There are 3 tools you can use to test and/or debug your Meta Pixel installation:
- Pixel Helper browser extension
- Event Manager page in the Facebook Business panel
- WP Full Picture debug mode
Method 1. Pixel Helper browser extension
Pixel Helper browser extension can be installed on Google Chrome and other Chromium-based browsers.
Once installed, it will find Meta tracking scripts on websites you visit (so not only yours) and give you information, what kind of data they track.
Advantages:
- very easy to use
- instant results
Disadvantages:
- does not show server-side (Conversion API) events
Method 2. Events Manager
Unlike the above browser extension, Events Manager lets you test both, browser and server events (Conversions API). However, it is harder to work with, you sometimes need to wait a few minutes for the data from Conversions API and can sometimes… not work (from my own experience).
Prepare to testing
Before you go to the Events Manager, you need to enable Setup Helper in WP FP and begin testing procedure. Step by step, it looks like this:
1. Click Setup helper in the top menu (if you do not see it, you need to also click “Advanced settings” toggle, that is next to it)
2. Go to the homepage of your site and enable testing
3. Agree to tracking in the consent banner that pops up.
How to start testing in the Events Manager
- Visit your Facebook Business panel
- Click “All tools” > “Events manager”
3. Choose your Meta Pixel
4. Choose the “Test events” tab
5. (0ptional) If you want to test Conversion API, click the first arrow > copy the test code > and paste it into WP FP settings
6. To start testing, click the second arrow and write the name of the domain you want to test.
7. A new tab will open with your site. Now, whenever you take any action on your site, you should see information about it in the Events Manager’s tab. Please mind, however, that Conversion API (server-side) events may show up after a few minutes. The same goes with deduplication. In rare cases, when Meta does not work properly, you may not see these events at all.
Advantages:
- You can test browser and server events
- You get detailed data about the events
Disadvantages:
- it often takes a few minutes before server events and deduplication information shows on the page
- sometimes, testing with events manager may not work at all
Method 3. With WP Full Picture’s setup helper
Alternatively, you may use WP Full Picture’s own setup helper. This solution is for developers, but the advantage of it is that you can test both server and pixel events with instant results.
This is how to do it.
1. Click Setup helper in the top menu (if you do not see it, you need to also click “Advanced settings” toggle, that is next to it)
2. Go to the homepage of your site and enable testing
3. Agree to tracking in the consent banner that pops up.
5. Open your browser’s console
6. In the “Console tab” you will now see entries that start with [FP]. These are all WP-specific events. Among other things, they also include information on what events fired and were sent to Meta.
Advantages:
- You can test browser and server events
- Instant results
Disadvantages:
- It’s made for developers. You must know how to work with a browser console.