If your Facebook pixel is inactive, use the Meta Pixel Helper extension to ensure it is firing events correctly on your website. If the extension does not identify events, confirm the pixel ID is correct, the Facebook pixel code is installed correctly on your website, and clear cache and ad blockers on your browser.
If you have done all of the above and still face the same issue, or need a deeper understanding of the resolutions mentioned above, this blog is for you.
In this blog, we will discuss what the ‘Facebook pixel’s not active’ status means, the causes of this issue, and its resolutions.
Let’s get started!
Table of Contents
What Does Facebook Pixel Not Active Mean?
A “Facebook pixel not active” status means the pixel’s code isn’t correctly installed or hasn’t fired successfully on your website, so it cannot track visitor actions, such as pageview, add-to-cart, or purchase. This can happen for multiple reasons, including not installing the code correctly on your website, ad blockers, or the pixel not being present in your primary domain.
We will discuss all the possible reasons and fixes in the following sections.
Note: ‘Facebook Pixel not active’ is more like indicating the status of your pixel rather than considering it as an error. However, depending on why your pixel isn’t active and not triggering events could also lead to an error.
For example, you can consider it an error if it occurs due to missing/incorrect code, CSP/network errors, invalid Pixel ID, JavaScript exceptions, or a deleted pixel. On the other hand, if it occurs due to an ad blocker, cache, or low traffic, etc., it isn’t a serious issue. Adjust the browser settings, and it should work fine.
How do you know if your Facebook Pixel isn’t active?
There are two ways to find out:
1. Test Events Tool in Events Manager
To perform this test, go to Facebook Ads Manager >> go to Events Manager>> select the pixel from the Data Sources tab >> click the Test Events tab.
On the page, enter your website URL, go to your website and perform a few dummy actions such as adding to cart, purchasing, clicking a button, etc. Return to the Events manager and check if the events are firing per your actions. The events are displayed likewise, as shown in the image below.
Source – Measureschool
2. Using Meta Pixel Helper Extension
You can also use an extension like Meta Pixel Helper to know if your pixel isn’t working.
Let’s look at how to install the Meta Pixel Helper:
Step 1: To use the Meta Pixel Helper, go to your browser, Chrome and search for Facebook pixel helper on Google search bar.
Step 2: Install the Meta Pixel Helper extension in Chrome.
Step 3: Navigate to your website and click the Pixel helper icon in your browser’s toolbar.
Step 4: Click on the extension and check the pop-up window. In this pop-up, you can see if the pixel is firing the events like page view, purchase, etc. If the website will have a pixel and is active, you will notice that the Meta Pixel Helper icon has a green signal with a number on it. Something like this:
Step 5: As you can see, the Meta Pixel Helper shows a green icon and a number 2. This number indicates the number of events tracked. In this case, it is page views and button clicks.
Step 6: If a website doesn’t have a Facebook pixel installed, you will see the following message.
Note: Using the Meta Pixel Helper extension to identify any errors or the status of your pixel is highly recommended compared to using the test events method. This extension is accurate and shows any errors associated with the pixel, along with some suggestions.
Test Events Tool Vs. Meta Pixel Helper Extension
The Test Events tool shows real-time validation of events in your Meta Events Manager (browser and server events). However, it requires access to the Business account and the data source and won’t show low-level HTTP request details.
The Meta Pixel Helper extension is a browser-side, page-level debugger that inspects pixel code and outgoing HTTP calls from the page.
Although Meta recommends using the extension, a few experts suggest using both. Here’s how you can use both tools: Use Meta Pixel Helper first to confirm the pixel fires correctly in the browser, then use Test Events to verify the event actually reached Events Manager.
How to Fix the Facebook Pixel Not Active Issue?
In this section. Let’s go through all the possible errors that can cause the Facebook pixel not active issue.
Check Pixel Implementation
If you have installed the pixel code and see no activity, it might be due to not installing the code properly on your website. Here’s how to review the pixel implementation:
Confirm if you did insert the Facebook Pixel code in your website just before the closing tag of </head>.
