Since Apple released iOS 14 in September 2020, new privacy features have limited the ability of Facebook and other ad platforms to track user data. Consequently, conversion tracking for iOS 14 has become more challenging, and marketers need to adjust their strategies accordingly. Here’s what you need to know.
In practice, Facebook Ads uses a process called AppTrackingTransparency (ATT) to comply with the privacy changes introduced by iOS 14. When a user downloads or updates an app on their device, they are presented with a prompt asking if they want to allow the app to track their activity across other apps and websites. If the user chooses to opt-out, Facebook Ads will not be able to collect certain user data, such as the user’s IDFA (Identifier for Advertisers).
Understanding iOS 14’s Impact on Facebook Conversion Tracking
Apple’s new privacy features, including the App Tracking Transparency framework, have introduced a new layer of user privacy protection. This framework requires apps to ask users for permission to track their activity across other apps and websites. This can significantly impact Facebook conversion tracking since it relies on user data to optimize ad delivery and measure conversions.
Facebook Conversion Tracking Changes in iOS 14
Due to the iOS 14 update, Facebook has made changes to its conversion tracking process. The biggest change is that the tracking conversion data is now delayed by up to three days. This means that marketers may not have access to real-time conversion data, which can affect their ability to make timely adjustments to their ad campaigns. Additionally, the attribution window has been reduced from 28 days to just 7 days.
How to Set Up Facebook Conversion Tracking for iOS 14
After iOS 14, conversion tracking is a little more complex process than before:
- Go to the Events Manager in your Facebook Ads account and click “Aggregated Event Measurement.”
- Choose the domain you want to track and select the “Set Up Events” button.
- Select the events you want to track, such as “Add to Cart” or “Purchase,” and click “Continue.”
- Choose the “Configure Your Events” option, and select the events you want to prioritize for conversion tracking. (explained later)
- Choose the attribution window you want to use for each event, such as 1-day click or 7-day click, and click “Done.”
- In the “Verify Your Domain” section, follow the steps to verify your domain using DNS verification or HTML file upload.
- Set up the conversion API if you want to track offline or server-side conversions.
- Create a new ad campaign or ad set and select the “Conversions” objective.
- Choose the events you want to track for that campaign or ad set.
- Complete the setup process by following the usual steps for creating a Facebook ad campaign.
Why do I need to pick which conversion events to prioritize?
Prioritizing conversion types after the iOS 14 update is crucial because the algorithm will have less data to work with, making it more difficult to optimize for multiple conversion events. To work around this limitation, Facebook uses statistical modeling to infer conversion data.
Without the user’s IDFA, Facebook will not be able to attribute conversions to specific ads or campaigns accurately. So it’s important to prioritize conversion types that are most valuable for your business, focusing on high-value conversion events.
In conclusion, Facebook conversion tracking has become more challenging but it’s still possible to track conversions. By making the necessary changes to your tracking process, and following best practices, you can continue to measure and optimize your ad campaigns effectively.
If you want to read further, here’s Meta’s official iOS 14 documentation
