A preview of the Ad Selection API arrives in Microsoft Edge

As privacy continues to serve as a fundamental pillar of our digital ecosystem, Microsoft Edge is taking a significant step forward with the release of its Ad Selection API in a limited preview for testing in regions outside the EEA and the UK. This marks a critical milestone for both users, publishers, and advertisers, allowing Ad Tech partners to address core advertising needs while maintaining strong privacy protections.

At Microsoft Advertising, we’re excited to support this pioneering initiative, which aligns perfectly with our goal to innovate for a future where advertising is both effective and enhances user privacy. The goal of the Ad Selection API is to address the need for relevant and performant ads without relying on third-party cookies. This browser-level API would allow advertisers to serve ads tailored to the user’s interests while keeping their personal information secure and private.

Why this matters for advertisers and publishers

The deprecation of third-party cookies by some browsers has left many in the advertising industry wondering how to maintain the effectiveness of ad campaigns and audience targeting. The Ad Selection API aims to fill this gap. It will offer a secure environment to run auctions and select relevant ads, all while adhering to privacy-first principles. This API would help advertisers ensure their ads remain relevant, and it would support publishers in maintaining monetization strategies without compromising user trust.

Microsoft Edge’s support for Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs) would ensure that all ad auction processes via the API are handled in a way that protects user’s personal data. The use of differential privacy and k-anonymity would further fortify these protections, helping advertisers achieve their goals while complying with evolving global privacy standards.

Join the early access: Developer preview

We’re thrilled to share Microsoft Edge’s announcement of the Origin Trial for developers to start testing the Ad Selection API in real-world scenarios outside the EEA and the UK. With this trial, developers can experience the end-to-end process of privacy-enhancing ad auctions. The Origin Trial allows publishers and developers to integrate the API into their advertising solutions and provide feedback. The trial also enables developers to deploy confidential container images in supported cloud environments such as Azure Confidential Compute. Please note that this preview will not be available in Europe and the UK.

This is an early opportunity to help shape the future of privacy-enhancing advertising, and we encourage all industry participants to engage with us via GitHub or Microsoft Edge’s public forums.

Privacy-forward innovation for the future

At Microsoft Advertising, we are committed to supporting the development of privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs) for digital advertising. Our collaboration with Microsoft Edge on the Ad Selection API exemplifies our dedication to advancing the advertising ecosystem in a responsible and sustainable way. This preview serves as a significant step toward building a future where user privacy and advertising performance can coexist in harmony.

This is a pivotal moment for the industry, and we look forward to working together to make privacy-preserving advertising a reality.

How to get started

If you're a developer or publisher, now is the time to begin testing and providing feedback. You can opt-in to the preview through Microsoft Edge’s Canary and Developer channels. Additional resources and documentation are available on GitHub and the Microsoft developer portal. We’re looking forward to seeing how you innovate with the Ad Selection API.

For any questions, feedback, or support, don’t hesitate to reach out to us through our dedicated feedback channels, including GitHub and biweekly community calls.

Together, let’s shape the future of digital advertising—where privacy and performance go hand in hand.