How to exclude a specific image SubType (e.g. ImageMedia120X100) from rendering via API

Hello,

Thank you for using our Microsoft Advertising Learn Q&A Platform!   

Thank you for your question regarding excluding a specific image SubType, such as ImageMedia120X100, from rendering via the Campaign Management API in Microsoft Advertising.

Based on your description, it appears that:

• Omitting the AssetLink does not prevent rendering, as Microsoft auto-crops missing SubTypes from OriginalImage.
• AdFormatPreference is not supported for ResponsiveAd.
• There is no exclusion or disable flag on ResponsiveAd, AssetLink, or ImageAsset.

To address your questions:

1. Currently, there does not appear to be an API field (current or pilot) that directly maps to the UI's per-SubType "Exclude" action.
2. If you need to prevent a specific SubType (e.g., ImageMedia120X100) from rendering, the recommended approach is to ensure that the OriginalImage provided does not meet the requirements for that SubType, or to contact Microsoft support for any pilot features or workarounds that may be available.

If you require further assistance or clarification, please let us know.

I hope the information provided here will at least partly answer your question.  If you have any additional questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to our support.

Kind regards, 

Arsen D. | Microsoft Advertising Support Specialist | 800-518-5689

1. There is no field in the Campaign Management API that corresponds to the UI’s per-SubType “Exclude” button for responsive ads in Audience campaigns. The available image controls for ResponsiveAd and ImageAsset are:
   • Choosing which image SubTypes to provide via Images (array of AssetLink → ImageAsset with SubType).
   • Optional cropping via CropX, CropY, CropWidth, CropHeight on ImageAsset. There is no exclusion/disable flag on ResponsiveAd, AssetLink, or ImageAsset, and SubType is read-only on update.
2. Given the current model, the only supported way to prevent a specific SubType such as ImageMedia120X100 from rendering is to avoid providing an ImageAsset with that SubType in the Images collection for the ad (or asset group / image ad extension, depending on the object being used).

Key points from the model:

• For ResponsiveAd.Images, the service expects “image assets with different sizes and aspect ratios so they can flexibly display across a variety of publishers and placements” and relies on ImageAsset.SubType to determine the aspect ratio and layout behavior. There is no per-SubType opt-out flag.
• ImageAsset.SubType is required on add and cannot be changed on update; new SubTypes may be added in the future, so callers should not depend on a fixed set of values.
• When CropX/CropY/CropWidth/CropHeight are not set, the service automatically crops according to the aspect ratio of the SubType. This behavior is about how an existing SubType is rendered, not whether it is eligible to serve.

Therefore:

• If a particular SubType (for example ImageMedia120X100, which corresponds to the 1.2:1 “MSN rectangle” format) should never render, do not include any AssetLink whose ImageAsset.SubType is ImageMedia120X100 for that ad.
• There is no documented way in the API to say “this SubType exists but is excluded from serving” while still being available for other placements on the same ad.

If the UI is allowing exclusion of a layout that is auto-derived from OriginalImage, that behavior is not exposed as a separate, documented API surface in the Campaign Management service. The API contract only exposes which SubTypes are present; it does not expose per-SubType eligibility toggles.

References:

• ResponsiveAd Data Object - Campaign Management
• ImageAsset Data Object - Campaign Management
• AssetGroup Data Object - Campaign Management
• AssetLink Data Object - Campaign Management
• Image Ad Extension Record - Bulk
• ImageAdExtension Data Object - Campaign Management