Add Required UTM Parameters to Microsoft Ads (Step-by-Step)

Your Microsoft Ads are showing as organic search from Bing in GA4. You're paying for ads but they look like free traffic.

You can fix this in 4 minutes.

What You're Fixing

Microsoft Ads automatically adds msclkid to track clicks, but GA4 doesn't recognize msclkid for traffic classification.

Without UTM parameters:

yoursite.com?msclkid=abc123

Result in GA4:

• Source/Medium: bing / organic
• Channel: Organic Search
• Campaign: (not set)
• Paid traffic classified as organic

The fix: Add UTM parameters alongside msclkid.

The 4-Minute Fix

Step 1: Enable Auto-Tagging (1 minute)

1. Open Microsoft Ads
2. Click Settings (gear icon) → Account settings
3. Find Auto-tagging section
4. Check: "Tag URLs with tracking parameters"
5. Save

Step 2: Add UTM Parameters (2 minutes)

1. Navigate to Campaigns
2. Click on a campaign → Settings
3. Scroll to Tracking template or Custom parameters
4. Add UTM parameters:

Example:

utm_source=bing
utm_medium=cpc
utm_campaign={"{"}{"{"}campaignname{"}"}{"}"}}
utm_content={"{"}{"{"}adgroupname{"}"}{"}"}}
utm_term={"{"}{"{"}keyword{"}"}{"}"}}

5. Save changes

Step 3: Verify (1 minute)

Click one of your ads. URL should have both:

yoursite.com?msclkid=abc123&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc

Important: Both msclkid and UTMs work together. GA4 doesn't create duplicate sessions—it reads the UTMs for classification and ignores the msclkid.

What Changes After You Fix It

Before (no UTMs):

• Source/Medium: bing / organic
• Channel: Organic Search
• Campaign: (not set)
• Paid classified as organic

After (with UTMs):

• Source/Medium: bing / cpc
• Channel: Paid Search
• Campaign: spring_sale
• Full attribution

FAQ

Will this break Microsoft Ads conversion tracking?

No. Microsoft Ads tracking operates independently. UTMs are for GA4 only.

Why are my paid clicks showing as organic?

GA4 doesn't recognize msclkid. Without UTMs, clicks from bing.com are classified as organic search.

Do I need UTMs for every campaign?

Yes. Without UTMs, all Microsoft Ads traffic will show as organic in GA4.

---

Related: Platform Click ID Conflicts Documentation