mHow does Bing Ads handle conversion deduplication?

Bing Ads (Microsoft Advertising) has a system in place for conversion deduplication to prevent counting the same conversion multiple times when a user interacts with your ads more than once. This helps ensure that the data you receive on conversions is as accurate as possible, giving you a clearer picture of your ad performance.

Here's how Bing Ads handles conversion deduplication:

1. Click-Based Deduplication
When a user clicks on an ad, a unique click ID (i.e., msclkid) is generated. This ID is tied to the specific click, allowing Bing Ads to recognize if multiple actions on the same device (such as completing the conversion on different pages or sessions) are part of the same conversion event triggered by that initial click.

Scenario 1: A user clicks on an ad, adds an item to the cart, then returns later and completes the purchase. Only one conversion will be counted, as it is associated with the first click (due to the unique click ID).

Scenario 2: If the user clicks on an ad, then another time within a set period, and completes the conversion both times (such as two purchases), each of those conversions would be counted as separate events.

2. View-Through Conversion Deduplication
In the case of view-through conversions (where a user sees an ad but does not click it, then later completes a conversion), Bing Ads also ensures that conversions are not double-counted if the user has previously clicked on an ad and the same conversion is recorded from both a click and a view.

Scenario: If a user is shown a display ad (view-through) and later completes a conversion, and the same user had previously clicked on an ad for that product, the conversion will only count once (attributed to the initial click).

3. Cross-Device Deduplication
Bing Ads can track conversions across different devices by linking actions taken on one device to a previous click on another device (e.g., a user clicks on your ad on mobile, then completes the conversion on desktop). Deduplication ensures that this cross-device conversion is counted only once.

Scenario: If a user clicks on your ad on mobile, then later completes a purchase on desktop, the conversion will be counted as one, avoiding duplication.

4. Conversion Window and Deduplication
Bing Ads allows you to set a conversion window (usually 30 days by default), which determines the time period during which multiple actions can be counted toward the same conversion. If a user completes a conversion within that window after clicking the same ad multiple times, it will count as a single conversion.

Scenario: If the same user clicks the same ad multiple times within a conversion window (e.g., 30 days) but makes only one purchase, only one conversion will be counted.

5. Offline Conversion Deduplication
When importing offline conversions (such as purchases made in-store or over the phone), Bing Ads checks the click ID (msclkid) and prevents counting multiple offline conversions linked to the same click. This is important for ensuring that offline data doesn't lead to inflated conversion counts.

Scenario: If an offline conversion is imported for the same click ID multiple times, Bing Ads will only count one conversion for that click.

How Conversion Deduplication Impacts Reporting
By using conversion deduplication, Bing Ads ensures:

Accurate reporting: Each conversion is counted only once per relevant ad interaction.

More reliable data for optimizing bids and measuring campaign performance: It helps avoid skewed conversion rates and enables better decision-making.

💡 Best Practices to Ensure Accurate Deduplication:
Set up proper tracking: Ensure UET tags are installed correctly across all pages and devices.

Use conversion windows wisely: Adjust your conversion window based on your sales cycle and product type.

Monitor multiple touchpoints: Track both click-through conversions and view-through conversions to get a full view of ad effectiveness.