msclkid vs Manual UTM Parameters: Technical Comparison

When someone clicks your Microsoft Ad, you have two tracking options:

Option 1: Microsoft adds msclkid automatically

yoursite.com?msclkid=abc123xyz

Option 2: You manually add UTM parameters

yoursite.com?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=winter

Which should you use?

The answer is clear once you understand the technical differences.

What is msclkid?

msclkid = Microsoft Click ID

An auto-generated parameter Microsoft Ads adds to every ad click since 2017.

Example:

yoursite.com?msclkid=abc123xyz890

This parameter encodes:

• Campaign ID
• Ad group ID
• Keyword
• Match type
• Device type
• Network type (search, audience network, etc.)
• Click timestamp

When GA4 sees msclkid, it recognizes traffic as paid search from Bing/Microsoft and attributes accordingly.

What Are Manual UTM Parameters?

UTM = Urchin Tracking Module

Parameters you manually add:

?utm_source=bing
&utm_medium=cpc
&utm_campaign=winter_sale
&utm_content=ad_group_1
&utm_term=b2b_software

Parameter purposes:

• utm_source: bing
• utm_medium: cpc
• utm_campaign: winter_sale
• utm_content: ad_group_1 (optional)
• utm_term: b2b_software (optional)

GA4 reads these directly from the URL.

Head-to-Head Comparison

1. Data Capture

msclkid captures:

• ✅ Campaign name
• ✅ Ad group name
• ✅ Keyword (actual search term)
• ✅ Match type
• ✅ Device type
• ✅ Network (search vs audience)
• ✅ Click timestamp

Manual UTMs capture:

• ✅ Source (manual)
• ✅ Medium (manual)
• ✅ Campaign (manual)
• ⚠️ Content (only if you add utm_content)
• ⚠️ Term (only if you add utm_term)
• ❌ No match type
• ❌ No automatic device data

Winner: msclkid (more granular data automatically)

2. Setup Time

msclkid:

1. Enable auto-tagging (one toggle)
2. Done

Time: 30 seconds

Manual UTMs:

1. Define naming convention
2. Create tracking template
3. Add dynamic parameters
4. Apply to campaigns
5. Test
6. Document
7. Train team

Time: 1-2 hours initially, ongoing maintenance

Winner: msclkid

3. Error Rate

msclkid:

• ✅ Zero typos
• ✅ Always consistent
• ✅ Microsoft maintains it

Manual UTMs:

• ❌ Typos (winter_sale vs wintersale)
• ❌ Inconsistent casing
• ❌ Spaces breaking tracking
• ❌ Forgotten parameters
• ❌ Copy-paste errors

Winner: msclkid

4. Keyword-Level Data

msclkid:

• ✅ Captures actual search query
• ✅ Shows match type
• ✅ Distinguishes exact vs broad

Manual UTMs:

• ⚠️ Can use {"{"}{"{"}Keyword{"}"}{"}"}} dynamic parameter
• ❌ Shows keyword you bid on, not search query
• ❌ No match type data

Winner: msclkid

5. Cross-Domain Tracking

msclkid:

• ✅ Auto-preserved across domains
• ✅ Works with GA4 cross-domain setup
• ✅ No special config needed

Manual UTMs:

• ⚠️ Work with proper GA4 setup
• ❌ Can be stripped by redirects
• ❌ More complex troubleshooting

Winner: msclkid

6. Maintenance

msclkid:

• ✅ Set once, works forever
• ✅ Automatic for new campaigns
• ✅ Zero ongoing work

Manual UTMs:

• ❌ Update every new campaign
• ❌ Quarterly audits needed
• ❌ Retrain new team members

Annual time:

• msclkid: 0 hours
• Manual UTMs: 10-15 hours

Winner: msclkid

7. UET Integration

msclkid with UET:

• ✅ Powers Microsoft Ads optimization
• ✅ Enables automated bidding
• ✅ Improves conversion tracking
• ✅ Better audience targeting

Manual UTMs:

• ❌ Don't improve Microsoft optimization
• ❌ Can't power automated bidding alone
• ❌ Limited impact on targeting

Winner: msclkid

8. Reporting Granularity

msclkid in GA4:

• ✅ Campaign-level
• ✅ Ad group-level (with proper setup)
• ✅ Keyword-level
• ✅ Device, location dimensions

Manual UTMs in GA4:

• ✅ Source/medium/campaign
• ⚠️ Ad group (if you added utm_content manually)
• ⚠️ Keyword (if you added utm_term)
• ❌ Less granular than msclkid

