Joshua Franklin Wiedeman

Analytics Lab / Instrumentation

Meta Pixel Sandbox

Example Meta Pixel calls attached to common page elements. Each interaction runs a local fbq stub and prints the event in the Conversions API request format. No data is sent.

Pixel ID
META-PIXEL-ID
Test event code
META-SANDBOX
Browser endpoint
https://www.facebook.com/tr
Conversions API endpoint
https://graph.facebook.com/v18.0/<pixel-id>/events

Tracked elements

Each element declares its fbq command, event name and parameters in data-meta-* attributes. Standard events use fbq('track'). Anything else uses fbq('trackCustom') so it does not mix with standard event reporting.

Lead and sign-up events

Trial starts, demo bookings and lead forms. These are the events most often used as campaign optimization goals.

fbq('track', 'StartTrial')

Start free trial

Standard StartTrial event. Send value, currency and optionally predicted_ltv so the trial can be valued in reporting.

Event
StartTrial
Interaction
click
Action source
website

Not fired yet.

Parameters 
 
 
 
 
 
fbq('track', 'Schedule')
 
Book a demo
 
 

Standard Schedule event, fired when a visitor books a meeting. Fire it on the
                booking confirmation, not on the button that opens the calendar.

 
 
 
Event
 
Schedule
 
 
 
Interaction
 
click
 
 
 
Action source
 
website
 
 
  
Not fired yet.
 
 Parameters 
 
 
 
 
 
fbq('track', 'Lead')
 
Demo request form
 
 

Standard Lead event on form submit. Do not put personal data in event parameters.
                Pass hashed identifiers through advanced matching in fbq('init') instead.

 
 
 
Event
 
Lead
 
 
 
Interaction
 
submit
 
 
 
Matching
 
em, external_id via init
 
 
 
    
 
Not fired yet.
 
 Parameters 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Content engagement
 

Downloads, video progress and newsletter sign-ups. These are typically used for retargeting
            audiences rather than as optimization goals.

 
 
 
 
fbq('trackCustom', 'file_download')
 
File download link
 
 

Meta has no standard download event, so this is a custom event. The parameters record the file
                and where the link sits on the page.

 
 
 
Event
 
file_download
 
 
 
Interaction
 
click
 
 
 
Prevent default
 
true (demo only)
 
 
 
Download pricing guide (PDF)
  
 Parameters 
 
 
 
 
 
fbq('trackCustom', 'video_start')
 
Video progress
 
 

Start, 50% and complete for a product video. Meta has no standard video events, so all three
                use trackCustom.

 
    
 
Not fired yet.
 
 Parameters 
 
 
 
 
 
fbq('track', 'CompleteRegistration')
 
Newsletter sign-up
 
 

A free newsletter sign-up maps to CompleteRegistration (or Lead).
                Meta's Subscribe event is meant for paid subscriptions.

 
    
 
Not fired yet.
 
 Parameters 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Commerce
 

Standard commerce events. content_ids must match the IDs in your product catalog for
            dynamic ads. value and currency are required on Purchase.

 
 
 
 
fbq('track', 'AddToCart')
 
Add to cart
 
 

Fired when a product is added to the cart. contents lists each item with its
                quantity and price.

  
Not fired yet.
 
 Parameters 
 
 
 
 
 
fbq('track', 'InitiateCheckout')
 
Begin checkout
 
 

Fired when the visitor starts checkout. Send the cart contents, item count and cart value.

  
Not fired yet.
 
 Parameters 
 
 
 
 
 
fbq('track', 'Purchase')
 
Purchase
 
 

Fired on the order confirmation page. If the same order is also sent through the Conversions
                API, pass a shared ID as { eventID } in the fourth argument so Meta can
                deduplicate.

  
Not fired yet.
 
 Parameters 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Support
 

Post-purchase support interactions. Chat uses the standard Contact event. Case
            resolution and surveys are custom events.

 
 
 
 
fbq('track', 'Contact')
 
Open support chat
 
 

Standard Contact event for chat, phone, email or SMS contact. The parameters record
                the channel and topic.

  
Not fired yet.
 
 Parameters 
 
 
 
 
 
fbq('trackCustom', 'support_case_resolved')
 
Support case resolved
 
 

Records a closed support ticket. In production this is usually sent server-side through the
                Conversions API, since the browser is rarely open when the case closes.