The Facebook pixel code is something like this:
<!– Meta Pixel Code –>
<script>
!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s){
if(f.fbq) return;
n=f.fbq=function(){ n.callMethod ? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments) : n.queue.push(arguments) };
if(!f._fbq) f._fbq=n;
n.push = n;
n.loaded = !0;
n.version = ‘2.0’;
n.queue = [];
t = b.createElement(e); t.async = !0;
t.src = v;
s = b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];
s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s);
}(window, document, ‘script’, ‘https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js’);
//initialise with your Pixel ID:
fbq(‘init’, ‘YOUR_PIXEL_ID’);
// track a page view:
fbq(‘track’, ‘PageView’);
</script>
<noscript>
<img height=”1″ width=”1″ style=”display:none”
src=”https://www.Facebook.com/tr?id=YOUR_PIXEL_ID&ev=PageView&noscript=1″ />
</noscript>
<!– End Meta Pixel Code –>
Note: Enter your pixel ID in the code.
For detailed information, this blog on Facebook pixel code example provides a detailed explanation of installing the code on your website. If you’re a Shopify merchant, here’s how to add Facebook Pixel to your store.
Moving on, let’s say your pixel is installed properly and the events are firing correctly. Does this mean the data shown is accurate? No, not always, especially when the Meta Pixel helper highlights errors in your pixel installation and setup.
It is critical to resolve and fix all the errors and warnings flagged by the extension to address inaccurate data, duplicated events, incorrect conversion tracking, and missed customer actions. Resolving these errors ensures accurate data collection and improves the performance of your Meta advertising campaigns.
In the next section, let’s look at the common errors and warnings the Meta Pixel Helper flags.
Errors Identified Using Meta Pixel Helper Extension
We have seen that you can find out if the pixel is active or not using the Meta’s extension. The extension also helps you resolve errors related to the inaccurate data.
Let’s find out more:
Meta Pixel helper flags the following errors: You can find them in the Events Manager under the Diagnostics tab.
Pixel did not load
The pixel did not load is an error in which the Meta Pixel Helper could find the pixel code, but did not make the HTTP call.
This could happen due to:
1. Error in the code: Ensure you copy and paste the correct code.
2. If the Pixel fires on a dynamic event, such as a button click. The error will disappear upon clicking on the button. It means the Pixel code is on the page, but only fires when a user performs a dynamic action (like clicking a button). The Pixel Helper checks the page immediately and sees no outgoing HTTP call, so it reports “Pixel Did Not Load,” but if you click the button (or otherwise trigger the event), the Pixel makes the network request and the error disappears.
Double-encoded characters
Double-encoded characters mean the extension found the characters encoded twice. For instance, encoding ‘&’ into ‘& amp;’ is considered double-encoded. To resolve, you can try changing & to &.
Not a Standard Event
The Not a Standard Event warning means the Pixel Helper detected an event whose name doesn’t match Facebook’s predefined Standard Events. For example, it saw ‘Purchased’ instead of the expected ‘Purchase’.
This alert indicates that the Pixel sent an event other than the official standard event. A common cause is a naming mismatch.
Pixel Activated Multiple Times
The Pixel Activated Multiple Times error means a Pixel with the same ID and event name was sent multiple times to Meta.
Invalid Pixel ID
The Invalid Pixel ID error indicates the Pixel ID sent with the request does not match any Pixel ID registered in Facebook’s system. You can find your Pixel ID in the Events Manager.
Can Not Find Product Catalogue
The “Can Not Find Product Catalogue” error indicates the product_catalog_id sent with the Pixel event does not match any Product Catalogue in Facebook’s system.
To resolve this issue, locate your Product Catalogue ID in Business Manager → Settings > Product Catalogues, and confirm the catalogue is associated with your Pixel.
Note: Another relevant error is the Product Catalogue Not Paired warning. This warning suggests that the Pixel is not paired with any product catalogue. Two ways to pair a catalogue with a Pixel are the Commerce Manager or the Product Catalogue Preferences API.
Pixel Took Too Long
The ‘Pixel Took Too Long to Load’ error means the pixel took a long time to activate. This issue occurs due to the pixel location. To resolve, ensure you place it just before the </head> section.
Pixel Advanced Matching
The Pixel Advanced Matching warning indicates that the value sent for the advanced matching parameter is invalid or incorrectly formatted. Ensure all the values are formatted and valid before sending them to the Meta Pixel.
You Have Opted Out of Tracking
This warning occurs when you have opted out of tracking from Meta. Therefore, the Pixel fires detected were not logged on the servers. To resolve this, you can turn on the tracking.
