How Does Meta Pixel Work – Getting Set Up
**Article Updated June 2025**
Meta Pixel Setup Guide: Track, Optimise, and Grow with Smarter Facebook Ads
Advertising on Facebook has become more advanced than ever, offering a range of tools to help you build your audience, capture attention, and drive traffic to your website. Learn how to set up and use the Meta Pixel (formerly Facebook Pixel) to track website visitor actions, improve your Facebook and Instagram ad targeting, create custom audiences for remarketing, and measure conversions. This guide covers step-by-step Pixel installation, event tracking, troubleshooting, and next steps for optimising your digital advertising strategy.
If your goal is to increase website traffic and track conversions, installing and making the most of the Meta Pixel (formerly Facebook Pixel) is essential.
What is META Pixel
The Facebook Pixel is a piece of code that you install on your website. It allows you to more effectively measure the performance of your ad campaigns and it helps you determine exactly who sees your ads.
The features and benefits of Facebook Pixel include:
- Ability to track customers across devices
- More effective targeting
- Create custom audiences for retargeting
- Uncover niche segments that are similar to your current ones
- Dynamic remarketing of ads – people who visit your site will see your ads on Facebook
- Audience insights
Facebook Pixel Set Up
There are two main components to the setup process:
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The Base Pixel Code – installed on every page of your website
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Event Codes – added to specific pages or actions you want to track (like purchases or form submissions)
Step 1 – Create Your Pixel
Start in your Meta Events Manager. Click “Connect Data Sources” > “Web” > then select Meta Pixel. You’ll be guided through the process to generate your Pixel ID and install instructions.
Step 2 – Install the Base Pixel Code on Your Website
The next step is to choose which method you want to use to install the Pixel on your site. You’ll have two options:
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Use a Tag Manager (like Google Tag Manager)
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Manually add the code to your site
In order for your Pixel to work, you must copy and paste the code into your website. This cookie allows your site to send information back to Facebook and measures visits and where people go on your site.
We recommend copying and pasting the base code manually into your site’s <head> section for greater control. If you’re using WordPress, several plugins can simplify this process.
The base Pixel code collects page view data and allows Meta to track visits and behaviour on your site.
Step 3: Add Event Tracking
Event codes let you track actions that matter most to your business. First, decide what your key website goals are – for example, purchases, newsletter signups, or form submissions.
Meta offers three levels of event setup:
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Basic – tracks key actions for conversion optimisation
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Recommended – includes additional data parameters
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Advanced – provides detailed product-level tracking
Common Standard Events Include:
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ViewContent– someone views a specific page -
Search– someone uses your site’s search -
AddToCart– someone adds a product to their cart -
InitiateCheckout– someone begins the checkout process -
Purchase– someone completes a transaction -
Lead– someone becomes a lead (e.g. fills out a form) -
CompleteRegistration– someone signs up for an account
Add these event codes to relevant pages or buttons, depending on what actions you want to track
Step 3: Add Event Tracking
Event codes let you track actions that matter most to your business. First, decide what your key website goals are – for example, purchases, newsletter signups, or form submissions.
Meta offers three levels of event setup:
-
Basic – tracks key actions for conversion optimisation
-
Recommended – includes additional data parameters
-
Advanced – provides detailed product-level tracking
Common Standard Events Include:
-
ViewContent– someone views a specific page -
Search– someone uses your site’s search -
AddToCart– someone adds a product to their cart -
InitiateCheckout– someone begins the checkout process -
Purchase– someone completes a transaction -
Lead– someone becomes a lead (e.g. fills out a form) -
CompleteRegistration– someone signs up for an account
Add these event codes to relevant pages or buttons, depending on what actions you want to track
Testing and Verifying Your Pixel
Once the Pixel and events are installed, you’ll be notified within Events Manager.
To check everything’s working:
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Go to Events Manager and open your Pixel
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View Pixel activity and test events in real time
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Use the Meta Pixel Helper Chrome extension to troubleshoot installation issues on your site
Next Steps: Use Your Pixel to Build Audiences & Track Conversions
Create Custom Audiences
With your Pixel collecting data, you can create audiences to retarget site visitors with ads on Facebook and Instagram.
In Ads Manager:
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Go to Audiences
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Click Create Audience > Custom Audience
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Choose Website Traffic
You can target:
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All website visitors
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People who visited specific pages
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People who visited some pages but not others
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Visitors within a certain time frame
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Or a custom combination of these
Once your audience is large enough, you can begin running remarketing campaigns.
Set Up Conversions
You can also track conversions to measure success and optimise your campaigns.
In Events Manager, click Create Custom Conversion to define what counts as a conversion – for example, visits to a “thank you” page after a purchase or signup.
You have two options:
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Standard Events – great for consistent, trackable actions like purchases
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Custom Conversions – best when standard events don’t quite fit, or you need more detailed filtering
Final Thoughts
The Meta Pixel is a powerful tool to help you get more from your online advertising efforts. From smarter targeting and remarketing to better campaign performance, setting up the Pixel is a smart investment in your digital strategy.
Need help installing or using your Pixel? Get in touch with us – we’re happy to help.
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