Frequently Asked Questions

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Microsoft Advertising Learning Lab offers free, on-demand, online learning courses to help you better understand the Microsoft Advertising interface, tools and best practices for maximizing your campaigns and investment with Microsoft Advertising.

To get started, download the Study Guide. If you are interested in becoming an Certified Professional, you will need to sign up for the Certified Professional exam and achieve a passing score of at least 80%.

No, but you do need a Microsoft account

Go to the Microsoft account sign-up page and select No account? Create one!

• Fill out the form with your information and create a password. Use the “Use your email instead”, “Use a phone number instead”, or “Get a new email address” links to change how you sign up. 
• Select Next.

Get more help setting up and managing your Microsoft account.

Each individual should have their own unique login for Microsoft Advertising Learning Lab. This allows you to keep your own personal history on your course activity. We suggest linking any new Microsoft accounts to your Microsoft Advertising platform account.

The program is free to everyone. There is no fee or registration required for training or certification.

At this time, Microsoft Advertising Learning Lab is available in English only.

To retrieve your password, visit the Reset Password page.

Visit the Microsoft Advertising support page – we’d be happy to troubleshoot…

Microsoft Advertising Learning Lab offers free, on-demand, online learning courses to help you better understand the Microsoft Advertising interface, tools and best practices for maximizing your campaigns and investment with Microsoft Advertising. 

• Microsoft Advertising Certified Professional membership requires users to pass an exam to become certified.  Continued membership requires users to retake and pass the exam annually.   
• Microsoft Advertising Certified Professional is available in multiple languages and offers a badge to members. 

Learning Lab is updated regularly! In fact, we just added 24 new courses. You can see them by clicking on New and updated content. 

We are also currently updating and adding new functionality like badging for an improved user experience. Please note that we will also be removing outdated content to streamline the experience. This may have a minor impact on your experience but rest-assured we are making sure we keep only the best and most current content.

Microsoft Advertising has partnered with Credly’s Acclaim platform to award badges for your learning achievements.

Badges are digital representations of your achievements, consisting of an image and metadata uniquely linked to you. When someone views your badge, they can learn more about your skills and verify the badge’s authenticity—ensuring only you can take credit for your skills.

Now, when you share your digital badge on popular online sites, such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, or when you embed it into your résumé, personal website, or email signature, anyone who views your badge will immediately recognize it as issued by Microsoft Advertising.

Currently on Learning Lab we have two unique badges. 

1. Marketing with Purpose Course
2. Digital Advertising Fundamentals Learning Path

Claiming your Microsoft Advertising badge is simple. After you’ve earned a badge, you’ll receive a notification email from Credly’s Acclaim platform. To claim your first badge:

1. Click the link in that email.
2. Create an account on Credly’s Acclaim platform.
3. Confirm your account by clicking the link in a confirmation email that is generated after you set up your account.

Claiming future badges is as easy as clicking the link in the notification email and logging into our Acclaim account.

Want to simplify that process?
Simply adjust your account settings to automatically accept badges issued to you. You can watch the step-by-step process in the video Acclaim How To: Manage your badge. Note that while the video shows badge email notifications coming from Acclaim, your email notifications will come from Microsoft.
Don’t forget to take advantage of the features offered on Credly’s Acclaim platform:

• Once you have claimed your Microsoft badge, use Credly’s Acclaim platform one-click sharing features to share your badge on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.
• Download your badge image and URL to embed in a résumé, website, or email signature.
• Personalize your profile on the Acclaim platform.
• Explore labor market insights and job opportunities. Watch the video Acclaim How To: Explore labor market insights to see how easy it is to quickly discover opportunities in your market.

You can claim your badge at any time, even if you earned a badge in the past. All badges that you have earned from Microsoft Advertising based on your past history are available through the Acclaim platform. Simply log into your account and claim them!

If you don’t have an Acclaim account, you can create an account on the Acclaim* platform site using the same email address that Microsoft Advertising has on file for you. Your badge will be waiting in your account for you to claim.
*Please note this link will take you to Credly’s Acclaim’s platform, a third party whose privacy practices differ from Microsoft’s. If you provide personal data to Acclaim, your data is governed by their privacy statement.

No, there is no cost associated with claiming, managing, or sharing your Microsoft Advertising badge.

Credly’s Acclaim platform uses the Open Badges standards defined by Mozilla to translate your credential into a digital image associated with metadata uniquely connected to you. This standard allows you to easily share your digital badge online in a way that can be verified by employers and others who are interested in your skills.

Occasionally, the look and feel of our badges are updated. New designs have the same functionality as before, and we encourage you to share your skills by sharing your badge with your peers and social channels.

