it downloads the report data. The endpoint automatically handles this workflow, so you don't need to manage the individual steps. Reports are generated asynchronously, which means there may be a delay between submitting the request and when the report is ready for download.

    The endpoint supports various report types including Keyword Performance Report, Campaign Performance Report, Search Query Performance Report, and many others. Each report type has specific columns, filters, and scope options available. For detailed information about available report types, columns, filters, scope options, and report formats, see the Microsoft Advertising Reporting Service documentation and Report Types documentation.

    Reports are downloaded in CSV format and may be compressed in a ZIP file. The endpoint automatically extracts the report data from the downloaded file for processing.

Endpoint Testing​

Once the selected endpoint template has been configured, Nexla can retrieve a sample of the data that will be fetched according to the current settings. This allows users to verify that the source is configured correctly before saving.

  • To test the current endpoint configuration, click the Test button to the right of the endpoint selection menu. Sample data will be fetched & displayed in the Endpoint Test Result panel on the right.

  • If the sample data is not as expected, review the selected endpoint and associated settings, and make any necessary adjustments. Then, click the Test button again, and check the sample data to ensure that the correct information is displayed.

Configure Manually​

Microsoft Bing Ads data sources can be manually configured to ingest data from any valid Microsoft Bing Ads API endpoint. Manual configuration provides maximum flexibility for accessing endpoints not covered by pre-built templates or when you need custom API configurations.

With manual configuration, you can also create more complex Microsoft Bing Ads sources, such as sources that use chained API calls to fetch data from multiple endpoints or sources that require custom SOAP request bodies or parameters.

API Method​

  1. To manually configure this source, select the Advanced tab at the top of the configuration screen.

  2. Select the API method that will be used for calls to the Microsoft Bing Ads API from the Method pulldown menu. Microsoft Bing Ads API typically uses POST method for SOAP requests to various services.

API Endpoint URL​

  1. Enter the URL of the Microsoft Bing Ads API endpoint from which this source will fetch data in the Set API URL field. This should be the complete URL to the Microsoft Bing Ads service endpoint (e.g., https://clientcenter.api.bingads.microsoft.com/Api/CustomerManagement/v13/CustomerManagementService.svc for customer management or https://reporting.api.bingads.microsoft.com/Api/Advertiser/Reporting/v13/ReportingService.svc for reporting).

Ensure the API endpoint URL is correct and accessible with your current credentials. The Microsoft Bing Ads API uses SOAP requests for most operations. You can test the endpoint using the Test button after configuring the URL.

Request Body​

  1. Configure the request body that will be sent to the Microsoft Bing Ads API. The request body should be a valid SOAP envelope containing your request parameters, formatted as XML. The request body format follows SOAP standards and must include the appropriate SOAP headers and body elements for the specific service you're using.

The request body must be valid SOAP XML and must match the Microsoft Bing Ads API's expected format for the specific service endpoint. SOAP requests require specific headers, authentication tokens, and request structures. For detailed information about SOAP request formats, available services, and request structures, see the Microsoft Advertising API documentation.

Response Data Path​

  1. Enter the XPath expression in the Response Data Path field to specify which part of the API response should be treated as the relevant data by Nexla. For Microsoft Bing Ads API SOAP responses, use XPath expressions to extract data from the XML response (e.g., //User to extract user elements or //ReportRequestStatus/* to extract report status elements).

The XPath expression must correctly reference the structure of your Microsoft Bing Ads API SOAP response. Microsoft Bing Ads API responses are in XML format and follow SOAP response structures. Ensure your XPath expression matches the structure returned by your specific endpoint. The XPath expression determines which data will be extracted and processed by Nexla.

Save the Data Source​

  1. Once all of the relevant steps in the above sections have been completed, click the Next button to proceed with the rest of the data flow configuration, or click Save to save the data source configuration for later use.