Microsoft Ads Not Showing in GA4? Here's Why msclkid Isn't Enough

Are you running Microsoft Advertising campaigns (formerly Bing Ads) and seeing the traffic show up as organic search from Bing in Google Analytics 4? Despite paying for ads, your traffic appears completely free? This common issue stems from a fundamental misunderstanding about how Microsoft's msclkid parameter works with GA4.

The Problem: Paid Ads Appearing as Organic Traffic

When you run Microsoft Ads without proper tracking setup, here's what you typically see in GA4:

What Appears in Your Reports

• Source: bing
• Medium: organic
• Channel: Organic Search
• Campaign: (not set)
• Cost: $0 (even though you're paying for clicks)

Why This Is a Major Issue

1. Attribution Errors

• Paid clicks credited as free organic traffic
• ROI calculations completely wrong
• Can't distinguish paid from organic Bing traffic

2. Budget Misallocation

• Appears you're getting great "free" Bing traffic
• May reduce Microsoft Ads spend thinking organic is sufficient
• Miss optimization opportunities

3. Incomplete Reporting

• No campaign performance data in GA4
• Can't compare Microsoft Ads to Google Ads
• Unable to make data-driven budget decisions

4. Conversion Attribution

• Conversions attributed to organic search
• Microsoft Ads appears to have zero conversions
• Automated bidding lacks necessary conversion data

Why msclkid Alone Doesn't Work

Understanding msclkid

The msclkid (Microsoft Click ID) is Microsoft Advertising's tracking parameter, similar to Google's gclid. When someone clicks a Microsoft ad, the URL looks like:

https://www.example.com/page?msclkid=abc123def456ghi789

The Critical Difference

Unlike Google's gclid, which Google Analytics natively recognizes, GA4 has no built-in support for msclkid.

Here's what happens:

1. User clicks your Microsoft ad
2. Microsoft appends msclkid to your URL
3. User lands on your website
4. GA4 tracking code fires
5. GA4 sees referrer: bing.com
6. GA4 looks for UTM parameters: None found
7. GA4 sees the referrer is a search engine
8. GA4 defaults to classifying as organic search

What msclkid Actually Does

The msclkid parameter serves Microsoft's tracking needs:

• UET Tag Tracking: Powers Microsoft's Universal Event Tracking
• Conversion Attribution: Links conversions back to specific ads in Microsoft Advertising
• Automated Bidding: Enables Microsoft's automated bid strategies
• Offline Conversions: Allows importing offline conversion data

But it provides zero value to Google Analytics 4.

The Solution: msclkid + UTM Parameters

To properly track Microsoft Ads in GA4, you need both the msclkid and UTM parameters:

Both must be present on your ad URLs for complete tracking across both platforms.

Step-by-Step Setup Guide

Method 1: Account-Level Tracking Template (Recommended)

This applies UTM parameters to all campaigns in your Microsoft Advertising account:

Step 1: Access Account Settings

1. Sign in to Microsoft Advertising
2. Click the tools icon (gear icon)
3. Select "Accounts" under "Account Settings"
4. Click on your account name

Step 2: Add Tracking Template

1. Find "Tracking template" section
2. Click "Add a tracking template"
3. Paste this template:

{"{"}{"{"}lpurl{"}"}{"}"}}?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign={"{"}{"{"}campaignname{"}"}{"}"}}&utm_content={"{"}{"{"}AdGroupName{"}"}{"}"}}&utm_term={"{"}{"{"}keyword{"}"}{"}"}}

Step 3: Configure Auto-Tagging

1. In the same account settings
2. Find "Auto-tagging"
3. Enable auto-tagging (this adds msclkid automatically)
4. Save your changes

What Each Dynamic Parameter Does:

Final URL Structure:

https://example.com/page
?utm_source=bing
&utm_medium=cpc
&utm_campaign=Brand_Keywords_Q1
&utm_content=Running_Shoes
&utm_term=best+running+shoes
&msclkid=abc123def456 (added automatically)

Method 2: Campaign-Level Setup

To set up tracking for individual campaigns:

Step 1: Navigate to Campaign

1. Open Microsoft Advertising
2. Go to "Campaigns"
3. Select the campaign you want to configure

Step 2: Access Campaign Settings

1. Click "Settings" tab
2. Scroll to "Campaign URL options"
3. Expand this section

Step 3: Add Tracking Template

Paste the same template:

{"{"}{"{"}lpurl{"}"}{"}"}}?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign={"{"}{"{"}campaignname{"}"}{"}"}}&utm_content={"{"}{"{"}AdGroupName{"}"}{"}"}}&utm_term={"{"}{"{"}keyword{"}"}{"}"}}

Step 4: Enable Auto-Tagging

Ensure auto-tagging is enabled at the account level for msclkid to append automatically.

