Shopify Pixel Setup: Track Ecommerce Events with Facebook Pixel

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Setting Up a Facebook Pixel for Shopify
3. Tracking E-commerce Events
   • View Content Event
   • Add to Cart Event
   • View Cart Event
   • Checkout Event
   • Purchase Event
4. Enabling Data Layer in Shopify
5. Using Google Tag Manager
6. Creating Snippets in Google Tag Manager
7. Installing Facebook Pixel in Tag Manager
8. Configuring Variables for View Content Event
9. Creating Triggers for View Content Event
10. Creating Tags for View Content Event
11. Configuring Variables for Add to Cart Event
12. Creating Triggers and Tags for Add to Cart Event
13. Configuring Variables for View Cart Event
14. Creating Triggers and Tags for View Cart Event
15. Configuring Variables for Checkout Event
16. Creating Triggers and Tags for Checkout Event
17. Configuring Variables for Purchase Event
18. Creating Triggers and Tags for Purchase Event
19. Testing and Verifying Events
20. Conclusion

Setting Up a Facebook Pixel for Shopify and Tracking E-commerce Events

In today's digital landscape, having the ability to track and analyze user behavior is crucial for the success of any e-commerce business. One powerful tool that can assist in this process is the Facebook Pixel. By implementing a Facebook Pixel on your Shopify website, you can track and optimize various e-commerce events such as view content, add to cart, view cart, checkout, and purchase. In this article, we will guide you through the process of setting up a Facebook Pixel for Shopify and effectively tracking these events.

Introduction

Before we dive into the technical aspects of setting up a Facebook Pixel, let's understand the importance of tracking e-commerce events. By tracking user interactions and actions on your website, you can gain valuable insights into user behavior, identify areas for improvement, and optimize your marketing strategies. The Facebook Pixel is a piece of code provided by Facebook that allows you to monitor user activity on your website and leverage this data for targeted advertising campaigns.

Setting Up a Facebook Pixel for Shopify

To begin the process, you need to have a Shopify website and a Facebook Business Manager account. If you do not have these already, create them before proceeding. Once you have both, follow these steps to set up a Facebook Pixel for Shopify:

1. Access your Facebook Business Manager account and navigate to the Events Manager.
2. Click on "+ Connect Data Sources" and select "Web."
3. Choose "Facebook Pixel" as the data source.
4. Name your Pixel and select your Shopify website domain.
5. Follow the prompts to install the Facebook Pixel code on your Shopify website.
6. Test the installation by navigating to your website and using a Chrome extension like Google Tag Assistant to verify that the Facebook Pixel is working properly.

Tracking E-commerce Events

Now that the Facebook Pixel is set up on your Shopify website, let's explore how to track specific e-commerce events. We will discuss the tracking and implementation process for the following events: view content, add to cart, view cart, checkout, and purchase.

View Content Event

The view content event is used to track when a user views a specific product on your website. To track this event, follow these steps:

1. Access your Google Tag Manager account and create a new trigger for the view content event.
2. Configure the trigger to fire when the custom event name matches the view content event name.
3. Create the necessary data layer variables for the view content event, including product name, product ID, product price, and currency.
4. Create a new tag in Google Tag Manager for the view content event using the Facebook Pixel template.
5. Configure the tag with the appropriate Facebook Pixel ID and map the object properties with the data layer variables.

Add to Cart Event

The add to cart event allows you to track when a user adds a product to their cart. To track this event, follow these steps:

1. Create a new trigger for the add to cart event in Google Tag Manager, similar to the view content event trigger.
2. Configure the necessary data layer variables for the add to cart event, including product name, product ID, product price, and currency.
3. Create a new tag in Google Tag Manager for the add to cart event using the Facebook Pixel template.
4. Configure the tag with the appropriate Facebook Pixel ID and map the object properties with the data layer variables.

View Cart Event

The view cart event enables you to track when a user views their shopping cart. To track this event, follow these steps:

1. Create a new trigger for the view cart event in Google Tag Manager, similar to the previous triggers.
2. Configure the necessary data layer variables for the view cart event, including product name, product ID, product price, and currency.
3. Create a new tag in Google Tag Manager for the view cart event using the Facebook Pixel template.
4. Configure the tag with the appropriate Facebook Pixel ID and map the object properties with the data layer variables.

