How Complianz Handles Microsoft Ads Consent Signals

Microsoft Ads has introduced new rules that require websites to manage consent before tracking visitors with the Universal Event Tracking (UET) tag. These rules are similar to Google’s Consent Mode. If you use Microsoft Ads on your website, you must make sure that your tracking only runs when a visitor gives consent. Without this, you risk breaking privacy laws and your ads may not perform correctly.

The Complianz plugin now supports Microsoft Ads consent signals. This means Complianz will handle consent for you—initializing Microsoft Ads with a safe default setting and updating it based on your visitors’ choices.

In this guide, you’ll learn what the new consent signal requirement means, how Complianz manages it, and how you can test it on your site.

Why This Matters

• Compliance: Microsoft Ads now requires consent management. Running tracking without consent could violate GDPR and other privacy laws.
• Accuracy: Correct setup ensures Microsoft Ads receives the right signals, improving the quality of your ad reporting.
• Peace of mind: Complianz does the heavy lifting, so you don’t need custom coding.

How Complianz Handles Microsoft Ads Consent

Complianz uses a new built-in function called cmplz_microsoftads_uet_consent. This function controls how the Microsoft Ads UET tag behaves, based on the visitor’s consent choice.

Here’s how it works:

1. Default State (No Consent Yet)

• • When a visitor first lands on your site, Complianz sets Microsoft Ads’ ad_storage value to denied.
  • This ensures that no tracking happens until the visitor makes a choice.

2. When the Visitor Grants Consent

• • If the visitor accepts marketing cookies via the Complianz consent banner, the ad_storage value is updated to granted.
  • At this point, the Microsoft Ads UET tag will run normally.

3. If the Visitor Revokes Consent

• • If the visitor later changes their mind and disables marketing cookies, Complianz resets the ad_storage value back to denied.
  • This immediately stops Microsoft Ads from tracking that visitor.

Setting Up Microsoft Ads with Complianz

Follow these steps to enable Microsoft Ads consent management in Complianz:

1. Update Complianz Plugin

• • Make sure you’re using the latest version of the Complianz plugin.

2. Enable Microsoft Ads as a Service

• • • In your WordPress dashboard, go to Complianz > Wizard > Consent > Services.
    • Enable Microsoft Ads as a third-party service.

  

3. Check Your Banner Settings

• • • Confirm that your consent banner includes the Marketing category.
    • This is where Microsoft Ads will be grouped.

  
  

4. Save and Publish

• • Once you save the settings, Complianz will automatically manage Microsoft Ads consent signals for you.

Testing the Setup

You can test if everything is working correctly using your browser’s Developer Tools.

1. Default State Test

• • • Visit your site without interacting with the banner.
    • Open Developer Tools > Console.
    • Type window.uetq and press Enter.
    • Check that ad_storage is set to denied.

  

2. Granting Consent Test

• • • Accept marketing cookies in the banner.
    • Repeat the test above.
    • You should now see ad_storage set to granted.

  

3. Revoking Consent Test

• • • Use the consent button (often fixed at the bottom of the page) to revoke marketing consent.
    • Run the test again.
    • The value should return to denied.

  

Important Notes

• The Microsoft Ads UET script only loads when the service is enabled in Complianz.
• Complianz automatically adds and removes consent signals—no coding required.
• Other services and consent modes continue to work without conflict.

Microsoft Ads now requires websites to send proper consent signals, just like Google does. Without this, you risk privacy violations and losing valuable ad insights.

With the latest Complianz updates, Microsoft Ads UET consent mode is fully supported. Complianz will safely default to “denied,” update to “granted” when users give consent, and revert if they revoke it.

By enabling Microsoft Ads in Complianz and testing your setup, you can stay compliant and keep your advertising effective—without any extra hassle.