Method 3: Ad Group Level

For specific ad groups only:

1. Select your campaign
2. Click "Ad groups" tab
3. Select an ad group
4. Click "Settings"
5. Add tracking template at ad group level

Note: Lower-level templates override higher-level ones. Ad group beats campaign, campaign beats account.

Recommended UTM Structure for Microsoft Ads

Standard Parameters

utm_source: Always use bing

• Standard identifier for Microsoft Advertising
• Note: Use "bing" even though it's "Microsoft Advertising" for historical consistency
• Makes reporting clearer in GA4

utm_medium: Always use cpc

• Stands for "cost per click"
• Industry standard for paid search
• GA4 automatically categorizes as "Paid Search" channel

utm_campaign: Use {"{"}{"{"}campaignname{"}"}{"}"}}

• Automatically pulls your actual campaign name
• Keep campaign names descriptive in Microsoft Advertising
• Use underscores instead of spaces for cleaner URLs

utm_content: Use {"{"}{"{"}AdGroupName{"}"}{"}"}}

• Tracks which ad group generated the click
• Useful for A/B testing different ad groups
• Helps identify best-performing segments

utm_term: Use {"{"}{"{"}keyword{"}"}{"}"}}

• Captures the actual search query
• Shows what users searched for
• Critical for keyword optimization

Advanced: Additional Parameters

For more detailed tracking:

{"{"}{"{"}lpurl{"}"}{"}"}}?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign={"{"}{"{"}campaignname{"}"}{"}"}}&utm_content={"{"}{"{"}AdGroupName{"}"}{"}"}}&utm_term={"{"}{"{"}keyword{"}"}{"}"}}&utm_id={"{"}{"{"}campaignid{"}"}{"}"}}&network={"{"}{"{"}network{"}"}{"}"}}

Additional parameters:

Special Considerations

Shopping Campaigns:

{"{"}{"{"}lpurl{"}"}{"}"}}?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign={"{"}{"{"}campaignname{"}"}{"}"}}&utm_content={"{"}{"{"}AdId{"}"}{"}"}}&utm_term={"{"}{"{"}ProductId{"}"}{"}"}}

Dynamic Search Ads:

{"{"}{"{"}lpurl{"}"}{"}"}}?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign={"{"}{"{"}campaignname{"}"}{"}"}}&utm_content={"{"}{"{"}AdGroupName{"}"}{"}"}}&utm_term={"{"}{"{"}TargetId{"}"}{"}"}}

Verification and Testing

Step 1: Test Your Tracking Template

1. Go to your campaigns in Microsoft Advertising
2. Find any active ad
3. Copy the final URL or display URL
4. Click "Test" button next to tracking template
5. Verify the final URL includes both UTM parameters and msclkid

Step 2: Live Ad Test

1. Search for your ad on Bing
2. Click your ad
3. Check the landing page URL in your browser's address bar
4. Verify you see:

   ?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=[name]&...&msclkid=[id]
   

Step 3: Check GA4 Real-Time Reports

1. After clicking your test ad
2. Open GA4
3. Go to Reports > Real-time
4. Within 30 seconds you should see:
   • Source: bing
   • Medium: cpc
   • Campaign: [your campaign name]

Step 4: Verify Channel Grouping

1. Go to Reports > Acquisition > Traffic acquisition
2. Find your test traffic
3. Confirm it shows under "Paid Search" (not Organic Search)
4. Verify campaign details are populated

Step 5: Test UET Tracking

1. Use Microsoft Advertising UET Tag Helper (browser extension)
2. Visit your landing page from an ad click
3. Confirm UET tag fires
4. Check that msclkid is captured
5. Verify conversion tracking still works in Microsoft Advertising