  
Not fired yet.
 
 Parameters 
 
 
 
 
 
fbq('trackCustom', 'survey_submit')
 
Satisfaction survey
 
 

Records a satisfaction score and comment. Do not send free-text comments if they may contain
                personal data.

 
    
 
Not fired yet.
 
 Parameters 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Interface events
 

Preferences, consent, dialogs and inline help. These are custom events and are mainly useful for
            product analysis, not ad optimization.

 
 
 
 
fbq('trackCustom', 'theme_change')
 
Theme toggle
 
 

Records a switch between light and dark themes. The parameters include the previous and new
                value.

 
 
 
Interaction
 
click
 
 
 
Dynamic
 
toggle state + parameters
 
 
 
 
Current theme: Light
 
  
Theme set to light.
 
 Parameters 
 
 
 
 
 
fbq('trackCustom', 'consent_update')
 
Marketing email consent
 
 

Records a change to an email preference. This is separate from pixel consent, which is set with
fbq('consent', 'grant') or fbq('consent', 'revoke').

 
 
 
Interaction
 
change
 
 
 
Fields
 
preference + consent
 
 
   
 Parameters 
 
 
 
 
 
fbq('trackCustom', 'modal_open')
 
Upgrade dialog
 
 

Opening the dialog fires modal_open. The two buttons inside fire
modal_dismiss and modal_accept.

 
 
 
Interaction
 
click
 
 
 
Actions
 
open / dismiss / accept
 
 
  
Dialog closed.
 
 Parameters 
 
 
 
 
 
fbq('trackCustom', 'tooltip_toggle')
 
Inline help tooltip
 
 

Records when a help tooltip is shown or hidden, and which help article it references.

 
 
 
Interaction
 
click
 
 
 
Dynamic
 
visible / hidden
 
 
   
Tooltip hidden.
 
 Parameters 
 
 
 
 
 
fbq('trackCustom', 'feedback_score')
 
Article feedback slider
 
 

Records a 1 to 5 rating for a help-center article. The parameters include the score and the
                scale maximum.

 
 
 
Interaction
 
change
 
 
 
Scale
 
1–5
 
 
  
No rating yet.
 
 Parameters 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sharing and page events
 

Sharing, printing, scroll depth and client-side errors. All are custom events.

 
 
 
 
fbq('trackCustom', 'share')
 
Copy link
 
 

Copies the page URL to the clipboard and records a share with method copy.

  
Not fired yet.
 
 Parameters 
 
 
 
 
 
fbq('trackCustom', 'share')
 
Share to X
 
 

The same share event with method social and the destination network.

  
Not fired yet.
 
 Parameters 
 
 
 
 
 
fbq('trackCustom', 'page_print')
 
Print page
 
 

Records a print action. In production, attach it to the print button or the
beforeprint window event.

  
Not fired yet.
 
 Parameters 
 
 
 
 
 
fbq('trackCustom', 'scroll_depth')
 
Scroll depth
 
 

An Intersection Observer fires once when the marker below is fully visible. In production the
                marker sits at 90% of the page height.

 
 

Scroll marker (fires once)

 
 
Waiting for scroll.
 
 Parameters 
 
 
 
 
 
fbq('trackCustom', 'client_error')
 
Client error
 
 

Records a non-fatal error, such as a failed API call during checkout. Keep error messages free of
                personal data.

  
No errors logged.
 
 Parameters 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
Meta Pixel base code
 

Place the base code in the document head. Replace META-PIXEL-ID with your pixel ID. Pass
        advanced matching fields (for example em, external_id) as the third argument
        to fbq('init').

 
&lt;script&gt;
  !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s){
    if(f.fbq) return;
    n=f.fbq=function(){ n.callMethod ?
      n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments) : n.queue.push(arguments);
    };
    if(!f._fbq) f._fbq=n;
    n.push=n; n.loaded=!0; n.version='2.0';
    n.queue=[]; t=b.createElement(e); t.async=!0;
    t.src=v; s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];
    s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s);
  }(window, document,'script','https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js');
  fbq('init', 'META-PIXEL-ID');
  fbq('track', 'PageView');
&lt;/script&gt;