Implementing Facebook tracking is necessary, especially if you constantly run Facebook Ads campaigns. Efficient conversion tracking will help analyze your campaign performance and make data-driven decisions.
In this guide, we will discuss the different types of conversion tracking in Meta (Facebook Pixel, Facebook Conversions API, and Facebook Conversions API Gateway) and highlight the advantages and disadvantages of each to help you choose the right one. We will also review advanced Facebook tracking practices that will help improve your Meta Ads conversion tracking in 2025.
Facebook conversion tracking is the process of monitoring and recording users' interactions with your website. These conversions may include clicking on an ad, viewing a product, or buying one.
After the conversions are recorded, you can see them in the Facebook Ads Manager or the Facebook Events Manager and evaluate the performance of your conversion funnel.
Conversion monitoring lets you estimate the effectiveness of a specific Facebook Ads campaign based on your conversion goal (e.g., signing up, downloading, or buying some products or services). Such data helps you understand what campaigns work better for your case and focus on them.
You can make data-driven decisions about the budget you spend on campaigns and the audience you target. Setting conversion goals and consistently tracking them can provide valuable insights for ad optimization.
The type of data you can track depends on the method you use for conversion tracking. For example, Meta itself defines three types of data you can track with Pixel:
Pixel's limitation is that it can't track offline events. This can be an issue if you have a considerable number of offline conversions (e.g., phone orders). To address this problem, you can use Facebook Conversions API configured via server GTM.
Facebook (Meta) Pixel is a Javascript code that's added to a website, it tracks visitors and their actions. It helps monitor what ad campaigns work better to turn visitors into leads or deals.
Facebook Pixel adds the cookies on the page and triggers them to record the required conversion. This type of tracking is called client-side, as the monitoring is happening in the visitor's browser.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Easy to set up. You just need to copy and paste Pixel into the website. | Low data control. User’s data is processed in the browser, making it harder to comply with data regulations. |
| Incomplete data. Ad blockers can block Facebook Pixel code. |
| For a detailed comparison of both tracking methods see our article Facebook Conversion API vs. Facebook Pixel. |
Facebook Conversions API Gateway is a server-side method for FB tracking. Compared to Facebook Pixel alone, it allows for greater control over the data and more precise monitoring.
Note:
When the Pixel is triggered, the data about the event is sent to the Conversions API Gateway. In this case, the data is processed on your server instead of the user's browser, like Facebook Pixel alone.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Precise data tracing. Facebook CAPIG is not affected by ad blockers. | Weak circumvention of ITP restrictions and protection against ad blocker. Technologies behind ad blockers develop rapidly and the protection against them is lower. |
| High data control. All the data is proceeded on your server, allowing easier compliance with data regulations. | |
| No coding is required to set up. The configuration is straightforward if you follow the setup guide. Implementation time takes 1 minute and is the cheapest solution. |
As we described above, you can track the performance of Facebook ad campaigns on the server side using the Facebook Conversions API Gateway or the Facebook Conversions API. Both provide greater data control and more accurate tracking than Facebook Pixel. In this section, we explain the difference between them.
Facebook Conversions API is the solution created to connect advertisers' data (events) from their servers, platforms, apps, or CRM to Meta systems. Facebook CAPI serves the same purpose as Facebook Pixel and Facebook CAPIG but has different technologies behind it.
Both purposes are to send event data from your server to Meta's server. With the help of each of them, you can track Facebook ad campaigns and benefit from more precise data. Each method requires cloud services to process the data. Let's figure out the difference between Facebook CAPI and Facebook CAPIG.
| Facebook CAPI | Facebook CAPIG |
| More advanced integration. | Faster and easier to set up. |
| A more flexible solution that allows customized events and parameters. | Less flexible in setting up customized events. |
| Requires setting up server GTM container. If you have up to 10,000 requests per month, you won’t pay for cloud hosting. | No need to create a server GTM container. Instead, you will need to pay 10$ per pixel after 7 days trial. |
| Higher protection against ad blockers and browser restrictions. | Lower protection against ad blockers and ITP. |
| Ability to set up offline conversions tracking (e.g., phone or offline store conversions). |
Check our blog post on Meta Conversions API Gateway vs. Conversion API for a detailed comparison.
