If you’re keeping up with trends, you know that all major browsers are expected to clamp down on third-party cookies by 2023. This means the ever-reliable Facebook pixel and others like it will soon be a thing of the past. Increased concerns about internet privacy have prompted the decline of browser-dependent client-side conversion tracking. Your custom audiences, retargeting audiences, and ad targeting will all be impacted.
But fear not. Facebook has rolled out an updated Facebook conversion APIs to help you stay ahead of the game. By flipping the script to being a server-side API, internet users don’t need to worry that their browser is tracking them like before. Instead of being tracked by their browser activities, it tracks visitor conversions through your website’s server. The API collects the same visitor behavior data and connects it to Facebook while bypassing their browser.
Plus, your website isn’t the only way visitors can interact with you. Most businesses today use a third-party payment tool or support hub, if not an app or free tool. One of the benefits of this method is that you can also send this information to Facebook through your CRM if you’re recording it.
With cookies soon to be a thing of the past, tools like Facebook Conversions API are the future. Better to not wait until it changes over to get on board if you want to keep up with your ad performance data and conversion tracking. So let’s dig in on how to get started with Conversion APIs for Facebook.
What Are Facebook Conversion APIs?
Formerly known as Facebook Server-Side API, Facebook Conversions API is intended to fill the gap created by the decline of browser-based cookies. Personalized ad experiences can be delivered to customers while maintaining that all-important data privacy.
Facebook Conversions API is a step up from the Facebook Pixel in many ways. Facebook Pixel alone only provides insights on website-based interactions such as a purchase or page view. Facebook Conversions API provides insights on:
- Web conversions
- Post-conversion events
- Page visits
For as long as it’s still possible to do so, combining the two provides the best of both worlds with full-funnel visibility.
Facebook Conversions API also provides the necessary data for:
- Ad targeting
- Ad Reporting
- Dynamic ads
- Conversion optimization for Facebook ads
- Audience Insights
You also gain more accuracy over the data you share because ad blockers and browser crashes won’t make a difference.
How Do Facebook Conversions APIs Work?
You get the most bang for your buck when combining Facebook Conversions APIs with Pixel. Server events that are linked to your pixel behave like browser events but without the drawbacks. This allows you to attain significantly more insights than it would otherwise be possible to have.
Let’s say your customer visits your website and you have the Facebook Pixel installed. User information will be saved the same way your server saves IP addresses and Google Analytics IDs. Once your user triggers an event, the server requests that information and the data is sent.
Setting It Up
There is no single way to set up Facebook Conversions API. Each platform, whether it’s Shopify, WordPress, or WooCommerce, has a particular way it needs to set up. Let’s take a look at how it works with WordPress as an example using Facebook partner integrations.
Step 1
- Go to Facebook and head to Events Manager
- Check that you’ve selected the right ad account and click on “Settings”
- Scroll until you find “Conversions API” and select “Choose a Partner”
- In this example, you’d select WordPress and click “Next”
Step 2
- Check both the “Advanced Matching” and “Measure More of Your Customer’s Journey by Enabling the Conversion API” boxes
- Click “Create Access Token,” save the token code, and click “Continue”
- Download the latest Facebook plugin
Step 3
- Log in to the admin panel on your WordPress site
- Select “Plugins” and then click “Add New”
- Select the “Upload Plugin” button and choose the WordPress plugin you downloaded
- Click “Install” and stay on the page as it installs so it doesn’t crash
Step 4
- Paste your Access Token code in the box under “Pixel Settings”
- Check the boxes for “Advanced Matching” and “Also sends events directly from our web server to Facebook through the Conversions API”
- Save your changes
Step 5
- Go back to Facebook and click “Continue” from the page you left off to verify your pixel is working
Changes Are Coming
Cookie-based tracking, long the standard for tracking users on the internet, is coming to an end. With server-side tracking taking over in the face of privacy laws and regulations, marketers will need to keep up with rapid changes. This complicates the need to correctly time when, where, and to whom your ads are targeted. Conversion APIs for Facebook could be one of the strongest tools in your kit.