What You'll See After Proper Setup

Before: Missing UTM Parameters

GA4 Traffic Acquisition:

• Source: bing
• Medium: organic
• Channel: Organic Search
• Campaign: (not set)
• All paid clicks appear free

After: With UTM Parameters + msclkid

GA4 Traffic Acquisition:

• Source: bing
• Medium: cpc
• Channel: Paid Search
• Campaign: Brand_Keywords_Q1
• Ad Group: Running_Shoes
• Search Term: best running shoes

Now You Can:

• Measure actual Microsoft Ads performance
• Calculate true ROAS
• Compare Bing paid vs. organic traffic
• Optimize based on GA4 conversion data
• See complete user journeys

Common Issues and Solutions

Issue 1: UTMs Not Appearing in GA4

Symptoms:

• Tracking template saved but parameters not showing
• Traffic still appears as organic

Causes & Solutions:

Cause: Tracking template has syntax errors

• Solution: Use {"{"}{"{"}lpurl{"}"}{"}"}} at the start (required)
• Check for typos in dynamic parameters
• Ensure ? comes after {{lpurl}}}, then & between parameters

Cause: Auto-tagging disabled

• Solution: Enable auto-tagging in account settings
• This is required for msclkid to append

Cause: URL redirects stripping parameters

• Solution: Check if your landing page redirects preserve query parameters
• Test with a simple landing page first

Issue 2: msclkid Missing

Symptoms:

• UTM parameters present but no msclkid
• Microsoft Advertising conversion tracking broken

Solution:

1. Go to Account Settings
2. Find "Auto-tagging" under "URL options"
3. Check "Tag URL with auto-tagging"
4. Save and wait 30 minutes for changes to propagate

Issue 3: Parameters Not Resolving

Symptoms:

• URL shows {"{"}{"{"}campaignname{"}"}{"}"}} instead of actual campaign name
• Dynamic parameters not populating

Cause & Solution:

Cause: Wrong parameter syntax

• Use {"{"}{"{"}campaignname{"}"}{"}"}} not {"{"}{"{"}campaignname{"}"}{"}"}}
• Microsoft uses single curly braces, Facebook uses double

Cause: Unsupported parameter

• Check Microsoft's documentation for supported parameters
• Remove any custom parameters not in their list

Issue 4: Still Seeing Organic Traffic

Symptoms:

• Setup complete but some traffic still shows as organic

Possible Reasons:

Cached ads without UTMs:

• Solution: Wait 24-48 hours for all ad cache to clear
• Test with newly created ads

Organic traffic actually is organic:

• Solution: Filter by date range after UTM implementation
• Check if traffic has campaign parameter - if not, it's truly organic

Partner site clicks:

• Solution: Some Microsoft Audience Network partners may not pass all parameters
• Use {"{"}{"{"}network{"}"}{"}"}} parameter to identify source

Issue 5: Tracking Template Rejected

Symptoms:

• Error message when saving tracking template
• Template not accepted

Common Errors & Fixes:

Missing {{lpurl}}}:

❌ ?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc
✅ {"{"}{"{"}lpurl{"}"}{"}"}}?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc

Wrong parameter separators:

❌ {"{"}{"{"}lpurl{"}"}{"}"}}&utm_source=bing
✅ {"{"}{"{"}lpurl{"}"}{"}"}}?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc

Invalid characters:

❌ utm_campaign={campaign name}
✅ utm_campaign={"{"}{"{"}campaignname{"}"}{"}"}}

Advanced Tracking Scenarios

Tracking Bing Shopping Campaigns

For Microsoft Shopping ads, use this template:

{"{"}{"{"}lpurl{"}"}{"}"}}?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign={"{"}{"{"}campaignname{"}"}{"}"}}&utm_content=pla&utm_term={"{"}{"{"}ProductId{"}"}{"}"}}&utm_id={"{"}{"{"}AdId{"}"}{"}"}}

This allows you to:

• See which products drive traffic
• Track shopping campaign separately from search
• Optimize product feed based on GA4 data

Separating Search vs. Audience Network

To distinguish between search results and display partner sites:

{"{"}{"{"}lpurl{"}"}{"}"}}?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign={"{"}{"{"}campaignname{"}"}{"}"}}&utm_content={"{"}{"{"}AdGroupName{"}"}{"}"}}_{"{"}{"{"}network{"}"}{"}"}}&utm_term={"{"}{"{"}keyword{"}"}{"}"}}

