How to Set Up Facebook Conversions API For Shopify Stores?

Are you worried that relying only on the Facebook Pixel to track conversions in your Shopify store may not be enough to get accurate data for optimizing your ads? You are right, and your concern is justified. With the rise in browser restrictions, ad blockers, and privacy updates, there is a high chance that a pixel fails to track and report important events. This failure can create a gap in tracking, make reporting less reliable, and lead to wasted ad spend. 

So, then, how can you ensure that data sharing from Shopify to Meta is complete, reliable, and extensive? By setting up the Facebook Conversions API (CAPI) for your Shopify store. 

If you haven’t heard of the Conversions API and don’t know what it is, don’t worry. That’s why we have created this blog. 

Through it, we will discuss: 

1. What the Conversions API is. 
2. Why you should set it up for your Shopify store. 
3. The different methods that you can employ to integrate the API for your store successfully. 

So, are you ready? Let’s get started. 

What is the Conversions API? 

The Conversions API (CAPI) is an advanced data-sharing tool that enables you to share marketing data directly from your server to Meta’s ad optimization systems. By utilizing this data, Meta can enhance the targeting and personalization of your ads, ultimately improving overall campaign performance.

Compared to browser-based tracking, the Conversions API offers a more reliable and direct connection between your data and Meta. It enables you to directly transfer website events, app events, etc., from your servers to Meta’s servers. As the data flow doesn’t depend on the end user’s browser, it isn’t affected by ad blockers, privacy restrictions, etc. As a result, it ensures more accurate conversion tracking, better attribution, and stronger campaign optimization.

The best part of using the CAPI is its capability to measure event data from different sources. These different sources include but aren’t limited to:

1. Websites
2. Apps
3. CRMs
4. Email
5. Phone
6. Business chat and;
7. Physical shops

By accessing data from all such sources, you can easily track the entire customer journey across different touchpoints. Moreover, with this detailed understanding, Meta can deliver ads more effectively, improve reporting accuracy, and give your business stronger insights for optimization.

How to Set Up the Conversions API for a Shopify Store? 

To integrate the Conversions API with your Shopify store, you will have to set up a connection between your store and Meta’s systems. To facilitate that, you can either use the native Facebook and Instagram sales channel app or third-party Shopify Facebook pixel apps. 

For this blog, we will cover the detailed step-by-step instructions using both types of apps. 

Method 1: Using the Facebook and Instagram app by Meta

Before we move on to the process, there are some prerequisites that need to be met. 

Prerequisites for Setting Up Conversions API for Shopify Stores

1. First and foremost, you will need an active Shopify store. 
2. You should have an active Facebook pixel for your Shopify store and its ID. 
3. A Facebook Business Manager account. 

Pro tip: If you want to create a new Shopify store or add a Facebook pixel to it as part of the prerequisites, we recommend reading:  1. How to Create A New Shopify Store? 2. How To Add Facebook Pixel To Shopify?

With these prerequisites in place, you are ready to begin. 

Step-by-Step Process

1. Start by installing the ‘Facebook and Instagram’ app from the Shopify app store. 
2. Once you are inside the app, you will need to connect your Facebook account and business assets. These business assets will mainly include your Business portfolio and one of its corresponding Facebook pages. 

Important Note: If you are managing multiple business portfolios, select the one linked to the Pixel you want to install for your Shopify store.

3. Then you will have to select your data sharing preferences from ‘Conservative’, ‘Enhanced’, and ‘Maximum.’ As a pro tip, we recommend selecting ‘Maximum’ as that will help share customer activity data using Meta pixel, advanced matching, and Conversions API. 

4. Then, you will have to connect a dataset that helps to track customer behavior. Basically, it will be a Meta pixel. Select one belonging to the business manager account and portfolio we chose earlier. 

Also, if you want to create a new pixel, you can click the ‘Create new’ button. The app will set up a new pixel, and its details will also be synced to your Meta Events Manager account.  

5. Create an ad account to advertise products. 
6. Add your business details, such as email and return window in days. 
7. Agree to Meta’s terms and conditions and click on ‘Submit for review.’
8. The app will then finalize the channel setup which may take several minutes. Once done, the process will be complete. 