If you’ve resolved all these errors, you’ve fixed most of the issues in Facebook Pixel. Let’s look at a few more issues that can arise, like the Facebook pixel not being active. These issues range from easy-to-fix errors to critical errors. Let’s take a look at all of them.
Review Event Configuration
This check ensures that your pixel is accurately firing for all the events in real time. For example, if you visit your website and add an item to your cart, the pixel must show events like page view and button click.
You can verify this using the Test Events tab or the Meta Pixel Helper extension.
Wait, haven’t we already discussed this? Yes, we did. But now let’s go deeper.
We shall now discuss the parameters received in these events, the associated errors and how to fix them to ensure the data is accurate. These errors are displayed in the diagnostics page in your events manager.
Duplicate Purchase Events
Let’s first discuss about the duplicate purchase events. Note that this specific issue is not displayed in the Diagnostics page, however resolving this issue is critical to ensure data accuracy.
Source – MeasureSchool
Duplicate purchase events simply mean that your event manager shows the same purchase twice when the purchase happened only once.
This might occur because a tool or GTM tag sends purchase events to the Facebook pixel when the Events setup tool has already sent them.
To solve this issue, advertisers recommend that you check for the tools that send purchase events and remove one so that the Events Manager does not send duplicate purchase events for the same purchase.
Pro Tip: If you use both the Meta Pixel (browser) and Conversions API (server), send the same event_name and the same event_id for each conversion. Meta will use event_id to deduplicate and avoid double-counting.
Invalid Purchase Currency Code & Value Parameter
Source – Measureschool
You will notice two more warning messages under the Diagnostics tab that are relevant to the purchase event: Invalid purchase currency code and invalid purchase value parameter. This issue occurs when you don’t set a value or use variables in Google Tag Manager.
Here’s how to resolve the issue:
To solve this, go to your Google Tag Manager account >> go to tags >> select the tag responsible for sending the purchase event >> click Object properties >> you will see that the currency and value fields are empty.
The currency code should be the same as the code set in your store. For example, the code should be USD if you sell in USD.
Note: You can create a variable using more than one currency. If you’re present worldwide, your currency code should display depending on your customer’s currency. You can achieve this using a custom variable for your currency.
The same goes for the value field; you can use a Data Layer variable to report accurate data.
Creating variables requires a process.
Here’s how to create a Data Layer variable on a website:
- Data layer variables extract information from your website’s Data Layer. In this case, they extract the currency and value fields the customer uses.
- Data Layer variables should be defined before the GTM container snippet in the <head> section of your website’s HTML. This ensures that when GTM initialises, it can access these pre-defined variables.
- For example, the purchase event using Data Layer variables looks something like this,
dataLayer.push({
‘event’: ‘purchase’,
‘ecommerce’: {
‘currency’: ‘USD’,
‘value’: 123.45
}
});
- Once you have configured the Data Layer on your website, you can call it in your Google Tag Manager account.
Here’s how to call the Data Layer variable for currency in GTM:
- In GTM, navigate to Variables in the left-hand menu >> Under “User-Defined Variables,” click New >> click “Variable Configuration” and choose Data Layer Variable as the type >> for the “Data Layer Variable Name,” enter the exact path to the currency in your Data Layer.
- In the example above, this would be e-commerce.currency. Name the variable and save the changes.
Here’s how to create a Data Layer variable for a value in GTM:
- The process is the same for the value field. Also, for the Data Layer variable name, enter the exact path to the value in your Data Layer. In the example above, this would be ecommerce.value. Name the variable and save the changes.
- Once you have made these changes, go ahead and publish the tag. Click on Submit.
Source – Measureschool
New Domain Sending Data
New Domain Sending Data is a warning message in your Events Manager under the Diagnostics tab.
This is common among advertisers when a new domain sends data to Facebook.
Understanding which domains are sending data to tackle this issue is essential. You can identify the domains under the Diagnostics tab itself.
Note: This issue will likely occur when a plugin or a Shopify Facebook app sends data.
Here’s how to fix it:
- Go to the diagnostics tab >> identify the domains >> and make a list of the domains that you wish not to send data to
- Now, you can create an allow list or block list to allow specific domains and subdomains and simultaneously block certain domains from sending data to Facebook.
- You can do so by navigating to Traffic Permissions.
Step 1: In your Facebook Events Manager >> go to Data sources >> Pixel settings, and scroll down to Traffic permissions.
Source – Hostinger
Step 2: Choose the Create block list option from the dropdown and click on it.
