How to Capture msclkid for Microsoft Ads Offline Conversions
Microsoft Ads has its own click ID and its own auto tagging switch. Here is how to capture it and send closed deals back.
Microsoft Ads is the channel most accounts import from Google once and never think about again. This post shows you how to capture its click ID and send closed deals back, which is often the highest return hour you can spend in that account.
The audience converts well, competition is thinner, and almost nobody closes the loop on it.
When this fits
You run Microsoft Ads and your conversions happen offline.
You already do this for Google Ads and want the same for Bing traffic.
Your Microsoft account was imported from Google and you have never checked whether conversion tracking came across. It did not.
The thing to check first
Importing a campaign from Google Ads brings campaigns, ad groups, keywords and ads. It does not bring your conversion tracking.
So a lot of imported accounts have been running with no conversion data at all, which means automated bidding has had nothing to learn from. Go and look at your conversion goals list before you do anything else.
What you will build
The same pipeline you have for Google, with one extra column:
Auto tagging on, so clicks carry msclkid.
Capture msclkid on landing and store it in a cookie.
Write it to a hidden form field and into a CRM field.
Create an offline conversion goal in Microsoft Ads.
Upload closed deals against the stored msclkid.
Let’s implement it
Step 1: turn on auto tagging
In Microsoft Ads, open Settings, then Account level options, and enable auto tagging of msclkid. Without it there is no click ID and nothing else on this list works.
Step 2: capture it
Read msclkid from the landing page URL, write it to a first party cookie with a 90 day expiry, and do not overwrite it with an empty value on later visits.
Add it to the same capture script you use for the other platforms rather than writing a second one: one script that captures every click ID.
Step 3: hidden field and CRM field
Add a hidden msclkid field to every form and a matching field on your lead and deal records. Same discipline as gclid, including making sure it survives lead conversion.
Step 4: create the offline conversion goal
In Microsoft Ads, go to Conversion goals and create a new goal with a type of offline conversion. Set the count setting to unique for leads, and set a conversion window that matches your sales cycle.
Step 5: upload
You can upload a file manually, schedule an import from a URL or cloud storage, or use the API. Start with a scheduled import from a sheet, the same way you would for Google.
Your file needs the msclkid, the conversion name exactly as you created it, the conversion time, and the value with currency.
The consent difference
Worth calling out because it catches people migrating from Google.
Microsoft has its own consent mechanism for its UET tag, separate from Google Consent Mode. If your consent platform handles the Google side automatically, it may be doing nothing at all for Microsoft. Check it explicitly.
Before you finish
Auto tagging is on.
You have confirmed the imported account actually has conversion tracking.
A real click on your own Microsoft ad leaves an msclkid on the CRM record.
The conversion name in your upload file matches the goal name exactly, including capitalisation.
Check the import history after the first upload. It reports match rates and errors, and it is the fastest way to spot a formatting problem.
FAQ
Can I use the same CRM field for gclid and msclkid?
You can, and I would not. A visitor arrives from one platform or the other, so one field would work, but separate fields make your exports and your debugging far easier. Fields are cheap.
Does Microsoft support Enhanced Conversions?
It supports matching on hashed email, which does the same job. Enable it and pass a hashed email with your conversions. It recovers a meaningful share of what the click ID misses.
What if I do not have a CRM to store this in?
The spreadsheet approach works for Microsoft too. I wrote a full walkthrough of that for Stape using nothing but a spreadsheet: Google Ads offline conversion tracking without a CRM. Click to read it here.
How long do I have to upload?
Check the conversion window on your goal. Upload well inside it rather than at the edge, and do not build a monthly process if your window is 30 days.
Need this built properly?
Microsoft Ads rewards the attention almost nobody gives it. I set up and repair tracking for ecommerce stores and lead generation businesses, so the numbers in your ad accounts match the money in your bank account.
Have a look at what I do, or book a call and we can go through your setup together.
