Browser tracking is becoming less reliable because of ad blockers, decreased cookie lifetime, and intelligent tracking prevention. The iOS 14 update made everything even more complicated. For these reasons, Facebook started encouraging all advertisers to move their tracking to the server-side and implement Facebook conversion API. With the Facebook CAPI, you can run tracking on the server-side or combine browser and server methods. If you decide to integrate Facebook Pixel and Facebook conversion API, these two methods will work together and make your tracking more accurate.
In this article, I want to show you how to set up a Facebook conversion API on BigCommerce. This method works for the Stencil theme and optimized one-page checkout. Recently, one of our clients asked to move all his Facebook events to the server-side. We were not able to find a pre-built solution and had to design everything from scratch.
To set up Facebook conversion CAPI on BigCommerce, you’ll need to do the following:
1. Set up Google Tag Manager Web container.
2. Send events and parameters to the data layer.
3. Move Facebook pixel from BigCommerce to Google Tag Manager Web container.
4. Set up Google Tag Manager Server Container.
5. Set up Facebook conversion API inside the Server Container.
How does the Facebook conversion API work with your BigCommerce pixel?Copy link to this section
Facebook recommends having both browser tracking and server tracking implemented. To prevent data duplication, you should set up event deduplication using the eventID method.
But Facebook Conversion API can work as a replacement for your standard pixel tracking. Though Facebook does not recommend using only server tracking, it may improve the page speed of your site.
Facebook recommends using FB pixel in parallel with FB CAPI. In this case, both data sources will send identical information to Facebook. And if one doesn’t work (for example, a pixel will be blocked by the ad blocker), the second one will pick up blocked data.
Your events need to send a unique event ID to Facebook to set up proper event deduplication. If an event with the same name and event ID is sent to Facebook within 5 minutes, the events will be deduplicated. In this case, Facebook will process web events and deduplicate server events.
What events and parameters can you send from your BigCommerce site using Facebook conversion API?Copy link to this section
Facebook conversion API can support all types of FB events, including standard and custom. But bear in mind that you should send events data and user data together with server events. Event data include such variables as content_id, purchase value, etc. Facebook uses user data to match users from your site to users in their database.
Here’s an example of user parameters and a difference between server and browser events:
All Facebook events that you send from the server will have an event match quality score. You can get a maximum of 10 points, and the score you get depends on the number of user parameters you send to Facebook. It is required to send at least one customer parameter like email, browser, or IP address. . Facebook also recommends sending _fbp and _fbc parameters.
How can you set up a Facebook conversion API on your BigCommerce site?Copy link to this section
You can integrate the Facebook conversion API into your BigCommerce store using the Google Tag Manager Server container. Check this blog post describing what a server container is and how it can benefit your site.
If you are already using Facebook pixel on your BigCommerce store, most likely, you are using native BigCommerce and Facebook integrations. It means that FB pixel ID is added to BigCommerce.
Set up Google Tag Manager Web Container.Copy link to this section
The first step would be to move Facebook tracking to the Google Tag Manager web container. To set up Facebook browser tracking properly inside the web container, you need to use a data layer. It will pass events and parameters to a Facebook pixel. We will use BigCommerce scripts for that.
1. Create a Google Tag Manager web container and add GTM code using BigCommerce script manager. Create a new script and add the script in the headers on all pages.
2. Open the script manager inside the storefront -> Create a new script -> This script should be added in header on all pages. Copy this script, paste into the script manager and click save. This script will send data layer events in the Google Tag Manager web container.
3. Add this code inside the affiliate tracking. Advanced Settings -> Web Analytics -> Affiliate Conversion Tracking.
dataLayer.push({
'client_email': '%%ORDER_EMAIL%%',
});4. Once you’ve added these scripts, open the preview mode of the Google Tag Manager web container and check if you see data layer events.
Import Google Tag Manager ContainersCopy link to this section
5. Create and set up Google Tag Manager Server container. Follow this guide on setting up a server container.
6. Import this container setup inside the Web container.
7. Import this settings setup inside the Server Container.
8. Once done, add your values inside these variables:
Web container: Facebook pixel, Server URL, Preview Header, Web GTM ID
Server Container: API Access Token, Facebook Pixel ID, Facebook Test ID
9. Go to the Web and Server containers preview mode and check that you see all events and parameters. Also, you can add Facebook test ID and check if event deduplication works correctly. Follow this guide on how to test Facebook conversion API.
Conclusion:Copy link to this section
The great thing about implementing Facebook conversion API into your BigCommerce store is giving Facebook more reliable information about site visitors. It will help FB attribute conversions to your campaigns more accurately and create high-quality custom and lookalike audiences.
If you need any help implementing FB CAPI into your BigCommerce store, let us know what kind of help you need and submit this form.
Setting up a Facebook conversion API on BigCommerce?
We can do it for you! Just click Get assistance, fill up the form, and we will send you a quote.
Relevant posts
Facebook Conversion API for Unbounce
Accurate tracking is getting more problematic because of privacy restrictions. With Apple’s iOS 14 update, users will be asked to opt out of or opt in for tracking on iOS devices. Studies show that around 90% of users will choose to opt out of tracking. It means that tracking pixels won’t work for 90% of iOS users. This article will describe how to set up the Facebook Conversions API for Unbounce so that Facebook and Instagram tracking still work accurately.
May 9, 2021Facebook conversion API for Shopify
Facebook spent a lot of effort pushing marketers and site owners to implement FB Conversion API. If you run advertising on Facebook, you’ve likely already heard about Facebook conversion API and why it’s essential to implement it to make your tracking more accurate because of iOS 14, AdBlockers, and ITP. So how can you implement it? In this guide, I want to show you how to set up a Facebook conversion API for Shopify using the Google Tag Manager Server container. This method allows setting up server-side tracking using GTM web, server container, and GA4 or Data Tags to send data from web to server. The main benefit of this method is that it works for the customized websites or non-standard events where the Native Facebook app is not helpful.