What does the browser tracking switch in the Meta settings do?
On Shopify and WooCommerce, this switch adds TrueROAS browser tracking for Meta next to the server events and shows whether your store is sending.
What the switch does
Meta CAPI sends your orders and store activity to Meta from TrueROAS's servers. The browser tracking switch adds TrueROAS tracking that runs in your shoppers' browsers as well, so Meta gets your events from both the browser and the server.
The switch is the third row of the Meta settings in Events Manager, under the dataset row and the Access token row. It is only there for Shopify and WooCommerce stores. Stores on other platforms send their events from the server only.
Hover over the info icon next to the row to read what the switch does on your store:
- On Shopify, it installs TrueROAS tracking in your Shopify checkout, and turning it on also turns on Meta CAPI.
- On WooCommerce, it reads Sends browser events from your WooCommerce site. Turning it on also activates Meta CAPI.
The text under the switch says the same in short. On Shopify it adds that you should also turn off data sharing in Shopify's Facebook & Instagram app, so Meta does not get duplicate events. On WooCommerce it says to install the TrueROAS WordPress plugin and paste your dataset ID into it.
A purchase that reaches Meta from both the browser and the server carries the same event ID, so Meta keeps only one of the two. How to remove other tracking that would still count twice is explained in How do I stop Meta or TikTok from counting my purchases twice?.
Turn it on
- Save your dataset and your access token first. Until both are saved, the switch is greyed out. See How do I set up Meta CAPI in Events Manager?.
- If Meta CAPI is already on, the settings are folded into a summary. Click Configure at the top of the Meta settings to see the switch.
- Turn on the switch. A window opens that turns on Meta CAPI and browser tracking together. It says TrueROAS will start sending conversion events to Meta from both your server and the browser.
- Follow the step the window shows for your store. On Shopify it asks you to turn off data sharing in Shopify's Facebook & Instagram app and ends with a button that starts with I've done this. On WooCommerce it asks you to install the TrueROAS WordPress plugin and paste your dataset ID into it, and ends with a button that starts with I'll do this. Both parts are the same as when you turn on Meta CAPI, described in step 4 of How do I set up Meta CAPI in Events Manager?.
- You see Meta CAPI is now sending events. Meta CAPI and browser tracking are now both on.
Cancel closes the window without changing anything.
On Shopify, the How to disable Shopify's FB data sharing button under the switch opens three pictures that show how to turn off that data sharing, at any time. The steps are also written out in How do I stop Meta or TikTok from counting my purchases twice?.
Check that your Shopify store is sending
On a Shopify store, a box under the switch shows whether TrueROAS is receiving visits from its tracking on your store. It only shows while the switch is on, and while Meta CAPI is on you click Configure to see it. TrueROAS looks at the 60 newest visits from your store.
| Line | What it means |
|---|---|
| Checking your store... | TrueROAS is looking. |
| Your store is sending events | At least one of those visits came from TrueROAS's Shopify tracking or the TrueROAS Tracker app embed in the last 24 hours. |
| No events in the last 24 hours | TrueROAS has visits from your store, but none of them came from its Shopify tracking or the app embed in the last 24 hours. |
| No events received yet | TrueROAS has not received any visit from your store yet. |
The line under it starts with Last browser event received and says how long ago the newest visit came in, for example 5 min ago, 3 h ago or 2 days ago. When there is no visit yet, it reads Visit your store once with the Test button, then check again.
- Check again looks again.
- Test on your store opens your store in a new tab. Its tooltip says a small banner at the bottom of your store then shows whether Meta tracking is live, and that if no banner shows, the TrueROAS Tracker app embed is off in your theme. To turn it on, see How do I turn on the TrueROAS Tracker app embed and Always on in Shopify?.
This box shows what reached TrueROAS, not what Meta received. Meta's own counts of browser and server events are explained in What do the Meta numbers under Activity & health mean?.
Turn it off
- Turn off the switch.
- A window warns that browser tracking stops, which may lower your Event Match Quality (EMQ) and ad performance.
- Click the red button to confirm, or Cancel to keep it on. After you confirm, you see Browser events disabled.
Meta CAPI stays on and keeps sending your events from the server.
Good to know
- The switch is saved for the whole store, so everyone on the store has the same setting.
- On some plans, sending to Meta needs the CAPI add-on, and the Meta settings in Events Manager stay locked until you add it. See Do I need the CAPI add-on to send events to ad platforms?.
- On Shopify, TrueROAS browser tracking only sends to Meta while both Meta CAPI and this switch are on. When you turn off Meta CAPI, browser tracking for Meta stops too, even though this switch still shows as on.
- On WooCommerce, the browser events come from the TrueROAS WordPress plugin, using the dataset ID you pasted into it. Connecting your WooCommerce store is covered in How do I connect my WooCommerce store and add its API keys?.
- WooCommerce stores do not get the box that checks whether the store is sending.
- If the box keeps saying No events received yet or No events in the last 24 hours, check that the TrueROAS Tracker app embed is on in your Shopify theme, visit your store with Test on your store, then click Check again.
- The switch and the box work the same on a phone.