Microsoft documents conversion restatement and retraction for Conversions API

What changed

Microsoft Advertising’s Conversions API guidance documents two adjustment paths for an existing conversion: restate and retract. A restatement updates the recorded conversion revenue, affecting Conv.value and AllConv.value while leaving conversion count unchanged. A retraction removes the conversion from conversion counts, sets its value to zero, and affects Conv., Conv.value and AllConv.value. The guidance requires a transactionId and uses an OnlineConversionAdjustment object. Microsoft’s page metadata was updated on 13 October at 23:47 UTC, but that is page-level metadata and does not establish when either capability became available.

The operational distinction matters because a changed value is not the same event as a removed conversion. Consider a hypothetical order originally recorded at £200. If the customer keeps part of the order and receives a £50 refund, a restatement to £150 is the plausible correction to assess: the sale remains, but its revenue changes. If the order is fully cancelled and should no longer count as a completed conversion, a retraction is the plausible route to assess. Those examples illustrate record-handling choices only; they do not imply an API payload, acceptance rule, processing window or reporting outcome beyond what the documentation states.

Advertisers can make the guidance operational by defining an adjustment decision table before sending corrections. Suggested checks include matching the transactionId to the original recorded conversion, retaining the original value and the revised commercial outcome, distinguishing partial returns from cancellations, and reconciling a small sample against Microsoft Advertising reporting after processing. Teams should also decide which system is authoritative for refunds and cancellations, so that customer-service adjustments are not sent twice through separate processes. A restatement should be reviewed where the conversion remains valid; a retraction should be reviewed where it should cease to count.

PPC News Feed’s 15 October coverage credits Hana Kobzová as the reported documentation spotter. Her original spotting post and reporting priority are not proven. The dated coverage and the Microsoft page metadata should therefore be treated as timing context, not as feature-release dates.

Why it matters for advertisers

Clear handling of partial refunds and cancellations can improve the consistency of reported conversion value and count without assuming any bidding benefit.