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Technical Guides

Tracking for Meta Ads

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Step 1: Connect Your Meta Ad Account
  3. Step 2: Insert Northbeam UTM Parameters
  4. How to Confirm Your Meta Ads Are Tracking Properly
  5. Optional Meta Features
  6. Meta Ads FAQ

Introduction

To fully track Meta Ads in Northbeam, complete these two steps:

  1. Connect your Meta Ad Account
  2. Add supported UTM parameters to your Meta Ads

Each step provides a different part of your Meta data.

SetupWhat it providesIf it is missing
Meta IntegrationNorthbeam imports:
  • Campaign, Ad Set, and Ad names
  • Ad spend
  • Impressions
  • Meta-reported metrics
  • Creative metrics
Campaign, Ad Set, and Ad details may be missing, along with spend, impressions, and Meta-reported metrics.
Northbeam UTM ParametersHelps Northbeam connect visits, revenue, transactions, and other attributed conversions to the correct Meta Campaign, Ad Set, and Ad.

Northbeam may not be able to connect visits and conversions to the Meta ads that drove them.

This can cause ad spend and attributed revenue to appear on separate line items.

📘

Do you sell on Meta Shops?

For more information, learn about Meta Shops and TikTok Shops here.

Step 1: Connect Your Meta Ad Account

What does the connection do?

Northbeam connects directly to the Meta Ads API.

This connection lets Northbeam import your current and historical Campaigns, Ad Sets, and Ads, along with:

  • Ad spend
  • Impressions
  • Meta-reported conversion metrics
  • Creative metrics

Impression data also powers Northbeam's view modeling and helps unlock the Clicks + Modeled Views attribution model.

How to connect your Ad Account

Where you connect your account depends on your dashboard status:

  • Onboarding Flow - Go to Integrations.
  • Activated Dashboard - Open Connections.
🚧

Note: The credentials used must have admin access to the Ad Account.

Use a Meta user with access to all Ad Accounts you plan to connect to Northbeam.


📘

Additional Meta Permission Requirements

The user connecting the account must have both ads_read and ads_management permissions enabled in Meta Business Manager.

These permissions fall under Advanced Access, which third-party integrations such as Northbeam need to access Meta ad data.

To verify or request these permissions, go to:

Meta Business Manager → App Dashboard → App Review → Permissions and Features

For more information, visit Meta's documentation:
https://developers.facebook.com/docs/marketing-api/get-started/authorization/#permissions-and-features

For a visual walkthrough, watch the video below.

Step 2: Insert Northbeam UTM Parameters

Northbeam uses Northbeam UTM Parameters to connect a Meta visit to the correct Campaign, Ad Set, and Ad.

Before making changes, find the setup that applies to your ads:

If this is your setupUse this
Your Meta ads send traffic directly to your website and do not already use supported Triple Whale, Hyros, Rockerbox, or Wicked Reports parameters.

This is the most common setup.		Northbeam UTM Parameters
Your Meta ads already use Triple Whale, Hyros, Rockerbox, or Wicked Reports tracking parametersYou may not need to add Northbeam UTM Parameters.

See which third-party parameters Northbeam supports
Your Meta ad lands on a different root domain before your main site, such as a third-party landing page or advertorialOff-Domain Tracking Setup
📘

Not sure which setup applies?

If your Meta ads send visitors directly to your website and you are not already using one of the supported third-party parameter formats, use the Northbeam UTM Parameters.


Northbeam UTM Parameters

Add these two Northbeam UTM Parameters in Meta's Build a URL parameter menu for all applicable new and existing Meta Ads:

Parameter NameValue
nbtnb:fb:{{site_source_name}}:{{campaign.id}}:{{adset.id}}:{{ad.id}}
nb_placement{{placement}}
Build a URL Parameter > Custom Parameters

Build a URL Parameter > Custom Parameters

📘

nbt and nb_placement are Northbeam UTM Parameters.

They can be used alongside common marketing UTMs such as utm_source, utm_medium, and utm_campaign.

How to Set Up the Northbeam UTM Parameters

For a visual walkthrough, watch the video below.

  1. Open the ad in Meta Ads Manager.
  2. Find the URL parameters section.
  3. Click Build a URL parameter.
  4. Click Add parameter twice.
  5. Add nbt and nb_placement exactly as shown above.
  6. Click Apply.
  7. Review the Parameter preview before publishing.
❗️

How To Verify

In the Parameter preview, you should see:

nbt=nb%3Afb%3A{{site_source_name}}%3A{{campaign.id}}%3A{{adset.id}}%3A{{ad.id}}&nb_placement={{placement}}

Important:

  • Meta automatically converts colons (:) to %3A. This is expected.
  • Do not enter %3A yourself. This can cause double encoding (%253A) and break tracking.
  • Other parameters can also appear in the URL. Northbeam UTM Parameters can coexist with other tracking parameters and UTMs.

