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Unlocking the Mystery of MSCLKID in Google Analytics

Have you ever seen MSCLKID as a traffic source or medium in your Google Analytics?

Do not panic. It is not an error.

In this post, you’ll understand what MSCLKID means and how to eliminate them in Google Analytics.

Read Also: Why Google Analytics is FREE

What does MSCLKID Mean?

MSCLKID is a tracking parameter used by Microsoft Advertising (formerly known as Bing Ads) to help advertisers track the effectiveness of their ad campaigns.

When a user clicks on a Microsoft Advertising ad, the MSCLKID parameter is added to the ad’s landing page URL.

This parameter contains a unique identifier that Microsoft Advertising uses to track the user’s click and attribute it to the correct ad campaign.

The MSCLKID parameter can track various metrics, including click-through rates, conversion rates, and return on investment.

By analyzing these metrics, advertisers can optimize their ad campaigns to achieve better results and higher returns on investment.

It’s important to note that the MSCLKID parameter contains no personal information about the user who clicked on the ad.

Instead, it is a unique identifier that allows Microsoft Advertising to track clicks and attribute them to the correct ad campaign.

Simply put, MSCLKID means Microsoft Click ID. It shows up in your Google Analytics report when you receive a visit via a Microsoft ad.

For MSCLKID to be active, an advertiser would have to enable it.

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Further Learning: What are ABO and CBO in Facebook advertising?

The Problem With MSCLKID

There are no major problems or issues with MSCLKID itself as it is a necessary tracking parameter used by Microsoft Advertising to help advertisers track the effectiveness of their ad campaigns.

However, some users may be concerned about the privacy implications of tracking their clicks using this parameter.

Although the MSCLKID parameter does not contain personal information about the user who clicked on the ad, some users may still be uncomfortable with the idea of being tracked by advertisers.

Additionally, some users may be concerned that their data is being collected without their consent or used for purposes they did not intend.

To address these concerns, Microsoft Advertising provides users with opt-out options for personalized advertising and allows users to manage their privacy preferences through the Microsoft Privacy Dashboard.

Additionally, Microsoft Advertising adheres to various industry standards and regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), to protect user privacy.

MSCLKID are all click identifiers for respective platforms, as explained above.

An additional problem with these click identifiers is that they create so many paths on one single page of your website in Google Analytics. This makes your report complicated, and it looks really untidy.

Read Also: How To Fix HTTPS Error in Google Search Console

How to remove MSCLKID from Google Analytics

There are two ways to remove MSCLKID from your Google Analytics.

  1. View Settings
  2. Filter Settings

The first method is easy and the second method is a bit complicated. However, I’ll explain both.

I recommend sticking with the first method if you are not so technical.

Read More: How To Reduce Bounce Rate in Google Analytics

Method 1: View Settings

Here, you’ll learn how to remove MSCLKID from your Google Analytics via view settings.

view settings in Google analytics

Go to your View Settings and add “msclkid” into the “Exclude URL Query Parameter” section. 

how to remove fbclid, msclkid, or gclid from Google Analytics

Remember to separate each identifier with a comma. See the screenshot above.

Read More: How to do Keyword Research on Google

Method 2: Filter Settings

Here, you’ll find out what you need to do to exclude the msclkid parameters using the filter settings.

Please note that we’ll use msclkid in this instance but you can apply the same steps to filter out fbclid and gclid in your Google Analytics.

To remove MSCLKID from your Google Analytics reports, you can create a filter that excludes this parameter from your reports. Here are the steps to create a filter:

  1. Log in to your Google Analytics account and navigate to the Admin section.
  2. In the View column, click on Filters.
  3. Click on the “+ Add Filter” button to create a new filter.
  4. Give your filter a name, such as “Exclude MSCLKID.”
  5. Choose “Custom” as the filter type.
  6. Under “Filter Field,” select “Campaign Source.”
  7. Under “Filter Pattern,” enter “msn.com” (without the quotes).
  8. Click on “Verify this filter” to preview the data that will be excluded.
  9. If the preview looks correct, click on “Save.”

This filter will exclude all traffic from msn.com, the domain that Microsoft Advertising uses to redirect users to landing pages with the MSCLKID parameter. Once the filter is applied, your Google Analytics reports should no longer include data with the MSCLKID parameter.

Read More: How To Block Bot Traffic From Seychelles & Czechia

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Read Also: The Difference Between GA4 and UA In Google Analytics

Conclusion

By now, you should have found a way to eliminate MSCLKID in your Google Analytics.

Cleaning up your Google Analytics report by filtering these parameters out is essential.

Remember that there are two methods to do this, as explained above.

I recommend you use the “view settings” method to remove MSCLKID from Google Analytics.

If you still cannot fix it, drop your comments here or contact me for help.

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