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Writer's pictureSamy Eid

What is Facebook Conversion API? All you need to know...

What is the digital disruption happening in 2021?


 

2021 Digital Marketing Disruption:

Is an effect that changes the fundamental expectations and behaviors in the culture, market, industry or process that is caused by, or expressed through, digital capabilities, channels or assets.


Currently there is a huge digital marketing disruption and game changes across the whole industry focusing more of privacy and handling user information.

This is a global trend, lead by governments who are pushing hard to adjust things specially after Cambridge Analytica data scandal in 2018 that affected drastically 87 million of Facebook users and shed a huge doubt on American elections results in 2016.


In simple words, there will be tons of restrictions / limitations on how to track customers on the internet from a privacy angel and to know their interests and purchase intents.

Most browsers will block all third-party cookies by default and limit the lifespan of first-party cookies. For more effectiveness, tracking will have to switch from browser based (cookies) to Server based (API).


Advertisers and website owners will be responsible for what they are tracking, when and where!


Google Disruption:

Beginning of March 2021, Google announced major shift away from precision-targeting of ads based on everything customers do on the internet; Before that they decided they will stop 3rd party cookies on their browser.

The change is significant. Chrome commands some two-thirds of the web browser market. Third-party tracking cookies, meanwhile, underpin much of the targeted advertising industry. And, while major other browsers have already stopped supporting third-party cookies, Google is the first firm to produce replacement advertising support.

Conclusion: 3rd party cookies are dead across all browsers by end of 2021.


As a replacement, Google is already introducing FLoC (Federated Learning of Cohorts), a proposed browser standard that, in Google’s words, will enable “interest-based advertising on the web” without letting advertisers know customer identity. Instead, customers will be associated with a “cohort,” a group of users sufficiently large enough to make customers at least semi-anonymous to the companies targeting them.




Apple Disruption:

iOS 14.5 Facebook tracking across other companies, apps and websites
iOS 14.5 Facebook Tracking Permission

Late Last year Apple announced that the Identifier for Advertisers (IDFA) would become explicitly opt-in in its next mobile operating system update, iOS 14. "Forbes"


This year, the iOS developer started rolling out an update to its iOS 14 operating system that prompts customers to give apps permission to track their activity across other apps and the web.

That change is not small, Lots of apps already track customers web activity through default settings we accept when installed.






What is the new Facebook conversion API?

Conversions API is a Facebook Business Tool that lets you share key web and offline events, or customer actions, directly from your server to Facebook’s. Conversions API works with your Facebook pixel to help improve the performance and measurement of your Facebook ad campaigns.

Tracking will have to switch from completely browser based (cookies) to Server based (API); By the end of 2021, most browsers will block all third-party cookies by default and limit the lifespan of first-party cookies.


Old vs New Facebook Conversion API Tracking
Old vs New Facebook Conversion API Tracking

Please Note:

  • Facebook pixel will still be working and it is considered a 1st party cookie (current browser tracking).

  • Other tracking tools like hotjar, analytics,..etc will still work as they are considered 1st party cookies.

  • Every website has a maximium of 8 pixel events on browser tracking despite how many pixels are installed on it.


How will this affect Agencies or Digital Advertisers?

  • Agencies will have to manage (or Access) all customers’ Websites.

  • Costs have to be negotiated in context of an existing relationship. (way higher technical tracking skills are needed)

  • Tracking will likely be a manual, customized integration. (High Level of Complexity)

  • Code access needed for integrations.

  • Agencies/Advertisers will have to own technical support.

  • Your site's third-party apps and tracking tools will not be able to track customers in the current traditional way.


How will this affect your client (or you as a business)?

  • Ad prices might drop due to lower efficiency, but you or your clients could use the opportunity to simply advertise more, making up the difference from accurate prospecting.

  • A business's preapproval of data collecting and sharing with internal legal and policy stakeholders.

  • Leveraging the CRM's and servers is essential.

  • A major shift from current tracking module(s) to a more complex one.


What does that all mean?

Apple, Google and all major industry players are are pushing the responsibility of privacy towards:

  1. Businesses (website owners) to mange what to extract and use of personal data and website traffic.

  2. Users to determine approve or disapprove of tracking, personal information extraction and usage.



How to create a Facebook conversion API?

Connect your domain

Connect and verify your domain.

  1. Go to your Business account on Facebook --->Business Settings

  2. Go to Brand Safety --->Domains

  3. Add your Domain ([not http(s) or www]) (mysite.com)

  4. Verify your domain either using (Add a meta-tag, Upload HTML file or Update DNS TXT record)

  5. Click Verify (may take few hours to verify)

Facebook Domain Verification
Facebook Domain Verification Steps

  • After Verification, Open your even manager to set your events.

    1. Go to Business Settings --->Data Sources

    2. Click on Pixels

    3. Select your Website pixel

    4. Open in Events Manager

Setting your Facebook Conversion API Events
Set your Facebook Conversion API Events

  • Open Create new event

  1. Select the Pixel

  2. Click Add Events

  3. Choose "using the Conversion API

Add new event using Facebook conversion API
Facebook Conversion API - add new event

  • Select Manually Implement API

    • Click install code manually


Manually Implement Facebook Conversion API
Manually Implement Facebook Conversion API



Set your Events:


Select Facebook Conversion API Event
Select Facebook Conversion API Event - Step 1




Step 1









Select Facebook Conversion API Event
Select Facebook Conversion API Event - Step 2




Step 2








Select Facebook Conversion API Event
Select Facebook Conversion API Event - Step 3




Step 3










Select Facebook Conversion API Event
Select Facebook Conversion API Event - Step 4




Step 4









Select Facebook Conversion API Event
Select Facebook Conversion API Event - Step 5



Step 5












Integrate and Implement Facebook Conversion API:

  • Generate The Token

Implementing Facebook Conversion API - Generate Token
Implementing Facebook Conversion API-Generate Token


  • Set up Events in Payload

Implementing Facebook Conversion API - Payload Helper
Implementing Facebook Conversion API-Payload Helper

  • Get your Code:

  1. Select Event Parameters in Code Payload Helper

  2. Select Customer Information Parameters in Code Payload Helper

  3. Add website Facebook Pixel

  4. Fix any code errors

  5. Copy the code in needed coding language

Implementing Facebook Conversion API - Generate Code
Implementing Facebook Conversion API-Generate Code


  • Implement the code:

  1. Test the code.

  2. Check if the event is reflecting in the event manager

  3. Finish your Facebook Conversion API implementation

Implementing Facebook Conversion API - Test Server Event
Implementing Facebook Conversion API - Test Server Event



Good Luck implementing your New Server side Facebook Conversion API using the code!
I shall write a future post on how to use a Partner Integration without code.



Want to know more or discuss further, Contact me.





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