Send Facebook Pixel Purchase Event via Google Tag Manager

Facebook Pixel Tracking

Last Updated: February 2, 2022

In this article, I will show you how to track the sales generated on your website by Facebook users in Facebook via Google Tag Manager

Following is the process in a nutshell:

Step-1: Deploy Facebook default pixel code on your website via GTM

Step-2: Add data layer on the order confirmation page which pulls sales data from your shopping cart.

Step-3: Pull sales data from the data layer via a data layer variable.

Step-4: Send ‘Purchase’ Facebook event to Facebook along with the sales data.

Step-5: Test the Facebook pixels

Step-6: Add the purchase columns to your Facebook report.

Step #1: Deploy Facebook default pixel code on your website via Google Tag Manager

I have explained this step in great detail in this article: Learn to set up Facebook Tracking via Google Tag Manager

Step #2: Add data layer on the ‘order confirmation’ page which push sales data from your shopping cart

If you are already using a data layer to measure product purchase via enhanced ecommerce tracking then this step is optional.

Otherwise add the following data layer code in the head section (<head>…</head>) of your ‘order confirmation’ page, above the GTM container code:

<script type=”text/javascript”>

dataLayer = [{

‘revenue’: 24.35

}];

</script>

Ask your developer to pull the sales data from your shopping cart on page load.

He is going to add some server side script to the data layer in order to complete this task.

gtm data layers ebook

My Step-By-Step Blueprint (100+ Pages) For Learning and Mastering GTM Data Layers

Get The Only Ebook On GTM Data Layer Ever Published (100+ pages). Learn & Master Data Layers

Yes I want the ebook

Step #3: Pull sales data from the data layer via a data layer variable

Create a new data layer variable in GTM and name it ‘Product Revenue’.

Use following similar configuration:

data layer variable

This data layer variable is meant to pull sales data from your order confirmation page.

Note: The data layer variable name used in your data layer may be something other than ‘revenue’. If that is the case then use that data layer variable name.

Step #4: Send ‘Purchase’ Facebook event to Facebook along with the sales data

#1 Create a new custom HTML tag in GTM and name it ‘Sending Website Sales generated by Facebook users to Facebook’.

#2 Add following code in the HTML text box:

<script>

fbq(‘track’, ‘Purchase’, {

value: {{Product Revenue}},

currency: ‘USD’

});

</script>

The whole set up may look like the one below:

whole set up

#3 Click on ‘Advance Settings’ and then click on ‘Tag Sequencing’:

advanced settings gtm

#4 Select the checkbox named ‘Fire a tag before Sending Website Sales generated by Facebook users to Facebook fires’ and then select ‘Facebook default pixel code’ in the ‘Setup Tag’:

tag sequencing

Here ‘Facebook default pixel code’ is the tag I created to fire Facebook pixel code via GTM.

You can find more details about creating this tag from this article ‘Learn to set up Facebook default pixel code via Google Tag Manager’

Through ‘tag sequencing’ feature of GTM, I am making sure that the Facebook ‘Purchase’ event is fired after the Facebook default pixel code has fired.

If you try to fire the Facebook ‘Purchase’ event before the Facebook default pixel code is fired then the event will not be triggered.

#5 Select the checkbox ‘Don’t fire Sending Website Sales generated by Facebook users to Facebook if Facebook default pixel code fails’.

facebook pixel purchase event

The whole set up may look like the one below:

#6 Fire this tag only on the order confirmation page:

order confirmation page

#7 Test whether this tag fire on the order confirmation page. If it does then publish the container.

Step #5: Test the Facebook pixels

Navigate to the ‘order confirmation’ page and then with the help of the ‘Facebook Pixel Helper chrome extension’ test whether or not the ‘Facebook default pixels’ and ‘Purchase pixels’ are firing and what sales value is being sent to Facebook:

facebook purchase

Note: If the ‘Facebook default pixels’ and/or ‘purchase pixels’ are not firing on the ‘order confirmation page’ then the sales data won’t pass to Facebook.

Step #6: Add the purchase columns to your Facebook report

#1 Navigate to your Facebook Adverts Manager page, click on the ‘Performance’ drop down menu and then select ‘Customise Columns’:

customize columns

#2 Type ‘Purchase’ in the search box and then select the following three check boxes:

  1. Purchase (Facebook Pixels)
  2. Cost Per Purchase (Facebook Pixels)
  3. Purchase Conversion Value (Facebook Pixels)
search purchase
purchase cost per purchase

Here,

Purchase (Facebook Pixels) => number of purchases.

