Hopefully you now understand what the Facebook Conversions API is, how it compares to the Facebook Pixel, and why it’s essential for future-proofing your Facebook advertising strategy, See what additional data you might collect now, and what only data you’ll be collecting once third-party cookies go away for good.

Facebook:

When it comes to implementing Conversions API, you have two options. Both of which may require the help of a web developer.
I’m not aware of the costs associated with each of these partners individually, however, I have one client who is going to implement Conversions API via Google Tag Manager (server-side). The approximate cost of doing so (according to Google) would be as such:

Facebook Pixel is a piece of code that goes on your website, which then sends a cookie to Facebook’s server (Ads Manager) whenever someone who interacted with your Facebook Ads takes an action on your site. Since cookies are stored in the user’s browser, it is a browser-dependent conversion tracking method (hence the term browser-side conversion tracking (aka client-side).
  • The Conversions API, on the other hand, is a form of server-side conversion tracking. So the same user behavior data is collected but stored on your server (rather than in the browser), and the API connects the server to Facebook’s.
    • standard events the Facebook Pixel tracks, such as:
    • Add payment info
    • Add to cart
    • Add to wishlist
    • Customize product
    • Complete registration
    • Contact (phone, SMS, email, chat)
    • Donate
    • Find location searches for your store in a website or app
    • Initiate checkout
    • Lead
    • Page view
    • Purchase
    • Schedule: books appointment
    • Search: sight search
    • Start Trial
    • Submit Application
    • Subscribe
    • View Content

    If your website uses one of Facebook’s partner platforms you will be able to set up the Conversions API that way as well. Here is a glimpse into the partner platforms included:
    You may notice this for particular events in the Event Matching tool in Ads Manager. Because it won’t be able to collect that information on website visitors who aren’t signed in to your website or who don’t fill out a form

    Why use Facebook CAPI?

    Revealbot helps us to understand that Conversions API uses data keys to send the information. But it can only collect reliable data keys (name, email, phone number, location) if the user fills out a form on your site or is logged in. Without that action, it is left to use less reliable data keys (browser type and IP address).

    1. CAPI solves for VPNs & ad blockers

    Speaking of events, you may be interested in these three tips to deal with Facebook Aggregated Event Measurement.

    2. CAPI is iOS14-friendly

    Read more5 Ways to Increase eCommerce Conversions

    Given all of the above, that’s the question! It has its drawbacks.

    directly on your site. They may happen on your app, free tool, third-party payment tool, support hub, or offline (like through phone calls). If you record this data in your CRM, you can send additional data to Facebook through CAPI.

    But again, with the API, these are server-side events while with the pixel, they are client-side (or browser-side) events.

    4. CAPI will be necessary when cookies are gone

    And events in payment and shopping cart tools are often lower-funnel, making them particularly important to track.

    Why not only use the Facebook Conversions API?

    You also have the ability to create personalized setup instructions within Events Manager that can be sent to your developer. Some of the advantages of this option include full control in how you set up Conversions API as well as some potential savings in regards to upkeep.

    The Facebook Pixel still has advantages

    But what does that even mean?

    Server-side events may have Low Event Match Quality

    Read more[Infographic] Grow and Protect your Position in the Data Ecosystem

    But most importantly, when third-party cookies are gone, Conversions API will be our only source for conversion tracking and ad performance data.
    Not as long as you take one of these two strategies that Facebook talks about here.

    Image source

    Why you need to use Facebook Conversions API and Facebook Pixel

    For years, we’ve relied on the Facebook Pixel to understand how our ads are performing and build powerful retargeting audiences. But the power of the Facebook Pixel is dwindling due to iOS 14 privacy features and the certain death of cookies next year.

    5. Get a complete picture of your conversion data

    • Facebook Conversions API helps you to see information that the Facebook Pixel can’t, as a result of ad blockers, iOS 14, ATT, and cookies. This includes website events, offline events, ad CRM data.
    • But the Facebook Pixel helps you to see information that the CAPI can’t, such as demographic, psychographic, and other behavioral data from around the web.

    6. Plus, cookies aren’t gone yet

    • The CAPI will be essential when third-party cookies go away entirely.
    • But for now, cookies aren’t gone yet, there are still non iOS users, and not everyone has opted out of app tracking.

    7. Get more out of your budget

    Originally, the Facebook Pixel provided us with all the information we needed to build powerful audiences for our ads. Then, VPNs, ad blockers, and other privacy software began causing some discrepancies in the data. This is where the Facebook Conversions API came in.

    • Understand exactly who is interacting with your ads.
    • Better understand the customer journey.
    • Build strong audiences and generate leads on Facebook, even with iOS 14.
    • Make data-driven optimizations and allocate budget accordingly.

    Speaking of budget, are you wasting any spend with your Facebook ads? Find out in minutes with our Free Facebook Ads Performance Grader.

    What about duplicates?

    So for now, with Facebook Pixel and Conversions API together giving you the most accurate data possible, you can:
    Even though you can track all standard events, the Pixel has the advantage in that it matches your website visitors to individual users on the platform. This enables you to see more information about people who have interacted with your ads, including demographic and psychographic information, and other data that other third-party cookies are collecting on their browser.

    • Track different events via browser than events you track via server. So you may track content view events via browser but purchase events via server.
    • Enable deduplication. You’ll need to add two event parameters to the server—event name and event ID.
    Image source

    How to implement the Facebook Conversions API

    But with iOS 14, we’re not just dealing with discrepancies in the data, but gaps. Gaps that negatively impact Facebook ad targeting. This is because iOS 14 limits what data advertisers can collect through client-side (pixel) tracking, and allows users to turn tracking off entirely (through ATT).

    Manual setup using code

    “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.”
    If you wish to manually install the code yourself or have a web developer install the code for you, Facebook provides developer documentation to build a direct Conversions API integration with your server.

    Partner integration

    Now that you understand how Facebook CAPI works, you can better understand the advantages of the tool.

    facebook partner integrations for setting up facebook conversions API

    So basically, when a user takes an action on your site, there are two different players collecting that information. Your server and the user’s browser. If you’re using both the Pixel and CAPI, won’t this result in duplicate events?

    Setup and test Facebook CAPI now

    You should be using these two conversion tracking methods together, and here’s why.

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