Microsoft announced in October 2024 that Microsoft Invest will shut down on February 28, 2026. All programmatic advertisers using the platform in North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific must migrate to Amazon DSP. Microsoft Monetize (the supply-side platform) continues operating but becomes part of Amazon's supply network.
This affects every advertiser running display, video, or audio campaigns through Microsoft Invest. You have 14 months to transition your campaigns, export historical data, and rebuild reporting infrastructure. After February 28, 2026, your Microsoft Invest data will be inaccessible.
What This Means for Your Campaigns
Microsoft Invest vs Amazon DSP: Key Differences
Access Requirements
Microsoft Invest was relatively open - most advertisers could create accounts and start with modest budgets. Amazon DSP requires approval (typically 2-4 weeks) and works best with higher annual budgets for managed service or monthly minimums for self-service.
Inventory You'll Gain
Amazon DSP gives you access to inventory Microsoft Invest didn't offer:
- Prime Video and Freevee (streaming TV advertising)
- Twitch (live streaming and gaming audiences)
- Amazon Music (audio ads)
- IMDb and other Amazon properties
You'll also get Amazon's first-party shopping data - purchase behavior, product views, search history - which Microsoft Invest never had.
Inventory You'll Lose
Amazon DSP has more limited open web inventory compared to Microsoft Invest's broad exchange access. If reaching non-Amazon properties is critical, you may need to add Google Display & Video 360 or other programmatic platforms to your mix.
Targeting Changes
Microsoft Invest offered standard programmatic targeting (demographics, interests, third-party data). Amazon DSP prioritizes first-party audiences based on shopping and streaming behavior. Third-party data options are limited - Amazon's strategy focuses on privacy-compliant, first-party signals.
What this means practically: If you've been targeting "women 25-45 interested in fitness" using third-party data segments, you'll need to shift to Amazon's equivalents like "women who purchased fitness equipment in the last 90 days" or "Prime Video viewers who watch workout content."
Reporting Differences
Your existing dashboards won't work with Amazon DSP. The Amazon Advertising API uses OAuth 2.0 authentication (not API keys), different metric names, and has stricter rate limits than Microsoft Invest's API.
Metrics that change names:
- Microsoft's "Total Conversions" becomes Amazon's "Total Attributed Conversions"
- Microsoft's "Frequency" - Amazon reports this differently in household-level data
- Some viewability metrics consolidate under Amazon's methodology
New metrics you'll see:
- Subscribe & Save Rate (recurring purchases)
- New-to-Brand Purchases (first-time customers)
- Brand Search Rate (Amazon searches after ad exposure)
- Detail Page View Rate (product page visits)
Your Migration Timeline
Now Through March 2025: Preparation
Export your baseline data from Microsoft Invest - at minimum, pull 12 months of campaign performance at daily granularity. Get campaign structures, targeting rules, and creative assets documented. Don't wait until late 2025 when everyone else is panicking.
Apply for Amazon DSP access if you don't have it yet. The approval process takes 2-4 weeks, and you'll need:
- Business registration documents
- Payment method setup
- Advertiser verification
April - September 2025: Parallel Testing
Start running campaigns on Amazon DSP with 10-20% of your budget. Pick your best-performing Microsoft Invest campaigns and recreate them. This isn't just about moving things over - you're testing how Amazon's targeting and inventory perform for your specific goals.
Track performance side-by-side. If your Microsoft Invest campaign gets a $30 CPA and Amazon DSP delivers $45 CPA in the first month, don't panic - algorithm learning takes 2-4 weeks. But if it's still $45 after 8 weeks, you need to adjust targeting or creative.
October 2025 - January 2026: Full Migration
By October, shift 70-80% of your budget to Amazon DSP. Keep minimal spend on Microsoft Invest for continuity, but Amazon should be your primary platform.
Critical deadline: February 15, 2026 - Export every piece of data from Microsoft Invest. Don't wait until February 28. Platform shutdowns often have technical issues on the final days, and you don't want to lose years of historical data because the export function failed on February 27.
Preserving Your Historical Data
Microsoft Invest data disappears after February 28, 2026. There's no grace period, no archive access, no retrieval service.
What to Export
Campaign performance reports:
- Daily performance for all campaigns (past 12-24 months minimum)
- Breakdown by device, geography, creative, placement
- Conversion data with full attribution windows
Campaign configurations:
- Targeting rules and audience definitions
- Bid strategies and budget pacing
- Creative specifications and trafficking details
Creative assets:
- All image, video, and HTML5 files
- Creative performance metrics
- A/B test results
How to Export
Manual method: Use Microsoft Invest's reporting interface to generate CSV exports. Plan for 10-20 hours of work to pull comprehensive data across all campaigns.
API method: If you have developer resources, use the Microsoft Invest API to bulk download data programmatically. Faster than manual but requires technical setup.
Automated method: If you're already using data integration tools that sync advertising platforms to Google Sheets, data warehouses, or BI platforms, ensure they're continuously backing up your Microsoft Invest data through Q4 2025. This creates an ongoing historical record without manual work.
Storage Recommendations
Save exports in CSV format (most portable). Store in at least two locations - cloud storage (Google Drive, Dropbox) and local backups. Include a README file explaining metric definitions since you won't have the Microsoft Invest interface to reference in 2027.
Industry standard: retain programmatic advertising data for 7 years for analysis, audits, and compliance.