1.1 In the Meta Ads account, go to Events Manager and select "Connect data sources".
1.2 In the pop-up window, select "Web" and click "Connect".
1.3 Add the mane for Pixel and click "Create". And then add your website URL.
1.4 Choose how to connect your website - Meta Pixel only or with Conversions API (as Meta recommends). Meta Pixel and Conversions API provide more accurate conversion tracking.
If you have chosen to install Pixel manually, you should paste the code into the header section of your website above the tag.
After adding, you can set up events tracking - standard ones that Meta's documentation provides or custom.
| For detailed instructions on how to set up Meta Pixel, please see Meta’s guide. |
To use the Facebook Conversions API Gateway, you need a Stape account. If you don't have one, follow the link to create it.
1.1 Select "Meta CAPIG" and click "Create CAPIG" on the top right.
1.2 Add the CAPIG name and the email address you'd like to use to manage the Conversions API Gateway.
1.3. Select the server location and choose the subscription plan (you can start with 7-day free trial).
2.1 In the Meta admin account, click "Add data source". Authorize in Meta and select the Business Manager and Pixel you need to connect.
| Check our detailed guide on how to set up Meta CAPIG to see advanced setting up options and check the setup. |
The setup process requires configuring web and server GTM containers. To deliver data to server GTM, you will also need server-side Google Analytics 4 or Data Tag/Data Client.
Depending on the CMS you use, please follow one of the step-by step guides with templates below:
If there is no CMS that you use on the list above, please follow the guide on Meta CAPI for a custom website via server GTM.
| We, at Stape, constantly release new apps for the CMS, you can check the up-to-date list on Stape’s apps page. |
Over the past years, ensuring compliant ad tracking has become more challenging due to emerging data privacy regulations. Setting up tracking that doesn't break any laws and doesn't decrease website traffic isn't easy.
The best you can do to comply with data regulations is to:
Stape fully complies with all privacy regulations and is a great choice for businesses aiming for high data security.
Useful links:
In case you are using Facebook Conversions API, you would need to improve the Facebook event match quality score since it can significantly impact your campaign’s results and help achieve higher audience accuracy.
Event match quality measures how well the visitor's customer parameters that were sent with your server event align with Meta accounts. The score depends on the number and accuracy of the parameters you send.
There are ways to improve Facebook event match quality score, they include:
These are the most popular ways to improve Facebook event match quality. For more details and methods, see our blog post on Facebook Event Match Quality - what it is and how to increase it.
If you are considering or already using Facebook Lead Ads, using the Meta Conversions API for CRM would benefit ad performance analysis.
But first, what are Facebook Lead Ads? They are an ad type that is available on Facebook Ads campaigns. Facebook lead ads aim to increase the number of leads from Meta (e.g., demo requests or event registration). Mobile-friendly forms that target the right audience that Meta selects help increase the number of leads. The perk is that information is collected from users directly within the Meta platform without redirecting to other websites.
What are the benefits of integrating CRM with Meta Conversions API?
| Find out more about Meta Conversions API apps in our article. |
Facebook ad tracking has become more challenging due to emerging law regulations (such as GDPR and CCPA). More and more switch from client-side monitoring (in the context of Meta, it is Meta Pixel) to server-side (e.g., Meta Conversions API or Meta Conversions API Gateway) since it provides higher control over the data and more accurate tracking. Both solutions are handy to use; you just need to choose the one that works best for your needs!
Depending on the tracking method you choose, Stape can provide various solutions. Thus, you can use Stape hosting for the cloud and Facebook CAPI tag to set up Meta Conversions API. Another option is Meta CAPIG, which is quicker and easier to set up than Meta CAPI. If you use Facebook Lead Ads, you will be interested in Meta Conversions API apps for CRMs.
There is no direct Facebook integration with other tools.
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