Winner: msclkid

9. B2B Targeting Features

msclkid:

• ✅ Works with LinkedIn profile targeting
• ✅ Enables company targeting data
• ✅ Supports InMarket audiences

Manual UTMs:

• ❌ Don't enable advanced targeting
• ❌ Miss B2B-specific features

Winner: msclkid (especially for B2B)

10. Privacy Compliance

msclkid:

• ✅ First-party tracking
• ✅ Privacy-compliant
• ✅ Works with consent mode

Manual UTMs:

• ✅ Also privacy-compliant
• ⚠️ But offer no advantage over msclkid

Tie (both work, but msclkid offers more)

The Verdict

For Microsoft Ads: Use BOTH msclkid AND UTM Parameters

Critical fact: GA4 cannot read msclkid. While Microsoft uses msclkid for its own tracking:

• msclkid: Used by Microsoft UET tags for conversion tracking and ad optimization
• UTM parameters: REQUIRED for GA4 to properly attribute Microsoft Ads traffic

Without UTM parameters, all your Microsoft Ads traffic shows as referral traffic in GA4 with no campaign data.

Best practice for Microsoft Ads in 2025:

• Enable auto-tagging so Microsoft adds msclkid automatically (for Microsoft's tracking)
• Always add UTM parameters (utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign) to your tracking templates (for GA4 tracking)
• Both can coexist without conflicts

When to Use Manual UTMs

Use manual UTMs for:

• Email campaigns
• Organic social posts
• Partner/affiliate links
• QR codes
• Any source WITHOUT auto-tagging

The rule:

• Platform has auto-tagging → Use it
• Platform has no auto-tagging → Use manual UTMs

Common Objections

"I want custom campaign names"

Response: Name your campaigns in Microsoft Ads Manager how you want them to appear in GA4. msclkid uses those names.

"We need consistent UTM structure"

Response: Use msclkid for Microsoft, gclid for Google, fbclid for Facebook. Then use GA4 channel groupings for unified reporting.

Don't force consistency by breaking tracking.

"Our agency uses UTMs"

Response: Ask why. If they can't explain a specific technical reason (there isn't one), they're using outdated methods.

"We need to track ad-level performance"

Response: msclkid captures ad group data. For creative-level analysis, use Microsoft Ads native reporting.

Migration: UTMs → msclkid

Week 1: Prep

• Export 90 days of data
• Document current UTM structure
• Add GA4 annotation

Week 2: Implement

• Enable auto-tagging
• Remove manual UTMs
• Test
• Monitor 48 hours

Week 3-4: Validate

• Compare clicks to sessions
• Verify conversion tracking
• Check campaign names
• Train team

Month 2: Optimize

• Build reports using clean data
• Compare performance
• Leverage accurate metrics

Technical: How msclkid Works

User clicks Microsoft Ad

Microsoft adds msclkid:

Original: yoursite.com/landing
Click URL: yoursite.com/landing?msclkid=abc123

Browser loads page

• GA4 tag sees msclkid
• UET tag sees msclkid

GA4 attributes session:

• Source: bing
• Medium: cpc
• Campaign: [from Microsoft Ads]

UET reports conversion:

• Conversion linked to ad
• Powers campaign optimization

All automatic.

FAQ

Can I use msclkid AND manual UTMs together?

No. This creates double-session tracking. Use ONE method.

Does msclkid slow down pages?

No. It's a URL parameter processed by JavaScript. No performance impact.

Can competitors decode msclkid?

No. It's not encrypted like fbclid, but it's a unique identifier that only makes sense to Microsoft's systems.

What about Microsoft Shopping campaigns?

Same msclkid system. Remove UTMs from product feed URLs.

Does msclkid work with Microsoft Audience Network?

Yes. All Microsoft campaign types use msclkid.

Can I customize what msclkid captures?

No. It's managed by Microsoft. But you can ADD custom parameters alongside msclkid (not utm_* parameters).

Summary

Use msclkid for:

• Microsoft Ads (all types)
• Bing search campaigns
• Microsoft Audience Network

Use manual UTMs for:

• Email campaigns
• Organic social
• Partners/affiliates
• Any non-auto-tagged source

Never mix msclkid + manual UTMs.

The modern Microsoft Ads stack:

• msclkid for attribution
• UET for conversions
• Clean GA4 data
• Zero maintenance

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Related: Platform Click ID Conflicts Documentation