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Microsoft Ads click fraud protection
Stop click fraud on Microsoft Ads
ClickLens detects invalid Microsoft Ads clicks, keyed by msclkid, and grades the conversions that feed automated bidding, so you can see which ones are fake.
How invalid clicks reach Microsoft Ads
Microsoft Ads runs a search auction much like Google’s, with an msclkid on every click, plus a syndicated partner network that places ads across third-party sites. That partner traffic is where more of the invalid clicks tend to come from, because the quality varies by site. Volume is lower than Google for most advertisers, so a budget-draining attack lands harder when it does hit.
projected annual ad-fraud loss by 2028 (Juniper Research)
of internet traffic is malicious bots (Imperva, 2025)
Microsoft Advertising filters some invalid traffic, but leaves the same gap as Google: the conversions that reach automated bidding are not graded on how they were produced.
How ClickLens protects Microsoft Ads
Microsoft leaves the same gap as Google: the conversions that reach automated bidding are never graded on how they were produced. ClickLens scores each Microsoft Ads visit while it is on the page and grades its conversions on how they were produced, so you can see which ones are fake before you trust the bidder. ClickLens does not connect to your Microsoft Ads account, so the exclusions are yours to add there.
| Capability | Microsoft Ads status |
|---|---|
| Click identifier | msclkid |
| Detection | Live |
| Exclusion sync | Not offered |
| Conversion write-back | Not offered: a fake conversion is flagged in ClickLens, not taken back in Microsoft Ads |
See how conversion grading works in conversion protection.
From install to protection
Install the tag
Add the ClickLens tag to your landing pages. Every visit is scored, including the ones arriving through Microsoft’s syndicated partner network.
Score every session
Each visit gets a human, suspect or bot verdict while it is still on the page, tied to its msclkid.
Grade conversions
Conversions are graded on provenance and journey so a fake lead does not train Microsoft’s automated bidding unchecked.
Act on it in Microsoft Ads
Add the flagged IPs and sites to your Microsoft Ads exclusions. ClickLens does not change your Microsoft Ads account.
Common questions
Where does click fraud come from on Microsoft Ads?
A large share rides in through Microsoft’s syndicated partner network, where ads run on third-party sites of varying quality. ClickLens scores that partner traffic on your own landing pages, the same way it scores clicks from Bing search.
Can ClickLens sync exclusions to Microsoft Ads?
No. ClickLens does not connect to your Microsoft Ads account. It lists the flagged IPs and sites in your dashboard, and you add them to your exclusions in Microsoft Ads.
Does Microsoft Ads protect automated bidding from fake conversions?
No. Like Google, Microsoft does not grade conversions on how they were produced, so a fake lead trains the bidder as if it were real. ClickLens grades each conversion on provenance to break that loop.
Related terms
See how much Microsoft Ads spend reaches a real person
Install one tag and ClickLens scores every Microsoft Ads session and conversion in the open. Free plan with 1,000 sessions a month, no credit card.
Sources
- Juniper Research (reported by Search Engine Land), “$84 billion of ad spend lost due to ad fraud in 2023” , September 2023. Accessed 26 June 2026. searchengineland.com
- Imperva (Thales), “2025 Imperva Bad Bot Report” , 2025. Accessed 26 June 2026. imperva.com