Facebook Conversion API integration

Site URL: https://www.bombora.digital/

Hi,

I'm trying to figure out the best way to integrate Facebook pixel events and Ads Manager with Squarespace since the iOS14 upgrade. I'm not sure why but I can see my events are firing in Events Manager but then the data doesn't pull through to Ads Manager, so I'm assuming I need to reconfigure the events with Conversion API. 

I think I have two ways to do this: either via Zapier or manually implementing the API myself. I looked into Zapier and I imagine it can get very expensive very quickly as you'd need Zaps for each "event" in my funnel (there's 3) and then a subscription level that matches the number of events per month. I'd rather try and implement myself before going down this road. 

So I'm working through the "Using the Conversion API" and have a few questions:

1. I've copied my access token into a document, I don't think it needs to be entered into Squarespace, is that correct? 

2. I've used the FB Payload Helper to generate Java code for each of my events, then added these to the corresponding pages in the code injector, I haven't added code site wide though, is this correct? 

3. I'm not sure how to now test the events. The FB Conversion API Helper tool says to use the test ID (I think mine is TEST97887) to send test events directly from your server to verify that they're received correctly by Facebook. This is either within my server's payload (not sure where this is), my terminal (not sure where this is) or Facebook API Graph Explorer (I can't seem to open without creating an app). I found this which seems helpful: https://integratepro.com/blog/facebook-conversion-api-setup/ but I would need to be able to access the Graph Explorer so I'm not sure what to do next. The new events (the one I set up with Java code) aren't registering in Events Manager so I might have not set these up correctly. 

Any help is very much appreciated!! I don't have much coding experience so am completely clueless at the moment 🙂 

Have you read this:

@GlynMusica, I'm wondering if Conversion API might help my campaigning in FB/IG. I mostly run conversion campaigns, growing Spotify and Instagram followings for musicians. Using deeplinks via PixelMe, and custom conversions. Do you think API would help ensure my results aren't hurt too badly by iOS changes?

There is nothing in the technical documentation that Apple has issued to suggest that CAPI is a way to circumvent the measures that Apple has put in place with their privacy update. There are lots of companies claiming this to be the case, but it's simply not true.

However, by implementing CAPI you will get better reporting and you will get more ROAS because campaigns will have already been affected by popup-blockers and default anti-tracking measures made by the industry, notably browser manufacturers. Also, for those people that opt-in to being tracked, it will provide a second degree of reliability that browser based pixels simply can't match when compared to an API delivery of a conversion event.

Good luck.

@GlynMusica thanks for your reply, I hadn't seen that post - so you add the FB Authorisation Token to Squarespace? Could you tell me where? I'm still not picking up events in my Ads Manager so trying to troubleshoot every few days. Thanks in advance 🙂

@emily5 - not at the moment, we can hope that they are working on this and that you will simply need to add the token to settings and all the buttons etc will be set to the relevant standard conversion actions.

Time will tell.

g

@GlynMusica Thank you for all your help on this. I have read most of your responses in other threads, and you seem to be the most informed on this situation. However, I am still at a lost. Based on what I have interpreted from you and other user's previous posts, I am led to believe the following:

1. It is not proven that CAPI solves blocked tracking from opted out iOS users. The benefit of CAPI is to avoid Ad-blockers, and receive more precise data. (Increased ROAS)

2. Installing CAPI onto SS is possible only through a third-party provider (expensive), hiring a developer to install the CAPI via code injection (Advanced), or setting up web-hooks (Zapier).

3. SS has not made any announcements about implementing a Facebook Campaign Manager from within SS. However, this would be the best possible solution. (Shopify currently does)

Is this correct? if so, it seems that the best course of action at the moment for SS users with a lack of development knowledge and no desire to spend large amounts of money, should simply wait for better implementation from SS. In the meantime use FB Pixel, and remove iOS users from our audience. 

Anyone else have anything to add?

Hi @David_GM

1. The 'hussle' going on at the moment in this space is as follows. Because ad-blockers have been blocking conversions in advance of the IOS14.5 rollout the implementation of CAPI will increase your conversions that historically you were getting no conversion data for. Lots of companies selling CAPI as a solution but in fact it's not a solution. IOS14.5 kills JavaScript cookies, it's why Google is deploying Server Side GTM. I believe that you get a long conversion length when switching do GTM server side, but I've not had to look at this yet.

2. Not sure, haven't tried it as realistically we are talking about IOS 14.5 devices and while there is a lot of noise about this, you might find that your conversions aren't overly affected. This you can verify doing a sample of Google Analytics device data and modelling what you expect loss to be. You might look at a year's worth of data and cross check with the device version of IOS in use for these conversions and model what you feel the update volume of the current situation is for your business.

3. Not sure why Campaign Manager is necessary as as solution. Essentially Square Space simply needs to provide the ability to add the Access Token that is created from Facebook Ads Manager and to then tag up the CMS with the various standard events that would be triggered and sent to Facebook.  Thankfully the Standard Conversion Events are very descriptive of what they should be used for so pretty much any Developer should be able to correctly assign the events.

Consider that most of the digital industry is on the back-foot with these changes that were rolled out by Facebook just after Christmas, even if you could do Server Side before, it was only recently that the ads-manager was updated with the ability to put in the hierarchy of events you wanted reported, when Apple said they would just send one.

4. I wouldn't remove IOS from your audiences, unless  you can be sure they are all using that. If we saw performance drops we'd just stop targeting those users with specific device versions. You might want to run a parallel audience that is just android users and split test those.

G

@GlynMusica

On all points, you have cleared up my confusion. I appreciate your time! Thank you, Ill make sure to update with any relevant knowledge I may gain from this point forward. 

❤️

Great feed, thanks @emily5and @GlynMusica 

@Emily5 did you solve this issue on your site and is there an easy way to do things yet?  I am working on this at the moment. 

Thanks all

Clare

Hi all,

I have a similar question to @Oliiki. We are working on a solution here but finding no documentation or stories of success.

Has anyone implemented this type of SQSP-to Zapier-to-CAPI workaround? 

And if you have, have the results been what you had hoped?

Thank you!

Jonathon