Microsoft Names Amazon DSP as Preferred Partner to Transition Microsoft Invest Customers

Microsoft has designated Amazon DSP as its preferred partner to help advertisers transition off Microsoft Invest, its demand-side platform (DSP). The change follows Microsoft Advertising’s May 14, 2025 announcement that media buying through Microsoft Invest will end on February 28, 2026. The Search Engine Land article reporting this development is available at https://searchengineland.com/microsoft-amazon-dsp-preferred-partner-463066. (Note: I was unable to extract the Search Engine Land article author due to an extraction error.)

What this change means

The partnership signals a consolidation in programmatic buying: Microsoft will wind down its own DSP operations and lean on Amazon’s DSP infrastructure to provide continuity and expanded capabilities for advertisers. Microsoft’s blog explained the company’s decision:

“As a result, we will no longer support media buying through our DSP, Microsoft Invest, starting on February 28, 2026.”

This statement was published by Microsoft Advertising on May 14, 2025 (Microsoft Advertising blog).

Key takeaways

• Microsoft Invest DSP will stop supporting media buying on February 28, 2026.
• Amazon DSP is the preferred partner for transitioning Invest customers, offering access to Amazon’s inventory and first-party shopping signals.
• Advertisers will need to migrate campaigns, audiences, and measurement frameworks to align with Amazon DSP’s tools and attribution models.
• Integration between Microsoft Monetize and Amazon Ads’ Certified Supply Exchange aims to retain access to premium Microsoft inventory via Amazon DSP.
• Migration should be phased and tested to maintain performance and minimize downtime.

Analysis and implications for advertisers and agencies

For advertisers, the immediate implication is operational: campaign structures, audience segments, and historical data stored in Microsoft Invest must be audited and migrated. Amazon DSP brings strengths—particularly first-party shopping data and broad inventory across Amazon properties—that can improve lower-funnel targeting and measurement for commerce-focused campaigns. However, teams should expect a learning curve. Amazon DSP’s interface, audience taxonomy, reporting, and attribution models differ from Microsoft Invest.

The integration that enables Amazon DSP buyers to access Microsoft inventory helps preserve reach into Microsoft audiences, which reduces one major downside of leaving Microsoft’s DSP. Still, advertisers must validate that buying strategies (PMPs/private marketplace deals, preferred deals, and open exchange bids) behave as expected after migration.

Measurement and attribution will be a central challenge. Amazon uses its own reporting mechanisms and attribution windows; cross-platform measurement (e.g., aligning Microsoft-owned properties, Amazon inventory, and other publishers) will require recalibration of KPIs and possibly third-party measurement solutions to preserve continuity of insight.

Operational risks

• Data loss or mismatched audience definitions during transfer.
• Temporary performance degradation while campaigns are optimized on the new platform.
• Differences in inventory access or pricing that can shift CPMs and ROAS calculations.

Actionable recommendations: a migration checklist

1. Audit existing assets: Export campaign settings, creatives, frequency caps, audience lists, and performance baselines from Microsoft Invest.
2. Catalog inventory and deals: List PMPs, preferred deals, and guaranteed buys. Note which are likely to be available via Amazon DSP and which need renegotiation.
3. Map audiences: Create a detailed mapping between Microsoft audience segments and Amazon DSP equivalents. For custom or first-party segments, plan replication strategies.
4. Plan phased migration: Move low-risk campaigns first (test and learn), then migrate core campaigns. Maintain overlap windows to compare performance directly.
5. Recalibrate measurement: Establish new attribution baselines on Amazon DSP and run parallel tracking where possible. Consider using MMPs or independent measurement partners for cross-channel consistency.
6. Train teams: Secure Amazon DSP onboarding support, documentation, and hands-on training for buying, reporting, and troubleshooting.
7. Communicate with stakeholders: Notify clients, internal teams, and publishers of the timeline, potential impacts, and contingency plans.

Looking ahead

This transition is part of a broader shift in ad tech toward platform specialization and leveraging first-party data. For advertisers who prepare now—auditing assets, building migration plans, and establishing measurement guardrails—the shift to Amazon DSP can deliver improved targeting and inventory access. The recommended timeline is to begin planning immediately and initiate phased migrations well before the February 28, 2026 cutoff.

Original reporting of Microsoft naming Amazon DSP as its preferred partner can be read at: https://searchengineland.com/microsoft-amazon-dsp-preferred-partner-463066

Attribution: Microsoft Advertising blog, May 14, 2025: https://about.ads.microsoft.com/en/blog/post/may-2025/empowering-businesses-for-a-future-that-is-conversational-personal-and-agentic

Note: An attempt was made to extract the Search Engine Land article content and author automatically; the extraction failed. The original article URL is provided above for reference.