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Auto-generated cropped image assets via API vs UI upload

dev-om 40 Reputation points
2025-12-10T14:44:51.2933333+00:00

Hi, there!

I'm using the Microsoft Advertising API to upload native/responsive ads. I've noticed a difference in behavior between ads uploaded via the API versus the UI:

UI upload: When I upload an ad with a single image through the Microsoft Ads UI, the system automatically generates additional cropped image variations (showing as "+5 more" or "+7 more" in the asset details).

API upload: When I upload the same ad with the same image via API, only the single asset I provided appears - no additional cropped variations are generated.

My questions:

  1. Is there a way to enable auto-generated cropped image assets via API at the ad level?
  2. Is there any parameter or flag I might be missing that would trigger the same auto-cropping behavior as the UI?

Thank you!

Microsoft Advertising API
Microsoft Advertising API
A Microsoft API that provides programmatic access to Microsoft Advertising to manage large campaigns or to integrate your marketing with other in-house systems.
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  1. MS Advertising - Dagmara 475 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2025-12-10T15:57:01.1066667+00:00

    Hi dev-om,

    Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Advertising Learn Q&A Platform!

    At present Microsoft Advertising API does not expose the same auto‑cropping functionality that you see in the UI. There is no parameter or flag you can set at the ad level to trigger automatic generation of cropped image variations. The auto‑cropping you see in the UI is handled by “smart image cropping” system, and it is not yet available through the API

    UI behavior: When you upload a single image via the Ads UI, Microsoft’s smart cropping automatically generates multiple aspect‑ratio variations (e.g., 1.91:1, 1:1, 4:5). These show up as “+5 more” or “+7 more” in asset details. This is part of the Ads Studio’s built‑in AI cropping feature.
    https://help.ads.microsoft.com/apex/index/3/en/60202

    API behavior: When you upload via the API, only the image asset you explicitly provide is stored. The API does not currently trigger the same automatic cropping pipeline. Instead, you must manually define crops using the ImageAsset object’s crop parameters (CropHeight, CropWidth, CropX, CropY) if you want multiple variations.
    https://v4.hkg1.meaqua.org/en-us/advertising/campaign-management-service/imageasset?view=bingads-13&tabs=xml

    The auto‑cropping is not controlled by a campaign, ad group, or ad‑level setting. It is a UI‑side feature applied automatically when you upload images without specifying crops. In the API, you are responsible for providing each variation explicitly.

    If you need multiple cropped variations via API, you will have to generate them yourself and upload each as a separate ImageAsset. The automatic “+5 more” cropping is UI‑only for now.

    I hope the information provided here will at least partly answer your question. For us to make sure that we are able to address the issue, I'll be sending a private message on your inbox, please check your private message for further assistance.

    Our support teams are happy to discuss your account in more detail via phone, chat or email to provide review assistance, please see our support page to reach out!

    Kind regards, 

    Dagmara | Microsoft Advertising Support Specialist | 800-518-5689

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  1. Q&A Assist
    2025-12-10T14:45:01.0733333+00:00
    AI generated content. This question contains an answer created with AI from Q&A Assist. Learn more

    Currently, the Microsoft Advertising API does not provide a specific parameter or flag to enable auto-generated image assets at the ad level in the same way that the UI does. When using the API, you need to manually upload the images you want to include in your ads. The auto-generation of additional image variations is a feature that appears to be available only through the Microsoft Ads UI.

    If you are looking for similar functionality as the UI, you may need to implement a workaround by manually generating and uploading multiple image variations yourself before creating the ad via the API.

    References:

  2. dev-om 40 Reputation points
    2025-12-10T14:47:41.3733333+00:00

    Hi,

    To confirm: when uploading via the UI, Microsoft automatically generates cropped image variations from a single image (showing as "+5 more" or "+7 more" in the asset details).

    My follow-up questions:

    1. Is this auto-cropping behavior controlled by a specific setting, and if so, at what level (campaign, ad group, or ad)?
    2. Are there any plans to expose this auto-cropping functionality via the API in the future?

    Thank you!

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