How to obtain the credentials for the Microsoft Ads source

During this process, you will obtain the following credentials required for the Microsoft Ads source:

• Account ID
• Customer ID
• Developer Token
• Client ID
• Client Secret
• Refresh Token

Step 1: Register an App in Microsoft Azure

If you haven’t already, sign up for Microsoft Azure and log in to the Azure Portal.

In the Azure Portal, search for and open the App registrations service.

Click New registration and fill in the form:

• Name: Choose a name for your app.
• Supported account types:
  Select:
  Accounts in any organizational directory (Any Microsoft Entra ID tenant – Multitenant) and personal Microsoft accounts (e.g., Skype, Xbox)
• Redirect URI:
  • Platform: Web
  • URI: http://localhost:8080

Click the Register button.

Step 2: Generate Client Credentials

First, copy and save your Client ID:

Then, go to Client credentials -> Add a certificate or secret.

Click New client secret.

Provide a description (e.g., Client secret for OWOX App), choose the maximum expiration period (730 days), and click Add.

⚠️ Important: Copy and securely save the client secret value. You won’t be able to see it again later.

At this point, you have:

• Client ID
• Client Secret
• Redirect URI: http://localhost:8080

Step 3: Get Account ID and Customer ID

1. Go to https://ads.microsoft.com/ and log in to your Microsoft Ads account.
2. Your Account ID and Customer ID can be found in the URL.

Step 4: Get Your Developer Token

In the Microsoft Ads interface, go to Settings → Developer Settings.

Click Request Token, and copy the generated Developer Token.

Step 5: Generate an Authorization Code

Great! Create a URL by replacing CLIENTID with your Client ID:

https://login.microsoftonline.com/common/oauth2/v2.0/authorize?client_id=CLIENTID&response_type=code&redirect_uri=http://localhost:8080&scope=https://ads.microsoft.com/msads.manage offline_access

Open the URL in your browser. Log in and authorize the app by clicking Accept. After authorization, you will be redirected to:
http://localhost:8080/?code=YOUR_AUTHORIZATION_CODE

Copy the code value from the URL.

Example:
If the redirect URL is:
http://localhost:8080/?code=M.C519_BAY.2.U.0a895e39-774a-e677-b4bb-8589ce3e0beb
Your Authorization Code is:
M.C519_BAY.2.U.0a895e39-774a-e677-b4bb-8589ce3e0beb

Step 6: Exchange Authorization Code for a Refresh Token

Use ReqBin or Postman to exchange this code for a refresh token by making a POST request to

https://login.microsoftonline.com/common/oauth2/v2.0/token

with the following parameters in the Body tab (replace YOUR_CLIENT_ID, YOUR_CLIENT_SECRET and YOUR_AUTHORIZATION_CODE with actual values):

client_id=YOUR_CLIENT_ID&
client_secret=YOUR_CLIENT_SECRET&
grant_type=authorization_code&
code=YOUR_AUTHORIZATION_CODE&
redirect_uri=http://localhost:8080&
scope=https://ads.microsoft.com/msads.manage offline_access

Clicks Send button. After a successful request, you will receive a Refresh Token in the response. Store it securely — this token will be used to authenticate API requests.

✅ Final Summary

At this point, you should have the following credentials:

• Account ID
• Customer ID
• Developer Token
• Client ID
• Client Secret
• Refresh Token

These credentials are required to connect to the Microsoft Ads source and begin importing your advertising data.

Troubleshooting Refresh Token Errors

If you encounter any errors while obtaining the refresh token, check the possible causes and recommended solutions below.

Error: Invalid client secret provided. Ensure the secret being sent in the request is the client secret value, not the client secret ID, for a secret added to app '(YOUR APP ID)'

Cause:
You are using the Secret ID instead of the Secret Value in your request.
Only the Secret Value can be used to authenticate your app — the Secret ID will not work.

Solution:

1. Return to Step 2 and confirm that you copied the Secret Value, not the Secret ID.
2. If the Secret Value is no longer visible (it is shown only once), create a new Client Secret in your app and copy the value immediately.

Error: The provided value for the 'code' parameter is not valid. The code has expired.

Cause:
The temporary authorization code has expired.
Microsoft (and other platforms) issue short-lived authorization codes that must be exchanged for tokens within a limited time window (usually just a few minutes).

Solution:
Repeat Step 5 to obtain a new temporary authorization code and retry the request.

---

✅ Tip:
Always generate and use the authorization code immediately after receiving it to avoid expiration issues.

Troubleshooting and Support

If you encounter any other issues:

1. Please visit Q&A first
2. If you want to report a bug, please open an issue
3. Join the discussion forum to ask questions or propose improvements