Using Supported Parameters From Another Attribution Platform

If your Meta Ads already use tracking parameters from another attribution platform, check the supported formats below before replacing them.

Northbeam can recognize specific Meta parameter structures from:

  • Triple Whale
  • Hyros
  • Rockerbox
  • Wicked Reports

If your ads already use one of the supported structures below, you may not need to add Northbeam's UTM Parameters (nbt and nb_placement).

🚧

The parameter names and values must match the supported structures exactly, including capitalization.

Do not assume that every parameter created by these platforms is supported.

PlatformSupported Parameters
Triple Whale

Requires both: (1) a supported source parameter and (2) a supported Ad ID parameter.

Source parameter:
  • tw_source={{site_source_name}}
  • tw_source=facebook
  • utm_source=facebook
  • utm_source={{site_source_name}}
Ad ID parameter:
  • tw_adid={{ad.id}}
  • fbadid={{ad.id}}
Example:

tw_source=facebook&tw_adid={{ad.id}}

Hyrosfbc_id={{adset.id}}&h_ad_id={{ad.id}}
Rockerboxfb_campaignid={{campaign.id}}&fb_adsetid={{adset.id}}&fb_adid={{ad.id}}
Wicked ReportsWickedSource=Facebook&WickedID={{ad.id}}
📘

If your existing parameters match one of the supported structures above, no additional Northbeam UTM Parameters are required.

If they do not match, use the Northbeam UTM Parameters.


Sending Meta Traffic to an Off-Domain Page

An off-domain page is a page hosted on a different root domain from the website connected to Northbeam.

For example:

Meta Ad → advertorial.com → yourstore.com

This requires additional setup because the visitor first lands outside the root domain where Northbeam is installed.

The original Meta tracking information must still be available when Northbeam records the visit on your main website.

You have two options.

Option 1: Northbeam Redirect Link

Recommended

The visitor first passes through your main domain and is then redirected to the off-domain page.

Example:

Meta Ad → yourstore.com redirect → advertorial.com → yourstore.com

This lets Northbeam capture the original Meta ad visit as a first-party event before the visitor leaves your main domain.

Option 2: Preserve the Northbeam UTM Parameters

If you control the off-domain page, you can preserve the original Northbeam UTM Parameters and append them to the link or CTA that sends the visitor to your main domain.

Example:

Meta Ad + Northbeam UTM Parameters → Off-domain page → Main domain + same Northbeam UTM Parameters → Northbeam Pixel fires

🚧

When the visitor reaches your main domain, the original Northbeam UTM Parameters must still be available when the Northbeam Pixel fires.

Basic marketing UTMs such as utm_source=facebook alone are not enough to preserve ad-level attribution.

For full setup instructions, see Tracking Ads using Off-Domain Sites.


✅ How to Confirm Your Meta Ads Are Tracking Properly

A correct Meta tracking setup requires both of these:

  1. Northbeam UTM Parameters are captured
  2. The Northbeam Pixel fires

The easiest way to test both is with a Live Preview Link from Meta Ads Manager.

📘

If your ad uses an off-domain page, test the full customer journey, including the off-domain page and the final visit to your main website.


🔍 Step-by-Step: Verify UTMs + Pixel with a Live Ad Preview

1. Get a Live Preview Link

  1. Log in to Meta Ads Manager.
  2. Find the ad you want to test.
  3. Click Preview.
  4. Click Share → Share a link.
  5. Copy the generated preview link.

It may look like:

https://fb.me/1TSaf6EzTjEfn8K

2. Test the Link

  1. Paste the preview link into your browser.
  2. Meta will open your News Feed.
  3. Find the previewed ad.
  4. Click the ad.
  5. Follow the same path a customer would take to your website.
💡

Don't see the ad?

The preview may not appear at the top of your feed. Scroll until you find it.

3. Verify UTMs and Pixel via Developer Tools

Once you reach the page where the Northbeam Pixel should fire, open your browser's Developer Tools.

UTM Validation:

Once you are on the landing page:

  1. Accept any required cookie consent banner.

    Tracking scripts may not fire until consent is provided.

