When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Microsoft starts testing ads in the Microsoft Store

A graphic of apps in the Microsoft Store

In March 2022, Microsoft revealed several improvements for its app store on Windows 10 and 11. One of those improvements is the Microsoft Store Ads project. After several months of waiting, Microsoft is finally ready to start testing ads in its marketplace.

Microsoft Store Ads will follow the same idea Apple and Google use in their storefronts. When the user searches for something, the store displays contextual ads tailored for the specific customer. In addition to standard search results, Microsoft will show extra listings with the "Ad" badge, thus giving developers another method to promote their projects and customers to discover content they might like.

An example of an ad in the Microsoft Store

The company notes that only developers with published content in the Store can participate. Also, the program is currently in testing mode, meaning those wanting to join must provide Microsoft with their data using a dedicated form and wait for an invitation.

Microsoft announced the launch of Microsoft Store Ads alongside Windows 11 build 25188. The latter contains multiple fixes and improvements, which you can check in our coverage. In addition to launching an ad platform, Microsoft recently fixed a weird bug preventing the Store from displaying more than 2,000 reviews.

Report a problem with article
An illustration showing a close-up of main sections in the Windows 11 settings app
Next Article

Windows 11 build 25188 brings animated icons to the Settings app, here is how to enable them

A Windows 11 22H2 sign with a stock Windows 11 wallpaper in the background
Previous Article

Recent build 22621.382 (KB5016632) rumored to be Windows 11 22H2 (Sun Valley 2) GA

Join the conversation!

Login or Sign Up to read and post a comment.

9 Comments - Add comment