Tracking precise actions on your website like purchases, sign-ups, or form submissions lets you measure ad performance meaningfully. Facebook (Meta) Pixel is a powerful analytics tool for this, and Databox enables you to bring that data into your dashboards via its Metric Builder for Facebook Ads (Pixels). This guide walks through pixel creation, conversion tracking, partner integration options, and configuring custom metrics in Databox, plus important limitations to know.
What are a Facebook Pixel and a Custom Conversion?
A Facebook Pixel is a snippet of code installed on your website to track visitor actions (events) like form submissions or purchases, which you can then analyze in Facebook’s Events Manager.
Custom Conversions let you define rules (based on event, URL, referrer, etc.) to track more refined user actions. You can use them to optimize ad delivery and measure outcomes tied to specific behaviors.
Steps to create a Pixel, Custom Conversion, and build a report in Databox
1. Using Partner Integrations to Set Up Custom Conversions
Facebook’s Partner Integrations streamline setting up conversions if you're on platforms like BigCommerce, Shopify, WooCommerce, HubSpot, WordPress, Wix, Salesforce, Eventbrite, and others.
Within Ads Manager:
Go to Menu → All Tools → Pixels.
Select Partner Integrations in the sidebar.
Choose your platform, click See Details to explore capabilities, then connect your Pixel—automatically tracking supported conversion events.
2. Creating a Facebook Pixel
In Facebook Ads Manager, click the Menu icon → All Tools → Pixels.
Select + Add a New Data Source → Facebook Pixel.
Name your Pixel, optionally add a website URL, then click Create.
3. Creating a Custom Conversion
In Events Manager, navigate to Custom Conversions.
Click Create Custom Conversion.
Select your Pixel as the data source.
Define the conversion rule (e.g., page URL contains
/thank-you) and assign a value if needed.Save the conversion.
4. Using the Metric Builder for Facebook Ads (Pixels) in Databox
Navigate to Metrics → Custom Metrics in Databox.
Click + New Custom Metric.
Select your connected Facebook Ads account as the Data Source.
Choose the Pixels variant.
In the Metric dropdown, pick Custom Conversions or Events Received by URL, etc.
If you select Custom Conversions, a Custom Conversion dropdown appears—choose the exact conversion.
Click Preview Data to validate your selection (review daily totals and date-range summaries).
Name your metric clearly (e.g., Custom Conversions: Thank You Page) and Save.
Add this metric to your Databoard: open the Designer, drag a Datablock, choose the same Facebook Ads Data Source, switch to the Custom tab, and select your metric.
Using Metric Builder for Facebook Ads, you can also track Instagram-specific ads using filters like Publisher Platform contains Instagram.
Important Limitations to Know
Historical Data: Custom Metrics have a maximum of 28 days of historical data.
No Dimension Filters for Conversions: You cannot filter Custom Conversions by Ad, Campaign, or other breakdowns.
Unsupported Pixels: "Offline" and mobile-app Pixels are not supported.
API Sync Delays: Conversion events may take up to 4 days to appear in Databox due to Facebook API processing.
Account-Level Requirement: Custom Conversions must belong to an Ad Account—not Business Manager—to be visible in Databox.
Agency Accounts: Pixels are Account–specific. If you copy a metric to a client account without the same Pixel, the metric won’t load data.
By integrating Facebook Pixels and Custom Conversions into Databox—especially through Partner Integrations—you gain more accurate and meaningful visibility into user behavior and ad performance. While there are limitations on historical data, filtering, and sync speed, understanding these boundaries lets you manage expectations and drive smarter decisions with your dashboards.