Checkout Event

The checkout event tracks when a user initiates the checkout process. To track this event, follow these steps:

1. Create a new trigger for the checkout event in Google Tag Manager, similar to the previous triggers.
2. Configure the necessary data layer variables for the checkout event, including product name, product ID, product price, and currency.
3. Create a new tag in Google Tag Manager for the checkout event using the Facebook Pixel template.
4. Configure the tag with the appropriate Facebook Pixel ID and map the object properties with the data layer variables.

Purchase Event

The purchase event tracks completed transactions on your website. To track this event, follow these steps:

1. Create a new trigger for the purchase event in Google Tag Manager, similar to the previous triggers.
2. Configure the necessary data layer variables for the purchase event, including product name, product ID, product price, currency, and transaction ID.
3. Create a new tag in Google Tag Manager for the purchase event using the Facebook Pixel template.
4. Configure the tag with the appropriate Facebook Pixel ID and map the object properties with the data layer variables.

Enabling Data Layer in Shopify

To effectively track e-commerce events using Google Tag Manager, you need to enable the data layer in Shopify. The data layer is a JavaScript object that stores information about user interactions on your website. By enabling the data layer, you can pass this information to Google Tag Manager and subsequently to the Facebook Pixel. Follow these steps to enable the data layer in Shopify:

1. Access the admin panel of your Shopify store.
2. Locate the header code section of your theme.
3. Add the Google Tag Manager code to the header section.
4. Create a snippet called "Data Layer All Pages" and add the code provided in the Shopify documentation.
5. Insert the "Data Layer All Pages" code in the appropriate section of your theme.
6. Save the changes and ensure that the data layer is properly working by using Chrome extensions like Google Tag Assistant.

Using Google Tag Manager

Google Tag Manager (GTM) is a powerful tool that allows you to manage and deploy marketing tags (such as the Facebook Pixel) without the need for manual code changes. To use GTM for setting up e-commerce events with the Facebook Pixel, follow these steps:

1. Sign in to your Google Tag Manager account and create a new container for your Shopify website.
2. Install the GTM code on your Shopify website by placing it in the appropriate section of your theme.
3. Set up triggers and variables in GTM to capture relevant user events and information.
4. Create tags in GTM based on the desired tracking events, such as view content, add to cart, view cart, checkout, and purchase.
5. Test the implementation by previewing the GTM container and checking if the desired events are being tracked successfully.

Creating Snippets in Google Tag Manager

Snippets in Google Tag Manager allow you to define reusable sections of code that can be easily applied to multiple tags, triggers, or variables. This simplifies the process of setting up and managing your e-commerce events. Follow these steps to create snippets in Google Tag Manager:

1. Access your Google Tag Manager account and navigate to the "Snippets" section.
2. Click on "Add New Snippet" and name it accordingly.
3. Insert the relevant code for the snippet, such as the data layer variables or other custom configurations.
4. Save the snippet and reuse it in your tags, triggers, or variables by referencing its name.

Installing Facebook Pixel in Tag Manager

To install the Facebook Pixel in Google Tag Manager, follow these steps:

1. Access your Google Tag Manager account and go to the Tag Templates section.
2. Search for the Facebook Pixel template and add it to your workspace.
3. Configure the Facebook Pixel tag by providing your Facebook Pixel ID and selecting the desired events to track.
4. Create the necessary variables for the specific events, such as view content, add to cart, view cart, checkout, and purchase. Map these variables to the appropriate fields in the Facebook Pixel tag.
5. Save the tag and publish the changes to your Google Tag Manager container.

Configuring Variables for View Content Event

To effectively track the view content event, you need to configure the necessary variables in Google Tag Manager. These variables will collect the required data from the data layer and pass it to the Facebook Pixel tag. The variables to configure for the view content event include:

• Product Name: This variable captures the name of the viewed product.
• Product ID: This variable retrieves the unique identifier of the viewed product.
• Product Price: This variable collects the price information of the viewed product.
• Currency: This variable stores the currency used for the transaction.

