Microsoft Ads Tracking Agency: UET Tag, Consent Mode and Offline Conversions

01 — Foundation

The UET tag: Microsoft's own measurement

Microsoft Ads tracks conversions with the UET tag (Universal Event Tracking). It is independent of GA4 and the Google tag: whatever Google measures, Microsoft does not see, and the other way round. One tag per account is usually enough, and the conversion goals sit on top of it, from a thank-you page view to an event with revenue. After a click, Microsoft appends the msclkid click ID to the URL. If redirects or form tools drop it, attribution breaks.

Many accounts are created by importing from Google Ads, conversion goals included. The goals then exist in the account, but that does not mean a working UET tag is on the website. This is where we find most of the gaps in audits. For how we run the channel itself, see our Microsoft Ads page.

02 — Compliance

UET consent mode, required since May 2025

Since 5 May 2025 Microsoft has required a valid consent signal on the UET tag for visitors from the EU, the EEA, the UK and Switzerland. Without it, conversions and remarketing lists for those users are lost. Everything runs on a single value, ad_storage: the default is set with uetq.push('consent', 'default', …) before the tag loads, and the visitor's choice follows as an update. When it is denied, UET neither reads nor writes its own cookies.

Two pitfalls come up again and again. If nobody sets a default, UET treats the visitor as having consented. And Google consent mode and UET consent mode are separate mechanisms, so a banner that only talks to Google leaves the UET tag without any signal. We check whether your consent tool supports Microsoft and wire up default and update in Tag Manager. The basics are covered on our Consent Mode page.

03 — Discipline

Conversion goals and enhanced conversions

Wherever possible we set up goals as events rather than URL rules, with revenue and a transaction ID. URL goals count every reload of a thank-you page, events can be controlled properly. Whatever Performance Max should optimise for is marked as primary; everything else is tracked for observation only.

With enhanced conversions, the UET tag also passes a hashed email address or phone number, normalised and SHA-256 hashed. That lets Microsoft attribute more conversions to a click when cookies are missing. The data only flows with consent, and Microsoft needs its own entry in your consent banner and privacy policy.

04 — Discipline

Offline conversions from your CRM

In B2B the value shows up after the form: in the first call, the proposal, the signed contract. For Microsoft to optimise towards those deals, we store the msclkid with the lead in your CRM and later report back which contact became a customer, with date and value. Contacts without a click ID can be matched through hashed customer data.

Uploads run as a file, through the API or automatically from the CRM. How the same data feeds Google, Meta and LinkedIn is explained on our Conversion APIs page.

05 — As of 2026

Conversions API: server-side, still a pilot

In 2026 Microsoft documented a Conversions API that sends events from your server instead of the browser, out of reach of ad blockers and browser privacy features. As of October 2026 it is a pilot, enabled per account through your Microsoft contact or support. The key rules from the documentation:

• Browser tag and API run side by side. With the same eventId on both, Microsoft counts the event once.
• Every event needs at least one identifier for matching, such as the msclkid or a hashed email and phone number.
• Consent is sent with each event. If it is missing, the event is treated as consented, so the banner's state has to be passed through properly.
• The API rejects events older than seven days. Older deals go through offline import.
• Remarketing still needs a small ID sync in the browser, so the API does not replace the tag.

Our take: if you already run your own tagging server, as described under server-side tracking, the API can be connected as soon as your account is enabled. Until then, the UET tag, consent mode and offline import get you most of the way.

06 — Honest

Why we don't use one-click integrations

Shopify, WooCommerce and many site builders have Microsoft apps that install the UET tag in one click. Handy for a first test. But these apps decide for you which events are sent with which data, often ignore the consent banner, and end up running next to a tag in Tag Manager, so every order counts twice. We build UET in Tag Manager, tied to consent and using the same events that Google and Meta receive.

Whether a site already runs a UET tag and sets a consent default is something our free tracking audit tool shows in a few seconds.

07 — Offer

Free Microsoft Ads tracking audit

Before changing anything, we look at what is already there. The audit is free and comes with no strings attached. We check:

• whether the UET tag loads on every relevant page and events arrive,
• whether UET consent mode is set up with default and update and matches your banner,
• which conversion goals count, whether any count twice and which ones drive optimisation,
• whether the msclkid survives redirects and forms and ends up in your CRM,
• whether enhanced conversions and offline import make sense for you,
• whether the Conversions API is worth it for your setup once it is available.

You get a short list of issues, ranked by impact and with an effort estimate. We have been measuring ad channels since 2006, and if your setup is already in good shape, we will say so.

08 — Quick answers

Frequently asked questions

What is the UET tag?

Microsoft Advertising's tracking tag for conversions and remarketing, separate from GA4 and the Google tag.

Is UET consent mode mandatory?

For visitors from the EU, EEA, UK and Switzerland since 5 May 2025. Without a default, the visitor counts as consenting.

Does Google consent mode cover it?

No. Your consent tool has to address UET separately.

Is there a Conversions API?

Yes, as a pilot enabled per account. It complements the UET tag rather than replacing it.

What does the audit cost?

Nothing. You get a prioritised list and decide for yourself.