Testing and Troubleshooting Meta Ads Tracking

Q: The Meta Pixel is not loading on any page

Check that your Google Tag Manager container includes the Meta Pixel tag with the All Pages trigger, and that the container has been published. Also check that no ad blocker is running in your browser.

Q: The Purchase tag does not fire

Check that the tag uses the Meta Ads Purchase Event trigger, not All Pages, and that the trigger's event name is purchase in lower case. The tag only fires on the order success page, after an order is placed.

Q: Test events is not showing anything

Start the test by clicking Test events in Events Manager, then complete the action in the website tab that opens. Check that no ad blocker is running and that your Google Tag Manager container has been published.

Q: The repeated Purchase is not marked Duplicated

Check the Event ID under More Settings in the Purchase tag. It needs to be purchase_{{Order ID}}, so the same order always sends the same ID. The order_id property does not replace the Event ID.

Once you have set up the Meta Pixel and e-commerce tracking through Google Tag Manager, check that Meta is receiving your events before you rely on the data. This article covers three tools for testing your setup, and the problems that come up most often.

Before You Begin

Install the Meta Pixel through Google Tag Manager.
Set up e-commerce tracking for Meta Ads.
Turn off any ad blocker for your website in the browser you test with.

Ad blockers can stop the Meta Pixel or Google Tag Manager from loading. While one is running, Preview Mode and Meta Events Manager may not show what is actually happening on your website.

Check Your Meta Tags in Google Tag Manager

Your Google Tag Manager container needs two Meta tags: the Meta Pixel tag, and the Purchase tag that sends your orders.

Log in to your Google Tag Manager account.
Select the container installed on your Oncord website.
Click Tags in the left menu.

Check that the list includes both tags:

Meta Pixel - Loads the Meta Pixel on every page, using the All Pages trigger.
Meta Pixel - Purchase - Sends each order to Meta, using the Meta Ads Purchase Event trigger.

Note: Your tag names may differ if you chose other names during setup.

Test with Google Tag Manager Preview Mode

Preview Mode shows which tags fired on each page and what values they sent.

Click Preview in Google Tag Manager.
Enter your website URL and connect Tag Assistant.
In Tag Assistant, select Container Loaded in the left panel.
Confirm that Meta Pixel appears under Tags Fired.
Place a test order on your website.
Select the purchase event in the left panel.
Confirm that Meta Pixel - Purchase appears under Tags Fired.
Open the Variables tab.
Check that Order ID, Order Value and Order Currency contain the order's details.

For an AUD 20.00 order numbered 1039, you should see 1039, 20.00 and AUD.

Note: Preview Mode shows the unpublished version of your container. Tags that work in Preview Mode do not reach real visitors until you click Submit and publish.

Use Test Events in Meta Events Manager

Test events shows events as Meta receives them, which confirms the whole setup works. Start the test from Events Manager, so it can show the events your test sends.

Open Meta Events Manager.
Select the dataset that matches your Meta Pixel ID.
Open the Test events tab.
Expand Confirm that your website's events are set up correctly, if needed.
Enter your website URL.
Click Test events.
Place a test order in the website tab that opens.
Return to Test events in Events Manager.
Expand the Purchase event.
Check value, currency and order_id.
Confirm that the Event ID matches the order, such as purchase_1036.

A tag that fires in Preview Mode has run. Seeing the event in Test events confirms that Meta received it.

Check for Duplicate Purchase Events

Refreshing the order success page sends the Purchase event again. Because the Event ID stays the same, Meta can recognise the repeat.

Refresh the order success page in the test tab.
Return to Test events in Events Manager.
Check that both Purchase events have the same Event ID.
Confirm that the second one is marked Duplicated.

You may still see two events in the list. The Duplicated status shows that Meta identified the repeat, rather than counting it as a new purchase.

Check Your Pixel with Meta Ads Data Advisor

Meta Ads Data Advisor is a free Chrome extension from Meta that shows the Meta Pixel events a page sends. To install it, see Checking Your Meta Pixel with Meta Ads Data Advisor.

Open your website in Chrome.
Click the Meta Ads Data Advisor icon.
Check that your pixel is listed and shows as Active.
Check that a PageView event appears.
Place a test order.
Click Show all events.
Check that a Purchase event appears.

Show all events lists the events from every page you visited, so you can see the Purchase from the order success page alongside the earlier page views.

Troubleshooting

The Meta Pixel is not loading on any page

Check that your Google Tag Manager container includes the Meta Pixel tag with the All Pages trigger, and that the container has been published. Also check that no ad blocker is running in your browser.

The Purchase tag does not fire

Check that the tag uses the Meta Ads Purchase Event trigger, not All Pages, and that the trigger's event name is purchase in lower case. The tag only fires on the order success page, after an order is placed.

The Purchase event is missing the order value or currency

Check that each Data Layer Variable uses the exact name, such as ecommerce.value, with Version 2 as the Data Layer Version. In the Purchase tag, check that the names under Object Properties are value, currency and order_id, in lower case.

Test events is not showing anything

Start the test by clicking Test events in Events Manager, then complete the action in the website tab that opens. Check that no ad blocker is running and that your Google Tag Manager container has been published.

Events appear twice for one page or order

Check that the Meta Pixel is installed only once. If you added the pixel code to your website design and also through Google Tag Manager, remove it from your design and keep the Google Tag Manager tags.

Also check whether Meta is creating its own events. When Setting up conversion tracking without code is on, Meta can add events based on activity on your website, on top of the events your tags send. To turn it off:

Open Meta Events Manager.
Select the dataset that matches your Meta Pixel ID.
Open the Settings tab.
Turn off Setting up conversion tracking without code.

The repeated Purchase is not marked Duplicated

Check the Event ID under More Settings in the Purchase tag. It needs to be purchase_{{Order ID}}, so the same order always sends the same ID. The order_id property does not replace the Event ID.

Changes in Google Tag Manager have no effect

Editing a tag or trigger only changes your workspace. Click Submit and publish the container for the change to reach your website.