Facebook Conversion API or Server Side Tracking (2021)
Facebook conversions API
The Facebook Conversions API allows advertisers to send web events from their servers directly to Facebook. Server events are linked to a pixel and are processed like browser pixel events. This means that server events are used in measurement, reporting, and optimization in the same way as browser pixel events.
How does FB conversion API work?
Facebook Conversion API, also known as the server-side API, lets you share events occurring both online and offline from your server to Facebook's server. This helps measure ad performance across multiple channels. The Conversion API does not show a user's whole journey like the pixel, but it shows the end result
Benefits of the Conversions API
The Facebook Conversions API can help you to:
Reduce your cost per action as a result of improved connectivity. Data from the Conversions API is less affected than the pixel by browser loading errors, connectivity issues and ad blockers. When you use the Conversions API alongside the pixel, it creates a more reliable connection that helps the delivery system decrease your cost per action.
Optimise ads for actions that happen later in the customer's journey. Examples of these events include actions that happen after a purchase (such as subscriptions), actions that happen in shops or even customer scores. This information helps Facebook show your ads to customers who are more likely to be profitable and generate value for your business.
Improve measurement. The Conversions API can help you better measure ad performance and attribution across your customer's full journey, from discovery to conversion. This helps you better understand how digital advertising affects both online and offline results.
Reduce your cost per action as a result of increased event matching. Your marketing data is most effective when it can be matched with accounts on Facebook apps and services. With the Conversions API, you can include additional customer information parameters that help increase matched events and your event match quality score.
Increase data control. When implemented separately from the pixel, the Conversions API gives you more control over what you share and when you share it.
Using the Facebook Conversions API with the Facebook pixel
When you use the Facebook Conversions API along with our other Facebook Business tools, you can gain additional insights into the people who interact with your business. Best practice is to use the Conversions API in addition to the Facebook pixel to help maximise the effectiveness of your website events. Learn more about best practices for the Conversions API.
Website events sent through the Conversions API are linked to your pixel and behave like events sent through the pixel in the following ways:
They're used for the same types of ad optimisation, including conversion optimisation and value optimisation.
They appear in most of the same surfaces, including Ads Manager and Events Manager.
They obey our off-Facebook activity tool and the third-party data ads personalisation control, as well as other restrictions in our Facebook Business Tools Terms.
Like the pixel, the Conversions API isn't designed to be a means to bypass data sharing policies such as iOS AppTrackingTransparency or privacy rules in Europe, such as the ePrivacy Directive.