Search Partner Quality

What AdGradr checks

AdGradr evaluates two conditions related to Microsoft Search Partners: whether partners are enabled with no performance monitoring, and whether partners show clearly worse performance than Bing-owned search. Both conditions are flagged in your report.

Why this matters

Microsoft Search Partners include Yahoo, AOL, DuckDuckGo, and other syndicated properties. Unlike Google’s search partner network, Bing’s partners are generally higher quality. DuckDuckGo traffic in particular tends to convert well for privacy-conscious audiences. The default advice on Google (“disable search partners immediately”) does not apply here.

That said, partners still need monitoring. An unmonitored partner network is a blind spot, not a best practice.

What good looks like

• Search partners enabled and actively monitored
• Performance segmented by network in reporting (at least monthly)
• No blanket “disable partners” decision made without data
• DuckDuckGo traffic evaluated separately from other partner traffic where possible

Note

Do not auto-disable search partners on Microsoft Ads. The partner network quality is materially better than Google’s, and DuckDuckGo traffic is often some of the best-converting traffic in the account.

Common mistakes

1. Disabling partners by reflex. Many account managers import their Google playbook and disable partners on Bing without checking the data. This often removes profitable traffic.
2. Enabling partners and never checking. The opposite problem. Partners are on by default and nobody segments performance to verify they are working.
3. Evaluating partners at the account level only. Some campaigns benefit from partner traffic while others do not. Account-level averages hide campaign-level problems.

How to fix it

1. In Microsoft Ads reporting, add the “Network” segment to your campaign and ad group reports.
2. Compare CPA/ROAS between “Bing and Yahoo! search” and “Syndicated search partners” at the campaign level.
3. If partners underperform in specific campaigns, disable them there while keeping them active elsewhere.
4. Review partner performance monthly. Traffic quality can shift as Microsoft adds or removes partner properties.

When to ignore this check

If your account is brand-new with very little spend, there may not be enough data to evaluate partner performance meaningfully. Give it at least 30 days of data before drawing conclusions.

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Want someone to handle this? The Click Makers team manages Microsoft Ads accounts for companies spending $5K+/month. Get in touch to see if we are a fit.