Digital Marketing
How do I know which sale came from which ad?
You need three things: the Meta Pixel on your website, the Conversions API sending confirmed orders from your server, and link tags (UTMs) on your ad links. The Pixel shows Meta what happened on your site, the API fills in what browsers block, and the tags let your own analytics see which ad brought the visitor.
ShoaibUpdated 3 min read
What does each piece do?
| Piece | What it does | Where it lives |
|---|---|---|
| Meta Pixel | Reports page views, add-to-cart and purchases back to Meta | In your website's code |
| Conversions API | Sends the same events from your server, so blocked browsers don't hide sales | Your server, or a Shopify app |
| Link tags (UTMs) | Labels each ad link so your analytics names the source | On the ad's website URL |
What order should I set them up in?
- Pixel first. Without it, Meta can't optimise for sales at all.
- Then the key events: view content, add to cart, purchase.
- Then the Conversions API, which Shopify and most store platforms offer as a setting or app.
- Then link tags, so you can check Meta's claims against your own numbers.
How do I sanity-check the numbers?
- Compare Meta's reported sales with your store's total sales for the same days.
- If Meta claims far more, it's counting assisted sales; trust your store.
- Watch the trend, not single days.
What if I sell only through chat?
Track the chat, not the sale: use ads that open WhatsApp, then record in a simple sheet how many chats turned into orders. That gives you a real cost per customer.
Want your tracking checked and fixed properly? See our Meta Ads service.