The {"{"}{"{"}network{"}"}{"}"}} parameter shows:

• Bing and Yahoo (search)
• Audience Network (display partners)

Multi-Device Tracking

Microsoft's msclkid works across devices when users are signed in to Microsoft accounts:

• User clicks ad on mobile
• Converts on desktop
• msclkid preserves attribution
• GA4 + Microsoft Advertising both track the conversion path

Best Practices

1. Standardize Naming Conventions

Campaign Names:

• Use underscores: Brand_Keywords_Q1
• Avoid special characters
• Keep it descriptive but concise
• Include date or version if running tests

Ad Group Names:

• Clear, descriptive names
• Group by theme or intent
• Makes utm_content meaningful

2. Document Your Setup

Create a tracking document that includes:

• Your exact tracking template
• What each parameter means
• Where templates are applied (account, campaign, ad group)
• Testing checklist
• Troubleshooting steps

3. Test Before Launching

Pre-Launch Checklist:

• Tracking template saved at account level
• Auto-tagging enabled
• Test ad clicked
• URL includes both UTMs and msclkid
• GA4 real-time shows correct data
• UET tag still fires
• Conversion test successful in both systems

4. Monitor Regularly

Weekly Checks:

• Review GA4 for any "bing / organic" traffic spikes
• Verify new campaigns include tracking
• Spot-check ad URLs
• Review conversion attribution

5. Train Your Team

Ensure everyone managing Microsoft Ads knows:

• Why UTM parameters are required
• How to apply tracking templates
• How to verify tracking works
• Where to check for issues

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Will adding UTM parameters affect my Microsoft Ads performance?

A: No. UTM parameters are only used for analytics. They don't affect ad delivery, quality score, or bidding in Microsoft Advertising.

Q: Can I remove msclkid to clean up my URLs?

A: Never remove msclkid. It's essential for Microsoft's conversion tracking and automated bidding. Without it, your conversions won't be attributed correctly in Microsoft Advertising.

Q: Do I need different parameters for Bing vs. Yahoo traffic?

A: The same tracking template works for all Microsoft Advertising traffic, including Yahoo. Optionally use the {"{"}{"{"}network{"}"}{"}"}} parameter to differentiate in reporting.

Q: Will this fix historical data?

A: No. UTM parameters only apply to new clicks after implementation. Historical traffic that appeared as organic cannot be retroactively reclassified.

Q: What's the difference between msclkid and gclid?

A: Both are click IDs, but gclid has native GA4 support while msclkid does not. Google Ads works with gclid alone; Microsoft Ads requires both msclkid and UTM parameters.

Q: Can I use Google Ads' UTM structure for Microsoft Ads?

A: You can, but it's better to use utm_source=bing to clearly separate the platforms in GA4 reporting. This makes comparing performance easier.

Q: How do I track Microsoft Ads conversions in GA4?

A: Once UTM parameters are added, GA4 will automatically attribute conversions to the correct source (bing / cpc). Set up conversion events in GA4 as you would for any traffic source.

Q: What if I'm using third-party landing pages?

A: Ensure your landing page provider preserves query parameters through any redirects. Test the full click path to verify both UTMs and msclkid reach the final page.

Related Resources

• Platform Click IDs Explained: Which Ones Does GA4 Actually Support?
• Google Ads gclid vs Other Platform Click IDs: The Critical Difference
• Why GA4 Doesn't Read Facebook's fbclid (And What to Do About It)

Key Takeaways

1. msclkid alone is not enough - GA4 cannot read it without UTM parameters
2. Paid traffic appears organic without UTMs - causing major attribution errors
3. Use tracking templates - apply UTM parameters at account, campaign, or ad group level
4. Keep both msclkid and UTMs - they serve different platforms
5. Enable auto-tagging - required for msclkid to append automatically
6. Test thoroughly - verify tracking in both GA4 and Microsoft Advertising
7. Monitor regularly - ensure new campaigns include proper tracking

By properly implementing both msclkid and UTM parameters, you'll gain complete visibility into your Microsoft Advertising performance in Google Analytics 4, enabling accurate ROI measurement and data-driven optimization decisions.