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How Does Facebook Pixel Work – Getting Set Up

Advertising on Facebook is becoming more and more sophisticated to the point that you now have many different options to help you build your audience, get followers attention and drive traffic to your website.

If your goal from advertising on Facebook is to drive website traffic and conversions, then installing and taking advantage of Facebook Pixel is a must.

What is Facebook Pixel

The Facebook Pixel is a piece of code that you install on your website. It allows you to more effectively measure the performance of your ad campaigns and it helps you determine exactly who sees your ads.

The features and benefits of Facebook Pixel include:

  • Ability to track customers across devices
  • More effective targeting
  • Create custom audiences for retargeting
  • Uncover niche segments that are similar to your current ones
  • Dynamic remarketing of ads – people who visit your site will see your ads on Facebook
  • Audience insights

Getting started with Facebook Pixel

To install Facebook Pixel, go to the link below to create your Facebook Pixel.

https://www.facebook.com/ads/manager/pixel/facebook_pixel

Facebook Pixel Set Up

There are 2 types of code you have to install on your site to complete this process.

  • The first is the pixel base code that goes on all of your pages.
  • The second is the event code which you place on certain pages that you want to track specifically.

Creating Your Facebook Pixel

Facebook is going to step you through a process to set up your pixel and to get the codes for your site.

Facebook Pixel SetUp

Installing Facebook Base Pixel on Your Website

The next step is to choose which method you want to use to install the Pixel on your site:

1. Using a tag manager
2. Copy and paste the code

In order for your Pixel to work, you must copy and paste the code into your website. This cookie allows your site to send information back to Facebook and measures visits and where people go on your site.

We prefer to copy and paste the code into the website rather than using a tag manager because that way you have more control over things that can go wrong but if you are not familiar with the code of your site you might want to go with the first option. There are also several WordPress plugins that facilitate this.

Facebook Pixel Code

Facebook generates a handy dandy Facebook Pixel ID and instructions to send to your webmaster. The code has to go on every page of your site for it to work properly. The best way to do this is to install it in your header file somewhere between the <header> and </header> and before the <body> tag.

Facebook Pixel Set Up

Pixel Events Code

The Facebook Pixel events code tracks specific actions on your pages. The first thing you need to think about is your website’s call to action – what is it that you want people to do on your site? There are 3 options in the setup process.
  • Basic – lets you track events and optimize for conversions based on people who take action on your site.
  • Recommended – includes all of the above along with basic parameters providing additional data and measurement parameters.
  • Advanced – adds an extra layer to include product level granularity (i.e product type, style).
Here are the standard Facebook Pixel options:
  • View content
  • Search
  • Add to basket
  • Add to wishlist
  • Initiate checkout
  • Add payment info
    Make purchase
  • Lead
  • Complete registration
Choose the most appropriate of these depending on your goals for website traffic, conversions and what it is you want to track.
Facebook Pixel Events

Once these pieces of code have been installed on your site you will get a Facebook notification.

Facebook Pixel Notification

You can check to see if your Pixel is working by going to your Facebook Ads Manager. There you will notice a new Pixel tab.


Click on it to see your Pixel Fires (total amount of pixel activity in the date range).

Facebook Pixel Chart

To troubleshoot or validate your Pixel set up, there’s a useful Chrome add-on called Facebook Pixel Helper.

Facebook Pixel - Helper

Facebook Pixel Next Steps

Now that you’re all set up with Pixel, it’s time to create audiences and track conversions.

Create Audience

This allows you to target your Facebook ads to audiences of people who have visited your website and lets you remarket to them.

From your Facebook Ads Manager click on Pixel then on the ‘Create Audience’ button. Audience options include:Facebook Pixel - Audience

• Anyone who visits your site
• People who visit specific pages
• People who visit specific pages but not others
• People who have visited in a certain amount of time
• Or, you can create your own custom combo.

Decide which option best fits your needs, name your audience and that’s it. You are ready to create your first remarketing ad on Facebook but first, you have to wait till your custom audience is big enough.

Create Conversion

From your Facebook Ads Manager, click on Pixel then again on the ‘Create Conversion’ button.

This time you have 2 options:

  1. Track conversions with standard events – use this if you simply want to track and optimize conversions and build your audience.
  2. Track custom conversions – use this if you can’t use standard events on your site or if you want to split conversions on your site.

Facebook Pixel Conversions

Related articles and resources on Facebook Pixel:

Learn about Facebook Ads

Facebook Pixel Implementation Guide