Microsoft Ads (Bing Ads) is the second largest search channel for B2B audiences in the US and EU. LinkedIn Professional Audience targeting, an older demographic, and lower CPCs on many B2B queries — that’s why Microsoft Ads is part of the standard media mix for B2B SaaS and consulting. The standard problem: Microsoft Ads shows CPL, but has no visibility into which Bing Search leads actually closed as deals. Prooflytics closes the loop — msclkid to closed-won in the CRM.
Why CPL from Microsoft Ads Is Misleading
A classic situation: a Microsoft Ads campaign generates 40 leads per month at $50 CPL. Google Ads — 60 leads at $70 CPL. By CPL metric, Microsoft Ads looks better. But in the CRM (Kommo or HubSpot) the picture is different: of 40 Microsoft Ads leads, 3 deals closed; of 60 Google Ads leads — 12.
Real CAC (cost per acquisition):
— Microsoft Ads: 40 × $50 / 3 = $667 per deal
— Google Ads: 60 × $70 / 12 = $350 per deal
Without attribution to the closed deal, budget flows to the channel with more expensive, lower-converting leads. Prooflytics delivers this picture automatically — no manual Excel consolidation required.
How msclkid Works — The Key Microsoft Ads Parameter
Microsoft automatically appends msclkid to the URL when an ad is clicked. The equivalent of gclid in Google Ads. With proper configuration:
- User clicks a Microsoft Ad -> lands on the site with
?msclkid=AbCdEfG...in the URL - Prooflytics captures msclkid and saves it in a first-party cookie (up to 30 days)
- User submits a form or opens a chat -> lead is created in the CRM with msclkid
- Deal closes as Won -> Prooflytics links it to ad spend via the Microsoft Ads API
Important: msclkid only works if URL tracking is configured correctly. In Microsoft Ads -> Account Settings -> Auto-tagging must be enabled, or the manual {msclkid} parameter must be in the URL template.
What Prooflytics Shows for Microsoft Ads
After integration, the unified dashboard shows:
- By campaign: spend, leads, deals, revenue, CAC — for each Bing Search, Shopping, and Audience Network campaign
- By keyword: which keywords lead to closed deals (not just clicks)
- By audience: LinkedIn Audience Segments (Microsoft’s professional audiences) — which segments convert to deals
- Channel comparison: Microsoft Ads vs Google Ads vs Meta Ads in one table with CAC per channel
For the head of sales, this means: the first question “where did this lead come from” is already answered in the CRM contact card.
Microsoft Ads: B2B Attribution Specifics
LinkedIn Professional Targeting in Microsoft Ads. Microsoft is the only search advertising platform with native LinkedIn profile targeting: job title, company, industry, company size. For B2B this matters: you can show ads only to CFOs at companies with 100–1,000 employees. Prooflytics breaks down attribution by these segments — showing which LinkedIn segment generates closed-won deals.
Lower CPC on B2B queries. For many B2B SaaS keywords, Bing CPC is 1.5–3x lower than Google. At the same or better audience quality (corporate Windows machines, Outlook users). Prooflytics lets you see not just CPC, but cost-per-closed-deal.
Microsoft Ads API. Prooflytics integrates with the Microsoft Advertising API to pull spend data: automatically retrieving data by campaigns, ad groups, and keywords. No manual report exports needed.
Attribution Setup: What to Check
1. Auto-tagging in Microsoft Ads
Microsoft Ads -> Settings -> Account Settings -> Tracking -> Auto-tagging: enable. This ensures msclkid is automatically appended to URLs.
2. Prooflytics Pixel on all pages
The Prooflytics Pixel captures msclkid on the first visit and stores it in a cookie. Important: the Pixel must be on all pages, not just landing pages. A user may click -> leave -> return later -> fill out the form.
3. Pass msclkid with the lead
The form on the site must include a hidden field with msclkid from the cookie. Prooflytics provides instructions for adding the hidden field for HubSpot Forms, Typeform, and custom forms.
4. CRM integration
Prooflytics connects to Kommo or HubSpot — reads closed-won deals and matches them with msclkid stored on the contact. For deals without msclkid (organic, direct traffic) — a separate line in the analytics.
Comparison: Microsoft Ads vs Other Channels in Prooflytics
Prooflytics shows all channels in a unified table. The same attribution is configured for:
- Google Ads (gclid) — the primary search channel by volume
- Meta Ads (fbclid) — LinkedIn and Instagram for B2B awareness
- LinkedIn Ads (li_fat_id) — most precise B2B targeting
- TikTok Ads (ttclid) — growing channel for B2B SaaS among younger audiences
All analytics in one dashboard — no manual consolidation from 5 different ad platforms.
Real-World Case Study
B2B SaaS (Germany, HubSpot + Microsoft Ads + Google Ads, ~80 leads/month):
- Before Prooflytics: Microsoft Ads delivered 30 leads/month at €45 CPL. Google Ads — 50 leads at €65 CPL. The marketer recommended increasing the Microsoft Ads budget — “cheaper leads.”
- After Prooflytics (3 months of data): Microsoft Ads — 30 leads, 2 closed-won, CAC €675. Google Ads — 50 leads, 11 closed-won, CAC €295. Microsoft Ads LinkedIn segment “Enterprise 1000+” — 8 leads, 1 deal, CAC €360.
- Decision: reallocated budget in favor of Google Ads (×1.5). Microsoft Ads kept only for the LinkedIn Enterprise segment (niche channel with acceptable CAC for the ICP). Result six months later: revenue from paid +34% with the same total budget.
Who This Is For
- B2B companies with Microsoft Ads in their media mix and 20+ leads per month from that channel
- Teams that see “good CPL” in Microsoft Ads but don’t know real CAC
- Heads of marketing who want to defend or justify cutting the Microsoft Ads budget in front of the CFO
- SaaS with long deal cycles (60–180 days) — first-click attribution via msclkid correctly attributes deals even months later
Frequently Asked Questions
Microsoft Ads auto-tagging — will it conflict with Google Analytics 4?
Microsoft Ads auto-tagging adds msclkid to the URL. GA4 adds gclid for Google Ads. Both parameters can be present simultaneously — there is no conflict. Prooflytics reads both parameters independently.
What if the user blocks cookies?
msclkid is stored in a first-party cookie — these are blocked less frequently than third-party cookies. Additionally, Prooflytics supports server-side tracking: msclkid is passed via the form as a hidden field, without relying on cookies. Setup depends on the form type on your site.
Does Microsoft Ads support Enhanced Conversions (similar to Google)?
Yes, Microsoft Ads supports Enhanced Conversions (Enhanced Offline Conversions). Prooflytics can send closed deal data back to Microsoft Ads to train algorithms. This improves Target CPA bidding in campaigns.
Does Prooflytics work without a CRM — just with a site form?
Prooflytics requires CRM integration for attribution to closed deals. Without CRM — only lead-level attribution (replacing a UTM dashboard). The full value comes from closing the loop on Won deals in Kommo or HubSpot.
Summary
- msclkid is the key Microsoft Ads attribution parameter, equivalent to gclid
- Prooflytics captures msclkid on-site, matches it to CRM deals, and shows real CAC
- Microsoft Ads often wins on CPL but loses on CAC — without end-to-end analytics this is invisible
- LinkedIn Professional Targeting in Microsoft Ads is a unique B2B segment; Prooflytics attribution gives an accurate picture of its contribution
- Integration with Kommo or HubSpot — same mechanism as for Google Ads and Meta Ads
If you’re using Microsoft Ads and want to see which campaigns generate closed deals — describe your CRM system and current media mix. Prooflytics can be configured in 1–2 business days.