The ascending palatine artery is commonly a branch of the facial artery which ascends along the pharynx and splits into two branches — one that supplies the palatine tonsil and the eustachian tube and another branch that supplies the soft palate.

The ascending palatine artery makes an important collateral connection to the internal maxillary artery through the artery of the soft palate and then up to the descending palatine artery, which branches from the distal internal maxillary artery. It may also collateralize to the middle pharyngeal branch of the ascending pharyngeal artery.