Source – Hostinger
Source – Hostinger
Step 3: After creating the block list, save it.
Note: When adding domains to a list, you can enter the domain URL or select from the top domain traffic list under traffic permissions.
Similarly, you can create an allow list to allow specific domains and sub-domains to send data to Facebook. When creating an allow list, ensure you select Create an allow list from the dropdown menu under Traffic permissions.
After creating an allow list or block list, you can ensure that the domains or subdomains in the allow list alone send data to your pixel. The rest of the domains are blocked.
To ensure you capture data from the right domains, you must review this setting or address the issue of sending data to the new domain. Once this issue is resolved, return to the Diagnostics tab and mark the issue ‘Ignore.’
Let’s move on to the next issue.
Check for Recent Changes
Another reason your Facebook pixel being inactive could be changes made to your website that could have impacted the pixel code.
Check your documentation, which records changes made to your website. You can also talk to your developer(s) and identify any changes that affected the pixel code.
If yes, make the necessary changes, and you should be able to resolve the issue. A more straightforward fix could be to look at the Facebook pixel code and compare it to your code. Take a look at the example we shared earlier.
Review Pixel Settings
Check the following:
- Check Pixel ID: Ensure that the Pixel ID on your website is the same as the one in your Ads Manager account. How do you check that?
You can do so using Meta Pixel Helper. The pop-up window shows a Pixel ID, let’s say 1276534. Ensure that this Pixel ID is the same in Events Manager >> Data Sources >> Select Correct Pixel >> Under the Pixel, you will find the Unique Pixel ID. It should be 1276534.
Source – Madgicx
- Review Data Sources: In Events Manager, confirm that your pixel is selected as the data source for event tracking.
Privacy & Consent (CMP, GDPR, iOS ATT)
Users should know when a website collects their data and why. Laws like GDPR and CCPA often require you to get permission first.
- Ask users for permission before tracking them.
- Use a Consent Management Platform (CMP) to show cookie banners and block the pixel until a user opts in.
- Remember, iOS requires apps to ask users to allow tracking (ATT), which reduces browser signals.
- To get more reliable data, run Facebook Conversions API and Pixel, but only send events the user agreed to. Read more about how iOS 14 impacts Facebook ads.
Conclusion
If your Facebook pixel not active message is due to a code error or browser blocking, you can identify the cause quickly using the right approach.
Key takeaways
- Use the Meta Pixel Helper first, as it points to the exact error and shows whether events are firing.
- Review the status in Events Manager >> Data Sources >> Diagnostics status and resolve flagged warnings.
- Confirm activity using the Events Manager’s Test Events or Meta Pixel Helper.
- Check for permissions in Business Settings, ensure the pixel and ad account are visible to your user/agency.
- Retry copying, pasting the pixel code or re-publishing GTM, then clearing site and browser caches.
- Consider manual installation (placing the Meta Pixel code directly in <head>), especially if plugins/apps fail.
- Also, test the pixel in incognito and other browsers.
- Disable ad blockers and retest the pixel. Ad blockers are often the root cause and will stop pixel events from firing.
- Double-check the GTM/data layer for correct currency and value parameters for purchase events to avoid invalid parameter warnings.
FAQs
What if my Facebook Pixel is still not active after following all steps?
If the Pixel isn’t working even after following the steps outlined in the blog, go through the installation steps again. If you used a partner integration earlier, try a manual code installation, or vice versa.
How can I test my Facebook Pixel without affecting live data?
Use the Test Events tool or Meta Pixel helper extension to test the Facebook pixel and see if it is firing events correctly. These methods ensure that you test the data without impacting live data.
Can I use server-side tracking to bypass ad blockers?
Server-side tracking means the entire tracking process moves to the advertiser’s server, bypassing the browser and ad blockers altogether. Using server-side tracking, you can collect a comprehensive dataset that includes all interactions, such as page views, clicks, and conversions.
What should I do if my Pixel is not firing on mobile devices?
To fix the issue where a Facebook Pixel is not firing events on mobile is, you should first verify the pixel installation using the Meta Pixel Helper Chrome extension. Check for ad blockers, ensure your mobile site loads the pixel code correctly and use the Diagnostics tab in Event Manager to identify and resolve specific issues.
How often should I check my Pixel configuration?
It is essential to check your Pixel configuration daily, especially when launching a new campaign.
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