Keep reading to know about how to set up your Facebook pixel step by step.
Set Up Facebook pixel
Now that you understand what you can track, and why you want to do this, it’s time to learn how to set up your Facebook pixel and put it to work on your website.
Step 1: Create a Facebook pixel
1. From your Facebook Events Manager, click Connect to Data Sources in the left-hand menu, then choose Web. Click Get Started to continue.
Source: Facebook Events Manager
2. Choose Facebook Pixel, then click on Connect.
Source: Facebook Events Manager
Title your pixel, add your website URL, and click on Continue.
Source: Facebook Events Manager
When selecting the pixel’s name, remember that with Events Manager, you only get one pixel for every ad account. The title should represent your business, rather than a selected campaign.
If you want to use more than one pixel per ad account, you’ll be able to do so using Facebook Business Manager.
Step 2: Include the Facebook pixel code to your website
To put the pixel to work gathering data on your website, you now need to install some Facebook pixel code on your web pages.
There are a number of ways to do this depending on what website platform you use.
Source: Facebook Events Manager
- If you use one of Facebook’s integration partners, like WordPress or Squarespace, choose to Use a Partner Integration. This will lead you to go through a series of steps to connect your Facebook pixel without any coding.
- When you work with a developer or someone else who may help you edit your website code, click on Email Instructions to send your developer all the things they need to install the pixel.
- If neither of the above options applies, you should insert the pixel code directly into your web pages. That’s what we’ll walk you through in this part.
1. Click Install code manually.
2. Click on the green Copy Code button.
Source: Facebook Events Manager
3. Paste the pixel code into the header code of your website, check above the </head> tag. It’s necessary to paste it into every page, or your header template if you’re using one. Click on Continue.
4. Select whether to make use of automatic advanced matching. This option matches hashed customer information from your website to Facebook profiles. This allows you to track conversions more accurately and make larger custom audiences. Then click on Continue.
Source: Facebook Events Manager
Step 3: Set up Facebook pixel events
1. Click the Open Event Setup Tool button.
Source: Facebook Events Manager
Select your Facebook pixel ID, then click on Settings and scroll down to Open Event Setup Tool.
Source: Facebook Events Manager
2. Add your URL and choose Open Website.
Source: Facebook Events Manager
3. Facebook will offer a list of suggested events. Click on Review next to each event, then select Confirm or Dismiss. Click Finish Setup to continue.
If you’re interrupted in your pixel setup, you’ll be able to always come back to this later by going to Events Manager.
Step 4: Confirm with the Facebook pixel helper that your pixel is working
Before you start depending on the data from your Facebook pixel, you should confirm that it’s tracking properly.
1. Add the Facebook Pixel Helper extension to your Google Chrome browser. (It’s only available for Chrome, so if you use a different browser, you have to install Chrome to use the Pixel Helper.)
Source: Chrome Web Store
2. Visit the page where you have installed the Facebook pixel. A popup will indicate how many pixels it collects on the page. The popup will also let you know if your pixel is working properly. If not, it will offer error information so you can make corrections.
Source: Facebook Pixel Helper
Step 5: Include a Facebook pixel notice on your website
To comply with Facebook’s terms (and, in some cases, the law), you’ll want to make sure visitors to your website know you’re collecting their data.
That means you need to provide clear notice that you’re using the Facebook pixel and that their information may be collected via cookies or other methods. You also need to let users know the way they can opt-out of having their data collected.
To get all the details, go to the Facebook Business Tools Terms and go to the next point.
3. Special Provisions Concerning the Use of Certain Business Tools. Or, take a look at Facebook’s Cookie Consent Resource.
Improve Facebook pixel data with Conversions API
To help counter the data-loss effects of iOS14.5 changes, Facebook introduced Conversions API. Rather than relying on cookies and web and mobile browsers for data, Conversions API accumulates information directly from your servers.
By combining Conversions API with the Facebook pixel, you’ll get access to more reliable data, even as the pixel loses data.
If you’re using one of Facebook’s integration partners, like Shopify or WooCommerce, you’ll be able to turn Conversions API on without writing any code.
1. From Events Manager, click Data Sources in the left column, then choose Settings in the top menu.
Source: Facebook Events Manager
2. Scroll down to the Conversions API section and choose Choose a Partner.
Select your partner and follow the steps. Facebook also offers detailed instructions for setting up the Facebook pixel Shopify Conversions API integration.
If you don’t use one of Facebook’s integration partners, you’ll have to make some code, and you need to work with a developer. Check out Facebook’s detailed steps for implementing Conversions API manually.
Conversions API can help fill in data your Facebook pixel is missing. For instance, in late 2020, the bedding company Lull discovered that their pixel was missing about 8% of purchase events.
As soon as they added Conversions API, they could track nearly 100% of purchase events. Additionally, they saw a 12.9% reduction in cost per action on a one-day click, one-day view attribution window.