Creating Triggers for View Content Event

To trigger the view content event properly, you need to create specific triggers in Google Tag Manager. These triggers determine when the view content event will be fired and when the associated Facebook Pixel tag will be executed. Create a new trigger for the view content event and configure it to fire when the custom event name matches the view content event name. This ensures that the tag fires only when a user views a specific product.

Creating Tags for View Content Event

With the variables and triggers set up, it's time to create the tags that will handle the view content event. Create a new tag in Google Tag Manager and select the Facebook Pixel template. Fill in the respective fields, including your Facebook Pixel ID, and map the object properties with the configured variables. The tag will fire the relevant Facebook Pixel event whenever a user views a product on your Shopify website.

Configuring Variables for Add to Cart Event

To accurately track the add to cart event, you need to configure the necessary variables in Google Tag Manager. These variables will capture the required data from the data layer and pass it to the Facebook Pixel tag. Configure variables for product name, product ID, product price, and currency to ensure accurate tracking of the add to cart event.

Creating Triggers and Tags for Add to Cart Event

Create a trigger for the add to cart event in Google Tag Manager, similar to the previous triggers. Configure the necessary data layer variables for the add to cart event, ensuring accurate capturing of product information. Finally, create a new tag in Google Tag Manager using the Facebook Pixel template, map the object properties with the data layer variables, and set the trigger to fire when the add to cart event occurs.

Configuring Variables for View Cart Event

To track the view cart event effectively, configure the necessary variables in Google Tag Manager. These variables should include product name, product ID, product price, and currency. These variables will collect the relevant data from the data layer and pass it to the associated Facebook Pixel tag.

Creating Triggers and Tags for View Cart Event

Create a trigger for the view cart event in Google Tag Manager, similar to the previous triggers. Configure the necessary data layer variables for the view cart event, ensuring accurate capturing of product information. Create a new tag in Google Tag Manager using the Facebook Pixel template, map the object properties with the data layer variables, and set the trigger to fire when the view cart event occurs.

Configuring Variables for Checkout Event

For accurate tracking of the checkout event, configure the necessary variables in Google Tag Manager. These variables should include product name, product ID, product price, and currency to collect relevant data from the data layer. Ensure that these variables are set up correctly to pass accurate information to the Facebook Pixel tag.

Creating Triggers and Tags for Checkout Event

Create a trigger for the checkout event in Google Tag Manager, similar to the previous triggers. Configure the necessary data layer variables for the checkout event, ensuring accurate capturing of product information. Create a new tag in Google Tag Manager using the Facebook Pixel template, map the object properties with the data layer variables, and set the trigger to fire when the checkout event occurs.

Configuring Variables for Purchase Event

To track completed transactions accurately, configure the necessary variables in Google Tag Manager. These variables should include product name, product ID, product price, currency, and transaction ID. Collect accurate data from the data layer for each variable, ensuring that the information passed to the Facebook Pixel tag is precise.

Creating Triggers and Tags for Purchase Event

Create a trigger for the purchase event in Google Tag Manager, similar to the previous triggers. Configure the necessary data layer variables for the purchase event, ensuring accurate capturing of product information and transaction details. Create a new tag in Google Tag Manager using the Facebook Pixel template, map the object properties with the data layer variables, and set the trigger to fire when the purchase event occurs.

Testing and Verifying Events

After implementing the Facebook Pixel and setting up the necessary triggers, variables, and tags, it is crucial to test and verify that the events are successfully tracked. Use preview mode in Google Tag Manager to test each event and ensure that the desired tracking events are firing properly. Validate the events by visiting your Shopify website, adding products to the cart, proceeding to checkout, and making a test purchase. Verify that the events are being captured and sent to the Facebook Pixel.

Conclusion

Setting up a Facebook Pixel for Shopify and tracking e-commerce events provides valuable insights into user behavior and allows you to optimize your advertising campaigns. By effectively implementing the Facebook Pixel, enabling data layer in Shopify, configuring variables, triggers, and tags in Google Tag Manager, and thoroughly testing the events, you can gather essential data to enhance your marketing strategies and improve your overall e-commerce performance. Remember to continuously monitor and analyze the data collected to make informed decisions for your business.