Use when conversion TRACKING must be set up or fixed before spending — Meta Pixel and Conversions API, Google Ads conversions with Enhanced Conversions, GA4, TikTok Pixel and Events API, server-side GTM, consent mode for GDPR and CCPA, UTM conventions, iOS ATT attribution windows, and a pre-launch verification checklist. Trigger on 'tracking setup', 'pixel setup', 'CAPI', 'GA4 events', 'conversions are not being recorded', 'Meta and Shopify numbers do not match'. Also use when launch is imminent and nothing has been verified. Not for — auditing a live account broadly, see `21-ads-audit-global`; analyzing data once it flows, see `13-data-analysis-global`; the campaign hierarchy, see `52-account-structure-global`.
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name
53-tracking-setup-global
description
Use when conversion TRACKING must be set up or fixed before spending — Meta Pixel and Conversions API, Google Ads conversions with Enhanced Conversions, GA4, TikTok Pixel and Events API, server-side GTM, consent mode for GDPR and CCPA, UTM conventions, iOS ATT attribution windows, and a pre-launch verification checklist. Trigger on 'tracking setup', 'pixel setup', 'CAPI', 'GA4 events', 'conversions are not being recorded', 'Meta and Shopify numbers do not match'. Also use when launch is imminent and nothing has been verified. Not for — auditing a live account broadly, see `21-ads-audit-global`; analyzing data once it flows, see `13-data-analysis-global`; the campaign hierarchy, see `52-account-structure-global`.
Ads without verified tracking is driving blind. Hard rule: do not launch ads until tracking verifies green. Every dollar spent before verification is unmeasurable. Set it up correctly the first time — changing events mid-campaign destroys historical comparability.
Full per-platform install steps and the consent mode parameter reference: read references/platform-tracking-setup.md.
Information gathering
Ask up to 4 questions:
Which ad platforms and objective? Meta / Google / TikTok / LinkedIn / YouTube — lead (form or message) / purchase / traffic?
What runs the website or landing page? Shopify / WordPress / Webflow / Framer / custom — and is there access to edit the head tag or install GTM?
Which markets receive traffic? This decides the consent requirements: EU/UK means GDPR and ePrivacy, California means CCPA/CPRA, other US states have their own opt-out laws.
Where does the sale actually close? On site (pixel-measurable) or offline via sales calls, demos, or DMs (needs CRM/offline conversion import)?
Principles
No green, no launch. Verification comes before spend, every time.
Consent is part of tracking, not a legal afterthought. In the EU/UK, tags must not fire before consent. Getting this wrong risks fines and, on Google, loss of remarketing audiences.
One installation method only. GTM plus hardcoded tags equals duplicate events and doubled phantom conversions.
Client-side plus server-side, deduplicated. Browser-only tracking loses a large share of events to ad blockers, ITP, and iOS ATT. Send the same event from both sides with a shared event ID.
Consistent UTMs. Define the convention once, before anyone builds a link. GA4 cannot repair inconsistent casing or naming after the fact.
Measure to revenue, not to lead. If 1,000 leads produce 10 sales, you must be able to tell whether the failure is in ads or in sales. That requires CRM or offline conversion import.
Expect platform numbers to disagree. Ads managers use different attribution windows and modeled conversions. Pick one source of truth for decisions and use the others as directional.
Workflow
1. Choose the measurement architecture
Layer
Purpose
Minimum
Client-side pixel/tag
Fast setup, on-page events
Meta Pixel, Google tag, TikTok Pixel
Server-side API
Recovers events lost to blockers and ITP
Meta Conversions API, TikTok Events API, Google Enhanced Conversions
Analytics
Cross-channel truth, funnel analysis
GA4 with key events configured
Consent layer
Legal gate in front of everything above
CMP plus Google consent mode v2
CRM / offline
Connects leads to actual revenue
CRM with source fields, offline conversion import
Server-side GTM is the recommended container for anything beyond a simple store: it centralizes event forwarding, improves data quality, and keeps first-party cookie lifetimes usable under ITP.
2. Consent management (do this before any tag fires)
This is a first-class requirement, not an optional extra.
EU / UK — GDPR and ePrivacy:
Install a certified consent management platform. Meta requires a CMP for EU traffic; Google requires a Google-certified CMP for EEA/UK traffic to keep personalized advertising and audience features.
Implement Google consent mode v2. The four signals are ad_storage, analytics_storage, ad_user_data, ad_personalization. Default them to denied for EEA/UK before the banner is answered, then update on consent.
Non-essential tags must not fire before consent is granted. Consent must be as easy to refuse as to accept, and withdrawable.
Keep a consent log — which user, which choice, when, which policy version.
California — CCPA/CPRA (and comparable US state laws):
Provide a visible opt-out of sale/sharing of personal information.
Honor the Global Privacy Control browser signal as a valid opt-out.
On Meta, apply Limited Data Use for California traffic.
Email and SMS: CAN-SPAM in the US and GDPR in the EU require documented opt-in for marketing sends and a working unsubscribe. Any list uploaded as a Custom Audience or Customer Match list must have that consent on record — see 14-email-marketing-global.
Record the decision in the output file: which CMP, which regions gated, who verified.
3. Install per platform
Full step-by-step checklists live in references/platform-tracking-setup.md. Summary of what must exist:
Platform
Client-side
Server-side
Verification tool
Meta
Pixel with standard events (PageView, ViewContent, AddToCart, Lead, Purchase)
Conversions API with event_id deduplication, Event Match Quality >= 6.0
Only one primary conversion action per objective should be enabled for bidding. Extra enabled conversions inflate counts and confuse smart bidding.
