What is Facebook Conversions API and how to setup in your Shopify store?

by Kathy Tan

March 23, 2021

4 minute read

Apple has announced changes with iOS 14 that will impact how we receive and process conversion events from tools like the Facebook pixel. Businesses that optimize, target, and report on web conversion events from any of our business tools will be affected.

Facebook advertisers who do not adapt to these changes may experience higher acquisition costs and over 150% average increase in cost per action (CPA) when moving from conversion optimisation to link-click optimisation.

In this article, you will learn about conversions API and a guide to setup on Facebook & Shopify.

What is CAPI?

People’s behaviours are shifting the ads ecosystem, when more people is hungry for greater data privacy, browser changes are impacting cookies and other tools that support performance.

Conversions API(CAPI) is a Facebook Business Tool that lets you share key web and offline events, or customer actions, directly from your server to Facebook’s. Conversions API works with your Facebook pixel to help improve the performance and measurement of your Facebook ad campaigns.

Previously advertisers use browser data from pixel.
Improve the reliability of your data sharing & reduce the loss of important customer data by sending it directly to Facebook.

Comparing using Pixel only vs combination of Pixel & CAPI.

Conversion API helps you drive the outcome you seek using the information you control, rather than data from the browser.

How to Configure Website Events in Facebook

We emphasize the importance of implementing this guidance and taking our recommended actions prior to Apple’s prompt enforcement.

The impact of not taking these actions could result in:

⚠️ Inability to create certain ad campaigns

⚠️ Limited access to certain optimization choices and the pause of certain ad sets

⚠️ Ad performance degradations as delivery to iOS 14 users (specifically those using iOS 14.5 and above) decline for certain ad sets


Step #1: Verify Your Domain

  • Visit the Resource Centre
Go to Resource Center under Ads Manager and complete the Tasks.

Once completed you Mark Complete.

  • or Setting from Business Manager
Go to Business Manager -> Business Settings -> Brand Safety -> Domains -> Add Domain -> Follow the given instructions -> Verify.


Once verified you will see a green dot beside the pixel.

Step #2: Connect pixel and setup Facebook CAPI integration in Shopify

Start setting up a Facebook sales channel on Shopify backend
Under Data Sharing -> Choose Maximum Level for Conversions API integration
Connect the pixel that tracks conversion to this website

Step #3: Prioritize 8 conversion events

Go to Events Manager -> Data Sources -> Configure Web Events
Choose Domain -> Manage Events


Set Top 8 Prioritised Conversion Events


*Please note that to turn on Value Optimization, we need to make sure our pixel is sending and optimizing for Purchase events and wait until it has generated 100+ optimised purchases and has at least 10 distinct values in the last 7 days.

These events are processed through the Aggregated Event Measurement protocol. Once Apple releases its changes for iOS14, you’ll receive data from these events.

Last but not least!

When setting the ads, you will now need to select a domain associated with the pixel under Tracking.


You’re all set to go!

Read more about Shopify integration with FB CAPI guide here.

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