After that, you will need to set up the conversions API for the pixel we just connected in the process above. For that: 

1. First, go to your Meta Events Manager account. 
2. Go to ‘Datasets’ and select the pixel that you installed for your Shopify store while setting up the sales channel app. 

3. Go to ‘Settings’. 
4. Scroll down to ‘Conversions API.’ 

5. As we have a Shopify store, go to ‘Set up through a partner integration.’ Click on ‘Choose a partner’ and select ‘Shopify.’

6. Then you will have to connect your Shopify store to Meta. Since we have already completed that process earlier, we can simply click on ‘Next’ and move ahead.  

7. In the next step, you will have to add your Shopify store’s URL, and send test traffic to it. This is to verify if the pixel is working correctly. 

8. Once the verification is done, you will get a confirmation that your pixel is active. You can click on ‘Next’.

9. Then you will get a message that the setup is complete. Click on ‘Finish’ and that’s it. You have successfully set up the Conversions API for your Shopify store.

Method 2: Using a Third-Party Facebook Pixel App 

You can also use third-party Shopify Facebook pixel apps to create pixels for your Shopify store and enable the conversions API for them. 

Moreover, using these apps over the native Facebook and Instagram sales channel app is recommended because: 

1. Connecting them to your Facebook account and assets is quick and straightforward, requiring no complicated steps.
2. Merchants can seamlessly create pixels and configure many advanced settings (such as which events to track) directly within these apps from their Shopify dashboards. So, there is no need to switch between different platforms and navigate through different types of Facebook accounts. 
3. Enabling advanced matching for Facebook pixels or even the Conversions API is quite simple. 
4. The native Facebook and Instagram app has many tracking issues reported by merchants. Common problems include missing purchase events, broken pixel firing, and incorrect conversion data. These issues lower tracking accuracy and can affect your campaign performance. Third-party apps are recommended because they offer more reliable conversion tracking and data reporting.

For demonstration purposes, in this article, we will be covering the process to set up the Conversions API for Shopify stores with the ‘Facebook pixels by AdNabu’ app. 

1. Download the app from the Shopify app store. 
2. Connect your Facebook account. 

Note: The app also allows you to connect Meta pixels to your Shopify store and even enable the Conversions API for them without connecting your Facebook account.  However, for that, you will need to ensure that you already have an existing Facebook pixel in your Events Manager account. Moreover, you will also needs its ID.  For this article, we will connect our Facebook account with the app, which enables quick Meta Pixel creation within Shopify.

3. Then, the app will request access to some of your basic details, such as name, profile picture, etc. You should grant those. 
4. In the next step, you will have to select a business account. Also, if you have any existing pixels within that account, you can select those. However, for this blog, we will be creating a new pixel. To do so, we will click on ‘Create New Pixel.’ 

Note: New pixels created inside AdNabu’s Facebook pixel app will automatically sync to your Meta Events Manager account.

5. Then, in the next step, you will have to add the Conversions API token for that pixel. 
6. To get the token, you will have to go to your Events Manager account and follow this process:

• Go to ‘Datasets.’ 
• Then, using the Pixel ID, search for the new pixel that we created inside AdNabu’s Facebook pixel app earlier. 
• Select it, and click on ‘Settings’

• Scroll down to the ‘Conversions API’ section. 
• Go to ‘Set up direct integration.’ Within that, you will see two options: ‘Set up with Dataset Quality API’ and ‘Set up without Dataset Quality API.’ You can select either one of them and click on ‘Generate access token.’

• Select the specific pixel for which you want the token, and click on ‘Generate access token.’ 
• After a few seconds, the Conversions API access token will be generated at the same position where you had the ‘Generate access token’ button earlier. 

Note: There are other methods for generating the Conversions API access token. This help article explains them in detail.

7. Copy that token and paste it into AdNabu’s Facebook pixel app under the ‘Conversions API Access Token.’ 

8. Click on ‘Next,’ review the Advanced Matching settings, choose the events you want to track, and then click ‘Done’ to finish the setup.

