What are Meta Pixel and CAPI?
To sell more with Facebook ads, Meta needs to know what happens on your store: who visits, who adds to cart, who purchases. This page explains how that information reaches Meta.
The idea in one line
Section titled “The idea in one line”Meta Pixel and CAPI are two roads that carry the same information from your store to Meta. One road runs through the customer’s browser. The other runs through your server. Using both keeps the information flowing even if one road gets blocked.
What is Meta Pixel?
Section titled “What is Meta Pixel?”Meta Pixel is a tiny piece of code that sits on your store. It runs inside the customer’s browser while they shop.
When a customer views a product, adds something to their cart, or completes a purchase, the Pixel notices it and reports it straight to Meta.
Why it matters: with this information, Meta can show your ads to people who are likely to buy, and tell you which ads are actually working.
Its weak point: the Pixel lives in the browser, so it depends on the browser letting it run. Ad blockers, strict privacy settings (like on iPhones), and cookie restrictions can quietly stop it from sending anything.
What is CAPI?
Section titled “What is CAPI?”CAPI (Conversions API) reports the same kind of information — views, cart adds, and purchases — but it does not go through the browser at all. It is sent directly from your app’s server to Meta.
Why it matters: because it skips the browser, nothing on the customer’s device can block it. Ad blockers and privacy settings have no effect on it.
Why use both together?
Section titled “Why use both together?”Each method covers the other’s weak spot:
| Meta Pixel | CAPI | |
|---|---|---|
| Sent from | Customer’s browser | Your server |
| Can be blocked by ad blockers and privacy settings | Yes | No |
| Best for | Catching the full shopping journey | Guaranteeing key events (like purchases) still arrive |
Run both, and if the Pixel gets blocked for a visitor, CAPI still delivers the event. Meta ends up with more complete, more accurate information, so your ads get better targeting and often cost less to run.
Next steps
Section titled “Next steps”- Create a Meta Pixel (dataset)
- Generate a Conversions API access token
- Set up Meta Pixel and CAPI in the app
- Test your pixel tracking