  2. Open Developer Tools → Network.

    Chrome / Edge / Brave / Opera

    • Right-click the page and select Inspect
    • Or press Cmd+Option+I on Mac / Ctrl+Shift+I on Windows
    • Open the Network tab

    Firefox

    • Right-click the page and select Inspect
    • Or press Cmd+Option+E on Mac / Ctrl+Shift+E on Windows
    • Open the Network tab

    Safari

    • Go to Safari → Settings → Advanced
    • Enable Show Develop menu
    • Go to Develop → Show Web Inspector
    • Open the Network tab

  3. Refresh the page.

  4. Find the Northbeam request that contains the tracking parameters.

  5. Open the request and review the Payload.

For the Northbeam UTM Parameters, you should see an nbt value similar to:

nbt: nb:fb:fb:XXXXXXXXX:XXXXXXXXXX:XXXXXXXXXXX

Click the first 'Network' request, then look in the 'Payload'

Click the first 'Network' request, then look in the 'Payload'

If the expected values are populated, the tracking parameters are confirmed.

Pixel Validation:

While still in the Network tab:

  1. Search for nb-collector or tp2.
  2. Open the relevant Northbeam request.
  3. Review the Payload.
  4. Confirm that the request contains pv.
Note: It's completely normal to see multiple requests

Note: It's completely normal to see multiple requests. Look for the one with 'pv' in the Payload.

If you see pv in a Northbeam collector request, the Northbeam Pixel is confirmed.

🎯 What This Means

Once Northbeam captures the Northbeam UTM Parameters and the Northbeam Pixel fires, Northbeam can recognize the session as a Visit.

Northbeam can then connect eligible downstream conversions, such as purchases, to the correct Meta Campaign, Ad Set, and Ad based on your attribution model.

In short:

Meta Ad → Northbeam UTM Parameters captured → Northbeam Pixel fires → Visit recorded → Eligible conversions can be attributed

Optional Meta Features

The setup above covers the core requirements for tracking Meta Ads in Northbeam.

Northbeam also offers additional features that can expand how you measure or optimize Meta performance.

These features are separate from the Northbeam UTM Parameters setup above and may require additional configuration.

Clicks + Deterministic Views (C+DV)

Clicks + Deterministic Views (C+DV) is a Northbeam multi-touch attribution model that combines:

  • First-party click data captured by Northbeam
  • Verified impression and view data from participating ad platforms

Unlike modeled view-through attribution, C+DV uses deterministic matching. This means the views connected to a conversion are based on verified platform data rather than modeled or inferred exposure.

For Meta, C+DV can help show the impact of ads that a customer viewed but did not click before converting.

📘

C+DV is an attribution model, not a replacement for the Meta tracking setup above.

Complete your core Meta integration and tracking setup first.

Meta C+DV also depends on matching order identifiers between Meta Purchase events and orders in Northbeam.

For setup requirements, eligibility, troubleshooting, and more details, see:

Clicks + Deterministic Views (C+DV)

Northbeam Apex for Meta

Northbeam Apex sends Northbeam-attributed performance data back to Meta.

Instead of giving Meta only raw conversion events and letting Meta determine attribution on its own, Apex provides Meta with an additional signal based on Northbeam's attribution.

Apex runs alongside your existing Meta Pixel and Conversions API setup. It does not replace them.

📘

Apex has two parts

1. Apex data connection

Set up Apex in Northbeam to begin sending Northbeam attribution data to Meta.

2. Meta Custom Attribution

Meta Custom Attribution can use the Northbeam signal to optimize eligible Meta campaigns.

Enabling Apex does not automatically change your existing Meta campaigns.

If you want to use Apex for Meta, start with the setup guide:

Enable Apex for Meta

Once Apex is configured and your account is eligible to use Meta Custom Attribution, follow:

Set up a Meta Custom Attribution Campaign

For common questions and troubleshooting, see:

Apex FAQs

🚧

Apex and C+DV are separate features.

Review the current Apex documentation before selecting an attribution model for a Meta Custom Attribution campaign, as supported configurations can differ.

Meta Ads FAQ

1. How do I connect an extra account or remove an account?

Follow the walkthrough below:

2. Will my Meta Ads be reset to the learning phase?

Editing URL parameters on an active Meta Ad may affect its delivery or require Meta to process the change.

Our recommendation:

  • Before changing existing ads, check whether they already use a supported Triple Whale, Hyros, Rockerbox, or Wicked Reports setup.
  • If you need to update your ads, consider making the changes together so your tracking stays consistent.
  • If you want to reduce disruption, make the change during a lower-traffic period or as part of your next creative refresh.
  • Ads without supported tracking parameters may not receive full visit and conversion attribution in Northbeam.

3. Can Northbeam ingest UTMs from other tracking platforms?

Yes.

Northbeam supports specific Meta tracking parameter structures from:

  • Triple Whale
  • Hyros
  • Rockerbox
  • Wicked Reports

If your ads already use a supported structure, you may not need to replace those parameters with Northbeam's UTM Parameters (nbt and nb_placement).