9. Subscribe to either the free or paid plans of the app and start using it. 

That’s it. You have successfully integrated the Conversions API for a pixel installed on your Shopify store! 

Note: In this blog, we covered two of the most common and simple methods to set up CAPI for Shopify stores. While these approaches work well in all cases, please note there are other set up methods available as well. To read more about those methods, you can refer to these resources from Meta:  1. About Conversions API  2. Compare Conversions API setup options 3. Conversions API

How to Verify the Conversions API Set Up? 

In the previous section, we successfully implemented CAPI for our Shopify store. 

The next step is to verify if the setup is working as you want it to. This verification is to identify issues in advance and ensure that your tracking isn’t broken at any point in time.  

To check whether the Conversions API is functioning correctly, follow these steps: 

1. Go to your ‘Events Manager.’ 
2. Click on ‘Datasets.’ 
3. There you will find all the pixels created for that particular account and business portfolio. 
4. Click on the pixel that you have set up for your Shopify store. 
5. Look for ‘Integrations’ on the right-hand side of the overview page and click on ‘Manage Integrations.’ 

6. A modal box will open, and it will show the active integrations for that pixel. 
7. If you see ‘Conversions API’ along with an ‘Active’ status with a green dot (like in the screenshot below), it means your CAPI connection is working correctly.

8. That’s not all. You can take one step further and also check if the events are getting recorded via the CAPI. 
9. On the same ‘Overview’ page of the pixel, scroll down to the ‘Events’ table. 
10. In that table, you will see a list of all recorded events for that pixel across your Shopify store. 
11. In front of an event, you need to check the ‘Connection method.’ 
12. ‘Browser’ will denote events firing just via the pixel. And ‘Server’ will denote that CAPI is also working. 

13. If you see both ‘Browser’ and ‘Server’, as visible in the image above, or even if you see just ‘Server’, then it means that the CAPI is successfully passing events from your Shopify store to Meta.

Pro tip: You can also use the ‘Test events’ tool to check if CAPI is working correctly. Go through this Meta help page to read about it in detail.

Benefits of Using Conversions API for Shopify

We now know how to implement CAPI for a Shopify store. We also know how to verify the setup. But we are yet to discuss the benefits of this integration. Why do you need the Facebook Conversions API for your Shopify store? 

Let’s discuss that below. 

More Accurate Tracking 

As discussed earlier, with rising privacy restrictions, browser-based Meta pixels sometimes fail to record important event data of Shopify stores. The conversions API helps to solve this by sending event data directly from your server to Meta’s systems. Its connection with Meta’s ad systems isn’t affected by ad blockers, loading errors, or connectivity issues. This ensures that the tracking is more reliable and complete. 

Improved Personalization 

CAPI sends richer conversion data than a pixel alone, and it includes hashed customer data for safe matching. This data covers customer details, server-side purchases, and offline events. It helps Meta understand user actions across many touchpoints. Hashing also helps Meta identify users without cookies, which improves recognition accuracy on all devices.

With better accuracy, Meta can deliver ads that match each user’s intent. Your ads feel more relevant and reach users at the right moment. This also strengthens retargeting because Meta can identify past visitors more reliably. You can reach users who showed interest and guide them back to your store.

This boosts engagement and supports stronger customer experiences. It also increases the chance of conversions for your Shopify store.

Future-Proof Setup 

With time, more browsers have started restricting cookies. Privacy rules and regulations are also tightening, which is why relying solely on Meta pixels isn’t wise. 

Using the CAPI for your Shopify store future-proofs your tracking. It keeps your reporting reliable and provides valuable information to optimize your ads effectively. 

Best Practices For Setting up Conversions API for Shopify 

While configuring the integration between the server-side tracking tool (CAPI) and your Shopify store, you should follow these best practices: 

Use a Redundant Setup (CAPI + Meta Pixel) 

Meta itself recommends that you always use the Conversions API along with a Meta pixel. This redundancy helps to ensure that conversion tracking across your Shopify store is accurate, and events are never missed. 