4. iOS ATT and attribution windows
Since iOS 14.5, a large share of iOS users opt out of app tracking, so platform-reported conversions are partly modeled rather than observed.
Meta's post-ATT default is a 7-day click / 1-day view attribution window. Compare periods on the same window or the trend is meaningless.
Verify the domain and configure Aggregated Event Measurement with a prioritized list of up to 8 web events per domain. The event you optimize for must be ranked highest.
Expect ads manager conversions and GA4 last-click conversions to differ, often materially. Decide up front which one drives budget decisions.
Server-side events plus Enhanced Conversions and good Event Match Quality recover a meaningful share of the loss. This is the main reason server-side is no longer optional.
Third-party cookie deprecation compounds this. Prioritize first-party data collection — email capture, account creation, CRM — over pixel-only audience building.
[creative-type]_[hook-type]_[version] — matches the ad name
vid_pain_v1
Lowercase, no spaces, no special characters. utm_content must equal the ad name defined in 52-account-structure-global so ads manager and GA4 reconcile in both directions. Add utm_term only for search keywords.
6. GA4 event mapping
GA4 event
Trigger
Platform equivalent
page_view
All pages
PageView (Meta), ViewContent (TikTok)
view_item
Product or offer page
ViewContent (Meta)
add_to_cart
Cart add
AddToCart (Meta/TikTok)
begin_checkout
Checkout started
InitiateCheckout (Meta)
generate_lead
Form submit or qualified message
Lead (Meta), SubmitForm (TikTok), Conversion (Google)
purchase
Payment confirmed, with value and currency
Purchase (Meta/TikTok/Google)
Each action fires exactly one event. Mark the event that matches the ads objective as a key event in GA4. Always send value and currency on purchase — without them ROAS cannot be computed and multi-market revenue cannot be normalized.
7. CRM and offline conversions
Required whenever the sale closes off-site (B2B, high-ticket, coaching, agency, phone or DM sales):
Capture source on every lead. CRM fields: source, medium, campaign, ad content, GCLID or fbclid, timestamp, owner, stage, disqualification reason, closed revenue.
Import offline conversions weekly. Meta offline/CAPI conversions and Google Ads offline conversion import via GCLID or Enhanced Conversions for Leads. This teaches bidding from real revenue instead of raw lead count.
Reconcile monthly. Compare CRM lead count against ads manager lead count. A gap above 20% signals a tracking or attribution problem, not a sales problem.
Uploaded CRM data must be hashed and covered by consent.
8. Verify green before launch
All must pass. One missing item means do not launch:
Pixel/tag fires on landing page and confirmation page
Correct conversion event type selected — not PageView
No duplicate events (one action, one event in the events manager)
Server-side API live, deduplication working, Meta EMQ >= 6.0
Google Enhanced Conversions enabled and receiving hashed data
Consent mode v2 implemented; tags blocked before consent in EEA/UK; Limited Data Use applied for California
Test event: complete one real conversion and confirm it is recorded
Domain verified and Aggregated Event Measurement events prioritized
UTMs on all ad links and matching the convention
GA4 receiving paid sessions (confirm in Realtime)
CRM source capture live if the sale closes off-site
9. Ongoing checks
Daily (2 minutes): events flowing in the last 24 hours on every platform; Google Ads conversions recording; GA4 showing paid sessions.
Weekly: server-side match rate above 70%; no duplicate events; lead counts across ads manager, GA4, and CRM within 20% of each other; every live link carries a correct UTM; consent banner still firing correctly after any site release.
Troubleshooting
Problem
Common cause
Fix
Pixel does not fire
Tag missing on the page or blocked by consent gate
Check GTM preview and the consent state; confirm the tag is allowed after consent
Duplicate events
GTM and hardcoded tag both installed
Remove one; verify event_id deduplication
Low match rate / low EMQ
No hashed email or phone sent server-side
Add customer parameters to the server payload
Conversion not recorded
Wrong event name or wrong trigger page
Check spelling and that the trigger is the confirmation page
GA4 far below ads manager
Different attribution windows plus modeled conversions
Compare on the same window; treat one source as decision-grade
Remarketing audiences shrinking in the EU
Consent mode v2 missing or misconfigured
Implement all four consent signals and a certified CMP
Leads arrive with no source
No CRM source capture
Add hidden UTM/click-ID fields to every form
Output structure
File name: tracking-setup-[product]-[YYYYMMDD].md
# Tracking Setup — [Product/Campaign]
Platforms: [list] · Site platform: [x] · Markets: [x] · Objective: [Lead/Purchase]
## 1. Measurement architecture [client, server, analytics, consent, CRM]## 2. Consent plan [CMP, regions gated, consent mode v2, LDU, log owner]## 3. Platform setup status [table with status per item]## 4. Attribution settings [window per platform, AEM priority list]## 5. UTM convention [parameters and real project examples]## 6. Event mapping [GA4 to platform events]## 7. CRM / offline conversions [fields captured, import cadence]## 8. Pre-launch verification [green checklist, verified by, date]## 9. Ongoing check schedule [who, when, alert thresholds]
Related skills
52-account-structure-global: build campaigns only after tracking is green; utm_content must match ad names.
54-media-plan-global: the objective in the plan determines which events must be tracked.