Rebuilding Your Reporting
Amazon DSP's native reporting covers basic needs - campaign dashboards, customizable reports, scheduled exports. But if you report on multiple advertising platforms (Google Ads, Meta, LinkedIn, TikTok alongside Amazon DSP), you'll need consolidated reporting.
Options for Multi-Platform Reporting
Build custom integrations: Connect to each platform's API, normalize data formats, build dashboards. Requires engineering resources and ongoing maintenance. Budget 200-400 hours for initial setup plus ongoing developer time for maintenance and updates.
Use business intelligence tools: Connect tools like Looker Studio, Tableau, or Power BI to Amazon DSP and other platforms. You'll need to set up data connections for each platform and build transformation logic to standardize metrics. Expect 40-80 hours of work to rebuild comprehensive reporting infrastructure.
Use data integration platforms: Marketing data integration tools can automate the process of connecting multiple advertising platforms to your reporting destination. These tools handle API connections, data transformation, and daily updates without manual work. Most platforms offer pre-built connectors for major advertising platforms and support destinations like Google Sheets, data warehouses, and BI tools.
What About Amazon Marketing Cloud?
Amazon Marketing Cloud (AMC) is Amazon's advanced analytics platform using SQL queries for custom attribution modeling and audience analysis. It's powerful but requires:
- SQL knowledge to write queries
- Higher annual Amazon Ads spend requirements
- Separate registration and approval
AMC is optional. Most advertisers don't need it for standard campaign reporting - it's for sophisticated attribution studies and data science work.
Budget Reality Check
Microsoft Invest worked with various budget levels. Amazon DSP is more restrictive with platform requirements that favor advertisers with consistent monthly spend.
Self-service Amazon DSP: Works best with consistent monthly campaign budgets. Amazon's algorithms need volume to optimize effectively.
Managed service: Recommended for advertisers new to Amazon or those with substantial annual spend. Amazon's team manages campaigns, provides strategy recommendations, and handles optimization. Service fees typically apply.
Hidden costs during migration:
- Creative reformatting for Amazon specs: $500-$2,000 per campaign
- Team training on Amazon DSP interface: $3,000-$10,000
- Running both platforms simultaneously Q2-Q3 2025: 20-30% higher total ad spend
- Rebuilding reporting infrastructure: varies based on approach
If your Microsoft Invest spend is minimal, evaluate whether Amazon DSP's platform requirements align with your advertising strategy. Consider alternatives like Google Display & Video 360 or other programmatic platforms.
Common Problems You'll Hit
Audience Recreation Takes Longer Than Expected
Your Microsoft Invest custom audiences don't transfer. You'll need to:
- Export audience definitions and member lists
- Hash email addresses (SHA-256 format) for upload to Amazon
- Recreate pixel-based audiences using Amazon's conversion tracking
- Test Amazon's audience recommendations as alternatives
Budget 2-4 weeks for this work. Don't underestimate it.
Attribution Windows Don't Match
Microsoft Invest default: 30-day click, 1-day view-through
Amazon DSP default: 14-day click, 14-day view-through
Your conversion rates will look different even for identical campaigns. During parallel testing, document these differences so you're comparing apples to apples. Use Amazon Marketing Cloud if you need custom attribution windows that match your old setup.
Creative Doesn't Perform the Same
Amazon's inventory is different - streaming TV viewers behave differently than open web display users. Creative that performed well on Microsoft Invest might not work on Prime Video.
Plan to test new creative specifically for Amazon placements. Static display ads that worked fine on Microsoft Invest may need reformatting for Amazon's streaming TV specs (different aspect ratios, longer durations).
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I don't meet Amazon DSP's requirements?
Consider Google Display & Video 360 or other programmatic platforms. Both offer programmatic advertising without Amazon's specific requirements. You'll lose access to Amazon's first-party shopping data, but you'll maintain programmatic capabilities. Some advertisers split budgets - run Amazon DSP for e-commerce targeting, use other platforms for broader awareness campaigns.
Can I export Microsoft Invest data after February 28, 2026?
No. Microsoft has stated the platform shuts down on that date with no archive access. Export everything before mid-February 2026 to avoid last-minute technical issues. There's no retrieval service after shutdown.
Do I need to migrate if I'm a small advertiser?
Evaluate if Amazon DSP's platform requirements align with your advertising budget and strategy. The platform is built for advertisers with consistent spend. Alternatives exist - consider Google Ads, Meta Ads, or other platforms that match your budget level. Don't force a migration that doesn't fit your business.
Will my reporting tools automatically connect to Amazon DSP?
No. API connections, authentication methods, and data structures are completely different. You'll need to rebuild data connections, update API credentials, and potentially rewrite data transformation logic. If you use third-party reporting tools, check with your vendor about Amazon DSP integration support.
What happens to Microsoft Monetize publishers?
Microsoft Monetize (the SSP) continues operating as part of Amazon's supply network. Publishers using Monetize will still sell inventory but now primarily through Amazon DSP buyers rather than Microsoft Invest. This transition should be smoother for publishers than the Invest shutdown is for advertisers.
What To Do This Week
If you're currently using Microsoft Invest:
- Export your last 12 months of campaign data as backup (don't wait)
- Apply for Amazon DSP access if you don't have it (approval takes 2-4 weeks)
- Audit your current campaigns to identify which must migrate vs. which can pause
- Check your budget against Amazon DSP requirements
- Document your tech stack - pixels, tracking, integrations - so you know what needs rebuilding
The migration deadline is 14 months away, but that's not as much time as it sounds when you're rebuilding an entire programmatic advertising operation. Start planning now to avoid the rush in late 2025.