Did you know that, as per Meta:  1. Advertisers who use the CAPI and pixels together notice 13% lower cost per result.  2. Also, globally large advertisers report 19% more attributed purchases when using both the CAPI and pixel together.

Regularly Monitor Event Coverage 

Keep checking ‘Event coverage’ (percentage of CAPI vs Pixel events) and ensure that there is parity between pixel and CAPI events. In all cases, you should aim for a 75% event coverage ratio of CAPI events compared to pixel events. This is to ensure that reporting is accurate and the data is reliable for optimizing your ad campaigns for your Shopify store. 

Deduplicate Events 

When you use both the CAPI and Meta Pixel for your Shopify store, duplicate events may be recorded. To avoid skewed metrics due to identical values, you should set up deduplication. This will help ensure that Meta only counts one version of the same event (browser or server). 

Pro tip: We recommend using Shopify Facebook pixel apps, such as the one by AdNabu, for leveraging deduplication. The app and its smart algorithms automatically ensure that duplicate event values aren’t recorded. This helps to keep your Shopify store’s performance data accurate and consistent.

Keep Improving Event Match Quality

Event Match Quality is a score on a scale of 0 to 10. It simply highlights how useful the customer information parameters that you send with server events are for matching events to actual Meta users.  

When using the CAPI for your Shopify store, ensure that you are sending multiple customer information parameters to Meta, either manually or via a tool. This will help improve the Event Match Quality score, decrease cost per result, and help refine targeting. 

Conclusion and Key Takeaways 

The Conversions API (CAPI) gives Shopify stores a reliable way to track events, improve attribution, and optimize Meta ads more effectively.

The key takeaways from this blog include:

• The Conversions API is a data-sharing tool that helps to connect your marketing data from your server directly to Meta. It ensures more reliable tracking than the browser Pixel alone.
• You can set up CAPI for your Shopify store using the ‘Facebook and Instagram app.’ Another option is to use a third-party Shopify Facebook Pixel app like Facebook Pixels for AdNabu, which offers more flexibility, with pixel creation, event tracking, enabling CAPI, etc. 
• After integration, always verify the setup in Meta Events Manager. Check that events are firing correctly and that the Conversions API is active.
• Setting up the Conversions API for your Shopify store is only the first step. To get the best results, always use it with a Pixel, monitor event coverage, enable deduplication, and improve event match quality.

Good luck! 

FAQs

1. What is the purpose of the Facebook Conversions API? 

The Conversions API helps Shopify merchants send data directly from their store’s server to Meta. Unlike the Pixel, which depends on browsers, CAPI tracks events more reliably. It improves attribution, ensures fewer missed conversions, and helps optimize campaigns for better targeting and lower costs.

2. How to set up the Facebook Conversions API for Shopify?

The setup process depends on the method and app you use.  

For example, with AdNabu’s Facebook Pixel app, the process is straightforward. You connect your Facebook account, select or create a Pixel, and generate a Conversions API token from Meta Events Manager. After adding the token in the app, you can configure events, enable advanced matching, and let the app automatically handle event sharing.

This ensures your Shopify store sends both Pixel and server-side events to Meta, resulting in more accurate tracking and stronger ad performance.

3. Is the Meta Conversions API free?

Yes, the Conversions API itself is free to use. If you set it up through commerce platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, or Wix, there are no additional costs, and the setup takes just a few clicks.

If you choose the Conversions API Gateway, Meta does not charge directly, but you will need a cloud server provider. This can incur fees starting around $30 per month, depending on your region and traffic volume.

You can also set up CAPI through partner integrations with platforms like Adobe, Google Tag Manager, or Tealium. Costs in this case depend on the partner and the features you need.

Finally, if you go for a direct integration using code, the CAPI is still free, but you’ll need developer resources and the right infrastructure to send data to Meta in real time.

4. Do I need a developer to set up the Conversions API?

Not always. Many integrations, such as commerce platform apps (like Shopify) or partner tools, require no coding. Direct integrations, however, may need developer support for custom setups.

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