The parameter names and values must match the supported formats exactly.

See Using Supported Parameters From Another Attribution Platform for the supported formats.

4. Can you track conversions from Meta Shops?

For Shopify:

Yes. Northbeam can identify completed Meta Shop orders using Shopify order data.

Make sure your store is connected to Facebook and Instagram by Meta in Shopify.

No additional Northbeam order tagging is required for the standard Shopify setup.

For All Other Platforms:

Northbeam needs a way to identify which orders came from Meta Shops.

Step 1: Add a unique Order Tag using the order_tags field in the Orders API, then send the applicable orders to Northbeam.

Step 2: Notify our team and provide the name of the tag used for Meta Shop orders.

Step 3: Our team will confirm when the setup is complete.

5. How can I see Meta Shops credit?

Meta Shop conversion credit is included in Attributed Revenue and Transactions based on the Northbeam attribution model you are viewing.

This includes models such as Clicks Only and Clicks + Modeled Views.

📘

Note:

The Northbeam Pixel does not fire inside Meta Shops.

Because of this, Northbeam does not record a standard website Visit for an order completed entirely inside Meta Shops.

Visit-based metrics such as CPC can therefore appear inflated for Campaigns, Ad Sets, or Ads that send traffic to Meta Shops.

6. Why do I see a data discrepancy?

Differences between Northbeam and Meta are expected.

The two platforms can use different:

  • Attribution models
  • Attribution windows
  • Conversion definitions
  • Available touchpoints

Northbeam can evaluate touchpoints across multiple marketing channels. Meta mainly evaluates touchpoints that Meta can observe.

For the closest comparison, make sure you compare:

  1. The same date range
  2. The same attribution window
  3. The most comparable attribution model
  4. The same conversion definition

Even with these settings aligned, the totals may not match exactly.

Attribution Models and Windows

Meta:

Common Meta reporting windows include:

  • 1-Day Click
  • 1-Day View
  • 7-Day Click
  • 7-Day Click + 1-Day View

The attribution setting can vary by Ad Set.

Source: Meta Attribution Settings

Northbeam:

Northbeam offers multiple attribution models and configurable attribution windows.

The model and window you select determine how Northbeam assigns conversion credit across eligible touchpoints.

For more details on discrepancies, review the articles below:

Why are my metrics different in Northbeam than in-platform reporting?

7. Why doesn't Meta-reported Purchases in Northbeam match in-platform?

Northbeam imports Meta purchase conversion volume and value for specific attribution windows, including:

  • 1D Click
  • 1D View
  • 7D Click
  • 7D Click + 1D View

Meta's standard Purchases metric can differ because each Ad Set can use its own attribution setting.

If the totals do not match, check these areas:

  • Mixed Attribution Settings - Meta's total can include Ad Sets using different attribution settings. The combined total may not match any single attribution-window column.
  • Incremental Model - Ad Sets using Meta's Incremental attribution model use a holdout-based methodology. Northbeam does not ingest this as one of the standard click or view attribution-window metrics.
  • Overlapping attribution windows - Attribution windows are not additive. For example, 7-Day Click includes conversions that also qualify for 1-Day Click. Adding the columns together will double count conversions.
🚧

If any Ad Sets use Meta's Incremental attribution model, Northbeam may not match Meta's standard in-platform Purchase total.

What to do:

  • Compare Northbeam with Meta's Purchases by attribution setting, not only Meta's default Purchase total.
  • Check whether your Ad Sets use different attribution settings.
  • Check whether any Ad Sets use Meta's Incremental attribution model.
  • Do not add overlapping attribution-window columns together.

8. I think there's an issue with tracking. Please help!

Start with Troubleshooting Northbeam Data.

Then check the following:

  • Connection: Open Connections and confirm that your Meta Ad Account is still connected and does not show an error.
  • Tracking parameters: Confirm that your Meta Ads use Northbeam's UTM Parameters (nbt and nb_placement) or one of the supported alternative structures in Step 2.
  • Off-domain traffic: If an ad first lands on another root domain, confirm that you are using a Northbeam Redirect Link or preserving the original Northbeam UTM Parameters until the visitor reaches your main domain.
  • Northbeam Pixel: Confirm that the Northbeam Pixel fires on the landing page. Some third-party landing-page tools or themes may require a separate pixel installation.
  • Purchase tracking: Confirm that your Purchase Pixel or server-side purchase tracking is working correctly.
  • A-Record Setup: Confirm that the Northbeam A-Record is configured correctly in your DNS settings.

If the issue continues, contact Northbeam Support.

Updated 14 days ago

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