Set up Meta Pixel

Which events can you track?

Meta supports a predefined set of standard events that cover most website interactions. It is strongly recommended to use these standard events whenever possible, as they are already optimized for campaign use and require no additional configuration.

Event parameters

Most common parameters for eCommerce setups

These parameters are most often used in eCommerce tracking setups. Adding as many as possible helps ensure complete and accurate event data.

Event parameters

Purchase-specific parameters

Used primarily for the Purchase event:

• order_id, unique transaction
• identifierdelivery_category, shipping method (e.g. 'standard',
'express')
• coupon, discount code used during checkout

Most common parameters for lead-generation setups

Lead-generation setups typically use fewer parameters than eCommerce setups. The parameters you include depend on your specific campaign objectives and the type of data you want to capture. Below are some commonly used options:

• value, estimated lead value, or 0 if unknowncurrency – ISO currency code (e.g. 'EUR')
• lead_type, describes the type of lead (e.g. 'form_submission', 'demo_request', 'contact')
• status, indicates the stage or qualification level (e.g. 'submitted', 'qualified')
• content_name, name of the form, page, or offer that generated the lead
• content_category, category or business segment of the lead (e.g. 'B2B SaaS', 'agency')
• form_id, unique identifier of the form used to submit the lead

Prepare your data layer

• For e-commerce, follow Meta’s recommended event parameters.
• Use official plugins or custom scripts to populate the data layer for platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, or custom builds.

Expert Tip
Use GTM’s Preview mode to inspect your data layer and verify event parameters.

To send detailed event data to Meta, create variables that extract values from your data layer:

Create custom event triggers in GTM

1. In GTM, go to Triggers and click New.
2. Select Custom Event as the trigger type
3. Enter the event name as it appears in your data layer (e.g., purchase, add_to_cart).
4. Scope the trigger as needed (e.g., All Custom Events or Some Custom Events).
5. Save your trigger.

Define data layer variables

1. Go to Variables in GTM and click New.
2. Choose Data Layer Variable.
3. Enter the data layer path (e.g., ecommerce.value, ecommerce.currency, ecommerce.items, ecommerce.transaction_id).
4. Name your variable descriptively (e.g., “DLV – ecommerce.value”).
5. Repeat for each parameter you want to send.

Configure the Meta Pixel Tag (Conversions API Tag)

1. In GTM, go to Tags and click New.
2. Select Tag Type: Custom Template or HTTP Request (for server containers), or use a dedicated Meta Pixel/CAPI template if available.
3. Enter your Meta Pixel ID and Access Token (from your Meta Events Manager).
4. Map your event name and parameters (use the variables created above). Example parameters: event_name, event_time, value, currency, content_ids, content_type, user_data
5. Link the tag to your custom event trigger.
6. Save the tag.

Expert insight:
For best match rates, include as much user data as possible (hashed emails, phone numbers, etc.) in the payload.

Test, debug, and publish

1. Use GTM Preview mode to trigger your events and inspect outgoing requests.
2. Check the Meta Events Manager in Facebook Business Suite for incoming server events and deduplication status.
3. Once confirmed, Submit and Publish your GTM container changes.

Best practices

User data parameters (for advanced matching or Server-side Tracking)

User data parameters help Meta identify users across devices and browsers, improving event matching rates and your data quality score. The more data points you send, the better your match rate will be.

User data parameters

• em – email address (hashed)
• ph – phone number (hashed, E.164 format)
• fn – first name (hashed)
• ln – last name (hashed)ge – gender (e.g. 'm', 'f')
• db – date of birth (YYYYMMDD)
• ct – city
• st – state or province
• zp – ZIP or postal code
• country – ISO 2-letter country code
• external_id – unique customer or user ID from your CRM (or custom ID that remains consistent across sessions)
• client_ip_address – user’s IP address (for server events)
• client_user_agent – browser user agent string

Expert insight:
For the highest match rate, always send at least em, ph, and external_id when available.

Custom events and parameters

If Meta’s default events and parameters do not fully cover your campaign goals, you can define custom event names and custom parameters.When doing so, keep the following rules in mind:

• Avoid special characters (e.g. ?!@$). Use only letters, numbers, or underscores in event and parameter names. The use of other characters could result in your event not being processed by Meta.
• Parameter values can contain any content, but must always be sent as a string, number, or object/array.
• Custom event names must be verified before they can be used in campaigns. You can verify them in Events Manager by selecting the event name and clicking the verification prompt.

Troubleshooting