The WordPress way to install Bing UET is clunky
You're running Microsoft/Bing Ads and need conversion tracking. Without UET fired on your site, the ads platform has no signal about which clicks converted, and your campaigns optimize blind.
The canonical WordPress paths are: install an analytics plugin (comes with admin pages, updates, subscription nags), paste the snippet into functions.php (breaks when you switch themes), or set up Google Tag Manager as middleware (overkill for one pixel).
What most people do instead
How to add the Microsoft UET tag to WordPress without a plugin
You can drop the base UET tag code in by hand. A must-use plugin that prints it on the wp_head hook does the job:
// wp-content/mu-plugins/microsoft-uet.php
add_action( 'wp_head', function () { ?>
<!-- Microsoft UET tag: paste your base code from Microsoft Advertising, under Tools then UET tag -->
<script>
window.uetq = window.uetq || [];
/* paste Microsoft's UET base loader here */
uetq.push('init', { ti: 'YOUR_UET_TAG_ID' });
uetq.push('pageLoad');
</script>
<?php } );Swap in your UET tag ID and it starts firing on every page. The trade-offs are the usual ones:
- A theme switch drops a
functions.phpversion, so usemu-pluginsto avoid that. - The ID lives in a file, with no interface to change it.
- It fires for logged-in admins too, which skews your data.
- No consent gating, which is a GDPR concern in many regions.
The command does the same thing in one step, with a consent-aware option, and no file to babysit.
A better way: one command, one ID, tracking live
Run enable bing tag with your UET Tag ID. The command auto-registers as a startup command so the tracking snippet outputs on every page load. No theme edit, no plugin, no GTM middleware.
Shown in advanced mode, where commands start with tp. In easy mode you type the same command without the tp prefix.
Consent-aware flag included. Pass -consent_aware=true and the pixel only fires when your cookie-consent plugin's gate has been accepted. Works with any standard WP consent plugin that sets a cookie flag.
How it works
The command hooks wp_head with the Microsoft-provided tracking snippet, then auto-registers itself in Startup Commands so the tracking stays active across requests. Re-running with a different ID updates the existing entry. Disable from Startup Commands to remove.
tp enable bing tag -uid=12345678| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
-uid (required) | UET Tag ID (format: 12345678) |
-consent_aware | true to only fire after cookie consent (checks standard consent cookie) |
| Scope | Auto-registered as startup command, runs on every frontend page load |
| Where to find the ID | Microsoft Advertising → Conversion tracking → UET tags |
| Can be used in |
Real example
You're running Bing Ads for 15% of your traffic and the campaign has been optimizing toward "clicks" because there was no conversion signal. Run tp enable bing tag -uid=12345678, define a conversion event in Microsoft Advertising, and the campaign starts optimizing toward real conversions within 48 hours.
Goes further with TrueCommander
Frequently asked questions
wp_head hook, as shown above. The trade-offs are an ID stored in a file, tracking that fires for admins too, and no consent gating. TrueCommander does the same in one command, with a consent-aware option and nothing to maintain.-uid.-consent_aware=true and the UET tag only fires once your cookie-consent gate has been accepted, which helps with GDPR. The raw snippet above has no consent gating of its own.