Cost Per Purchase (Facebook Pixels) => average cost of each purchase.

Purchase Conversion Value (Facebook Pixels) => the total value of the purchase.

Other articles on Facebook Pixel Tracking

  1. facebook.com Referral Traffic in Google Analytics Explained
  2. Facebook Attribution and Conversion Windows Tutorial
  3. Facebook ROI Calculation, Analysis and Examples
  4. How to set up the Facebook Attribution Tool
  5. How to Setup Funnels in Facebook Ads Manager
  6. How to use funnels for your Facebook Ad Campaigns
  7. How to advertise on Facebook for FREE with unlimited budget
  8. Secret to Setup Facebook Pixel Tracking Correctly in Google Tag Manager
  9. Facebook Pixel vs Google Analytics Data Discrepancies
  10. facebook.com Referral Traffic in Google Analytics Explained
  11. Learn to set up Facebook Pixel via Google Tag Manager
  12. Open Graph Protocol for Facebook Explained with Examples
  13. Tracking Facebook ‘Likes’ and ‘Unlikes’ in Google Analytics
  14. Google Analytics for Facebook Tutorial
  15. Facebook Attribution Models Tutorial
  16. GTM Server Side Tagging for Facebook Tutorial
  17. The impact of Apple IOS 14.5 update on Facebook Ads
  18. How to add Facebook Pixel to WordPress Website
  19. How to add Facebook Pixel to WordPress without a Plugin
  20. How to track Facebook events via Google Tag Manager
  21. How to use the Facebook Event Setup Tool
  22. How to use the Facebook Pixel Helper to Test Facebook Events
  23. How to automatically turn off Facebook ads on weekends
  24. How to name Facebook Ad Campaigns like a Pro

Register for the FREE TRAINING...

"How to use Digital Analytics to generate floods of new Sales and Customers without spending years figuring everything out on your own."



Here’s what we’re going to cover in this training…

#1 Why digital analytics is the key to online business success.

​#2 The number 1 reason why most marketers are not able to scale their advertising and maximize sales.

#3 Why Google and Facebook ads don’t work for most businesses & how to make them work.

#4 ​Why you won’t get any competitive advantage in the marketplace just by knowing Google Analytics.

​#5 The number 1 reason why conversion optimization is not working for your business.

​#6 How to advertise on any marketing platform for FREE with an unlimited budget.

​#7 How to learn and master digital analytics and conversion optimization in record time.



   

My best selling books on Digital Analytics and Conversion Optimization

Maths and Stats for Web Analytics and Conversion Optimization Master the Essentials of Email Marketing Analytics Attribution Modelling in Google Analytics and Beyond Attribution Modelling in Google Ads and Facebook

Maths and Stats for Web Analytics and Conversion Optimization
This expert guide will teach you how to leverage the knowledge of maths and statistics in order to accurately interpret data and take actions, which can quickly improve the bottom-line of your online business.

Master the Essentials of Email Marketing Analytics
This book focuses solely on the ‘analytics’ that power your email marketing optimization program and will help you dramatically reduce your cost per acquisition and increase marketing ROI by tracking the performance of the various KPIs and metrics used for email marketing.

Attribution Modelling in Google Analytics and BeyondSECOND EDITION OUT NOW!
Attribution modelling is the process of determining the most effective marketing channels for investment. This book has been written to help you implement attribution modelling. It will teach you how to leverage the knowledge of attribution modelling in order to allocate marketing budget and understand buying behaviour.

Attribution Modelling in Google Ads and Facebook
This book has been written to help you implement attribution modelling in Google Ads (Google AdWords) and Facebook. It will teach you, how to leverage the knowledge of attribution modelling in order to understand the customer purchasing journey and determine the most effective marketing channels for investment.

About the Author

Himanshu Sharma

  • Founder, OptimizeSmart.com
  • Over 15 years of experience in digital analytics and marketing
  • Author of four best-selling books on digital analytics and conversion optimization
  • Nominated for Digital Analytics Association Awards for Excellence
  • Runs one of the most popular blogs in the world on digital analytics
  • Consultant to countless small and big businesses over the decade
error: Alert: Content is protected !!