Microsoft recently rolled out some changes that require you to have Microsoft Consent Mode switched on in certain countries (GDPR-heavy ones). Since then, we’ve seen two things with new accounts: conversions take ages to show up, or they suddenly drop off a cliff. For some existing accounts, numbers dipped right after the change too.
It’s easy to blame account structure or demand, but before you start rebuilding campaigns, check consent mode. A lot of the time the issue is simply that consent isn’t implemented properly.
Why Microsoft changed things
This is part of a wider shift towards stricter privacy standards. Essentially, if you want to set ad-related cookies or capture personal data, you’ll need explicit user consent. Consent Mode gives you a way to maintain compliance while keeping measurement workable when consent is granted.
What happens if users decline
Historically, if a user declined tracking, traditional methods would completely block the UET tag, which meant losing conversion data and starving your optimisation. With Consent Mode, UET can adapt to the user’s choice. When users decline, you won’t get the full picture, but you can avoid the “all or nothing” scenario. Consent Mode can use the anonymised data to model some of the conversions you’re likely missing. It’s not perfect, but it’s better than flying blind.
The symptoms
- New accounts: conversions take much longer to start appearing.
- Existing accounts: you’ll see a drop that isn’t explained by clicks or website behaviour.
- Region-led patterns: privacy-heavy markets dip while others look steady.
If you’re seeing a similar pattern – here are some quick checks you can do to confirm that consent mode is the issue.
Quick checks
- Use a VPN to load the site in a privacy-heavy region.
- Before clicking the banner make sure ad cookies aren’t being set.
- After accepting, confirm your base tag and conversion events start behaving as expected.
- Across key journeys: test the full path (form, checkout, thank-you) so you’re not missing signals on the last step.
- Audiences: if remarketing lists feel frozen in those regions, your consent signal likely isn’t making it through.
The principles of a solid setup
Think of consent as a single source of truth that everything listens to.
- Default to denied on page load. Nothing ad-related should fire before a user chooses.
- Flip state instantly on accept. As soon as consent is given, update state and allow base + conversion tags to run.
- Let one system lead. If a CMP issues the signal, don’t layer custom logic that fights it in your tag manager.
- Cover every template. It’s not just the homepage; apply the same logic to checkout flows, thank-you pages, and any microsites.
- Handle SPAs properly. On route changes, re-evaluate consent so events don’t fire under an old state.
The traps to avoid
- All-or-nothing blocking – UET is killed entirely when a user says no. Result: zero modelling, zero signal, zero optimisation.
- Late banners – The banner loads after scripts, so cookies drop before a choice is shown. You’ve already lost the moment.
- Duplicate consent logic – CMP + custom code + tag manager all trying to decide. Conflicts lead to random “sometimes it works” bugs.
- The last-mile miss – Consent is captured correctly, but the conversion event still fires pre-consent on the confirmation page.
- SPA amnesia – Route changes don’t re-check consent, so in-app events fire with the wrong state.
What to tell your stakeholders
Lower observed conversions in strict regions rarely equals worse marketing; it often equals stricter measurement. Explain what changed, what you’ve fixed in the consent flow, and how you’ll validate with downstream signals (CRM matches, offline imports, lead quality).
That reframes the story from “performance drop” to “measurement alignment.”
An example recovery plan
Audit the flow end-to-end. From default state to accept to conversion, confirm when UET and each event is allowed to fire.
Standardise and simplify. Choose the CMP as the source of truth (or your chosen framework) and remove legacy or duplicate code paths.
Retest real journeys. Not just a test page – submit a form, complete a checkout, hit the thank-you page. Confirm signals land cleanly.
Watch and settle. Give bidding a short window to re-learn on cleaner data; modelling will catch up.
Lift consent rates ethically. Faster banners, clear copy, and sensible defaults improve consent and with it, measurable conversions.
Final thoughts
If Microsoft Ads conversions have gone quiet, especially on new accounts, resist the urge to rebuild campaigns. Fix consent first. Once your signal flow is clean, tracking stabilises, optimisation resumes, and you can get back to the levers that actually grow revenue.