You can claim your badge at any time. You can access your badge through any of the badge notification or reminder emails. Or, if you no longer have those emails, you can do so by accessing your Acclaim account. If you don’t have an account, you can create one on the Acclaim platform site* using the same email address that Microsoft Advertising has on file for you. Your badge will be in your account. Please note that Microsoft Advertising may terminate this digital badging program at any time.

*Please note this link will take you to Credly’s Acclaim’s platform, a third party whose privacy practices differ from Microsoft’s. If you provide personal data to Acclaim, your data is governed by their privacy statement.

No, you can adjust the settings in your account on the Acclaim platform to automatically accept badges issued to you. Watch this video to learn how.

You are in control of how and when your badge is made public. You can adjust the privacy settings in your account on the Acclaim platform to make your profile and badges private. You are not required to accept to your badges and may disregard the notification emails if you do not wish to participate in the Microsoft Advertising badge program.

The Acclaim platform is an independent badging platform owned by Credly. Acclaim provides a way to manage, share, and verify your Microsoft Advertising badges. The platform also provides you with labor market insights that can help you explore job opportunities that map to your skills. Learn more about Acclaim.

If you believe you are eligible for a badge but have not received any information about it, contact adlrnlab@microsoft.com. If you have any questions about the Acclaim platform or about how to claim your badge, contact Credly’s support.

Microsoft Advertising Learning Lab offers learning experiences on various topics related to setting up and optimizing your Microsoft Advertising campaigns.  Each topic is broken into 2-7 min modules, ranging from beginner to intermediate instruction.

No, courses are a la carte. We do, however, recommend completing in order if a particular topic is new to you.

No. The goal of Learning Lab courses are to help you learn about Microsoft Advertising’s platform and features at your own pace.  You can review the content and answer each course’s questions as many times as needed. Completion of a course is simply based on reaching the final “Congratulations” page at the end of the course.

Please contact Microsoft Advertising support, and we will promptly address the issue.

The Certified Professional program offers free study materials that can help you grow your business through better management and optimization of your Microsoft Advertising campaigns. By becoming a Certified Professional, you will build your resume, raise your corporate profile, and market your new knowledge and digital advertising skills in Microsoft Advertising.

To get started, take advantage of our Certification study guide to view the free study materials.  If you are interested in becoming a Certified Professional, visit your dashboard to launch the Certified Professional exam (currently only available in English) and achieve a passing score of at least 80 percent.  If you share your Microsoft Advertising credentials with other users, please enter your own unique Microsoft account credentials.  If you don’t have a Microsoft account, you have the option to set one up.

The Certified Professional program will give you the training and resources you need to become a Microsoft Advertising user expert. As a Certified Professional, you will gain these benefits:

• Get recognized as a Microsoft Advertising expert with an official member badge and certificate.
• Be placed in the Certified Professional membership directory.
• Enjoy updated profiles that include social media platforms and sharing sites.
• Build your resume.

Though we recommend viewing all the study guide materials, it is not mandatory.

When you are done with the exam, click the “Submit Exam” button to see your results. Return to your dashboard to view your status.  If you have passed, you can download your certificate and Certified Professional badge.

The exam contains 100 questions.

No. You have unlimited time to complete the exam. Take the exam when it’s convenient for you – pause it at any time if you need to take a break, close the exam window, or even shut down your PC. You can always pick up where you left off.

If you do not pass the exam, you may retake the exam at any time and as many times as needed.

Your Certified Professional status is good for one year. Prior to expiration, you will receive notification to retake the exam.

No. Once you’ve passed the program exam, you become a Certified Professional and enjoy all the benefits the program offers.

Inclusion in the directory promotes members’ Microsoft Advertising expertise — a valuable tool when optimizing clients’ advertising ROI. Colleagues and potential employers/employees will appreciate this added value.

You can view the list of active Certified Professionals in our Membership directory.

While we encourage use of the Certified Professional badge, please refer to the badge usage guidelines for specific information about how and where you may do so.

The badge certificate is nontransferable and only the assigned person/company may use it.

Visit your Membership profile edit page to update your company information.  Once you have submitted your changes, you will see a confirmation page.  Please allow a minute for changes to sync with the system before you download a new certificate that reflects your updated information.

The Partner Program is designed for Agencies, SMB Channel Partners and Technology partners. Benefits of the Partner Program include brand association, directory listing, sales incentives, trainings and certifications, exclusive events and awards, technology enablement and account management.

The Contact us page is where you can reach Microsoft Advertising Support for more information.