TikTok conversion tracking

In this guide

Standard events Install with Tag Manager Advanced matching Attribution Checks Common problems A realistic example Frequently asked questions

Key takeaways

The TikTok Pixel reports page views and events such as purchase and form submission.
Install it through Tag Manager, send standard events with value and currency, and use advanced matching with consent.
Add the Events API from your server with a shared event ID.

TikTok campaigns optimise on the events you report. The pixel is where most advertisers start. This page covers the browser-side set-up and how to check it. For the server side read TikTok server-side tracking. TikTok changes names and options, so check its documentation. See also conversion tracking FAQ.

Standard events

Your action	TikTok event
Product page view	ViewContent
Add to cart	AddToCart
Checkout start	InitiateCheckout
Purchase	Purchase (earlier CompletePayment)
Lead form	SubmitForm
Registration	CompleteRegistration

Try it

Works with your stack

Grab a logo and throw it. These are the tools Open Tracked already talks to.

Grab one. Throw it.

Install with Tag Manager

Get the pixel ID

In TikTok Events Manager.

Add the TikTok pixel tag

Use the TikTok template from the gallery.

Fire the base code on all pages

With advertising consent.

Add event tags

From data layer events, with value, currency and content IDs.

Add an event ID

For later deduplication with the Events API.

Test

With TikTok Pixel Helper and Events Manager.

Advanced matching

If the visitor gave an e-mail or phone, the pixel can send it hashed to improve matching. Do it only with consent. Better still, send it from the server with the Events API.

For online stores

Orders from your store, back to the ad that earned them

Your store sends the order once. Open Tracked passes it on to each ad platform, cleaned and deduplicated.

Attribution

TikTok attributes conversions to ads that people clicked or viewed within a window, with defaults and options that change over time. Check Ads Manager. Compare TikTok's numbers with your store, since the windows and view-through rules differ from other platforms.

Checks

0 of 6 done

The pixel fires once per pagePurchase has value and currencyEvents carry content IDs where relevantThe pixel respects consentTest events appear in Events ManagerThe Events API is planned

Common problems

SymptomEvents appear twice

Likely causeThe pixel is installed twice.

FixRemove the extra copy.

SymptomNo value on purchases

Likely causeThe data layer lacks value.

FixAdd it.

SymptomLow match rate

Likely causeNo customer data.

FixAdd hashed e-mail and phone with consent, and use the Events API.

SymptomEvents fire without consent

Likely causeNo consent setting.

FixAdd one.

A realistic example

A homeware store launches TikTok ads and installs the pixel through Tag Manager with ViewContent, AddToCart, InitiateCheckout and Purchase events. Pixel Helper shows the base code firing twice on product pages, because the theme also contains a copy of the pixel. The store removes the theme copy and checks that purchases carry value and currency. A week later TikTok reports fewer purchases than the store, as most platforms do. The team adds the Events API from its server container with the same event ID, and the gap narrows. The pixel was the right first step, and it exposed two common problems, a duplicate install and missing values, that are easy to fix once you test deliberately.

Check your setup

Check your tracking in one pass

This is an example. Run the check on your own site to see where yours stands.

Frequently asked questions

How do I track conversions on TikTok?

Install the TikTok Pixel, send standard events with value and currency, and add the Events API from your server.

Which events should I send?

ViewContent, AddToCart, InitiateCheckout and Purchase for stores, and SubmitForm for leads.

How do I install the pixel with Tag Manager?

Use the TikTok template, fire the base code on all pages with consent and add event tags.

Do I need the Events API as well?

It is recommended, because it recovers events the browser loses.

Why do TikTok numbers differ from my store?

Different attribution windows, lost events and view-through credit.

Do I need spreadsheets to read my results?

No. Once tracking is live, the Open Tracked analytics shows spend, revenue, ROAS and profit, and you can ask Ari, the built-in AI assistant, questions about your own numbers in plain words. Ari's allowance depends on your analytics plan.

Is Open Tracked different from Open Track or Open Space Track?

No. Open Tracked is the official name of our server-side tracking platform, and the website is opentracked.io. Many people search for it as Open Track, OpenTrack or Open Space Track. All of them lead to the same product: server-side Google Tag Manager hosting, first-party analytics and a CRM pipeline.

Fix your tracking at the source

Open Tracked hosts your server-side Tag Manager, keeps first-party cookies alive and shows what each ad is really worth.

Start free More in Integrations →

Written by

The Open Tracked team

We build Open Tracked: server-side tracking hosting, analytics and the tools around them, for stores that spend on ads. Questions about this guide, or an idea for the next one?

Write to us Read the docs

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