Meta Conversions API Setup: The Complete 2026 Checklist

Setting up the Meta Conversions API (CAPI) correctly is the highest-leverage tracking fix an e-commerce store can make. Here is the checklist we use.

1. Get your credentials

• Pixel ID: Events Manager → your pixel → Settings.
• Access token: same Settings page → Conversions API section → Generate access token.

2. Send the right fields

At minimum, each server event should include:

• event_name (Purchase, AddToCart, …)
• event_time and a unique event_id
• event_source_url and action_source: "website"
• User data: hashed email (em), hashed phone (ph), client_ip_address, client_user_agent, and fbc/fbp cookies when present

The more user data fields you send (properly SHA-256 hashed), the higher your Event Match Quality score — and match quality directly affects how many conversions Meta attributes to your ads.

3. Deduplicate browser + server events

If you keep the browser pixel running alongside CAPI (recommended), send the same event_id from both. Meta keeps one copy and discards the duplicate. Without this, your numbers double-count.

4. Test before trusting

Use the Test Events tab in Events Manager: generate a test event code, add it to your server events, and watch them arrive live. Verify:

• Events show "Processed", not "Invalid"
• Deduplication shows "browser · server" merged rows
• Match quality is "Good" or better on Purchase

5. Watch the delay

Purchases sent hours late lose attribution. A good pipeline delivers within seconds — check your platform's event logs for delivery timestamps.

A managed pipeline handles steps 2–5 automatically: hashing, event IDs, deduplication, and real-time delivery logs are built in.