Facebook pixel

What is Meta Pixel?

Facebook Pixel, now officially known as Meta Pixel, is a small piece of JavaScript code on your online store. The pixel tracks what visitors do: which products they view, what they add to their cart, and whether they complete a purchase. Data is sent to Meta and used to measure conversions and optimize your ads on Facebook and Instagram. Without pixel data, Meta’s algorithms cannot optimize for purchases, and you won’t be able to retarget visitors or build lookalike audiences.

What does the pixel track?

The pixel works with standard events tailored for online stores:

• ViewContent: A visitor has viewed a product
• AddToCart: A product has been added to the cart
• InitiateCheckout: The customer has proceeded to checkout
• Purchase: A purchase has been completed, including order value and products
• Search: A product search has been performed

What is the data used for?

• Retargeting: Show ads to people who have viewed products or left a full cart
• Lookalike audiences: Meta finds new customers who are similar to your existing buyers
• Conversion optimization: Ads are shown to users who are most likely to buy

Meta Pixel in Shoporama

You set up the pixel under Webshop → Tracking: Enter your Pixel ID and an Access Token, which you can find in Meta Events Manager. Shoporama then automatically sends all important e-commerce events, both from the browser via the pixel and from the server via the Conversions API. The events are automatically deduplicated, and the product IDs match your product feed so that catalog matching in Meta works. See the setup instructions in the article on the Facebook Conversions API.

Pixel and Privacy

The pixel requires cookie consent under GDPR, and ad blockers as well as browser restrictions like Safari’s ITP reduce the number of events it captures. Therefore, the Conversions API should always run as a supplement: Server-side events aren’t affected by browser restrictions, so Meta gets a more complete picture of your conversions.