Meta Ads Actions and Conversions
Meta Ads tracks user actions after they interact with an ad. These actions fall into standard events, custom conversions, and Facebook Pixel events.
Standard Actions (actions)
Actions are returned via the actions field in the Insights API. Each action contains:
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
action_type | string | Type of action |
value | number | Number of actions of this type |
1d_click | number | Actions within 1 day after a click |
7d_click | number | Actions within 7 days after a click |
1d_view | number | Actions within 1 day after a view |
7d_view | number | Actions within 7 days after a view |
Main Action Types
| Action Type | Description |
|---|---|
purchase | Purchase on the website |
add_to_cart | Item added to cart |
initiate_checkout | Checkout started |
add_payment_info | Payment information added |
lead | Lead form submitted |
complete_registration | Registration completed |
view_content | Content viewed |
search | Site search performed |
contact | Contacted the business |
customize_product | Product customized |
donate | Donation made |
find_location | Location search performed |
schedule | Appointment scheduled |
start_trial | Trial started |
submit_application | Application submitted |
subscribe | Subscription started |
Cost of Actions (cost_per_action_type)
The cost_per_action_type field returns the cost of each action type:
{
"cost_per_action_type": [
{
"action_type": "purchase",
"value": "15.50"
},
{
"action_type": "lead",
"value": "3.20"
}
]
}Conversion Value (action_values)
The action_values field contains the total value of actions (used to track revenue):
{
"action_values": [
{
"action_type": "purchase",
"value": "1250.00"
}
]
}Facebook Pixel and Conversions API
Action data comes from two sources:
Facebook Pixel
JavaScript code on the website that tracks user actions in the browser. Data is transmitted automatically when the page loads.
Pixel limitations:
- Doesn't work with ad blockers enabled
- Browser restrictions (Intelligent Tracking Prevention in Safari)
- Data loss on slow internet connections
Conversions API (CAPI)
A server-side method of sending events directly from server to Meta's server. More reliable and not dependent on the browser.
CAPI advantages:
- Works even when trackers are blocked
- More accurate attribution
- Offline conversions can be sent
LightLead displays data from both Pixel and CAPI, aggregating and deduplicating it.
Offsite Conversions
The purchases, purchase_value, and purchase_roas metrics use offsite conversion data — actions taken on your website after interacting with the ad.
Attribution Windows for Conversions
Standard attribution windows:
- 1d_click: conversion within 1 day after a click
- 7d_click: conversion within 7 days after a click
- 1d_view: conversion within 1 day after a view
- 7d_view: conversion within 7 days after a view
For more details, see Attribution Windows.