Overview
This guide will walk you through performing an end-to-end test to ensure your Meta (Facebook and Instagram) ads are correctly tracking in Cometly. By following these steps, you can verify that your pixel, event setup, and UTM parameters are working as expected and that conversions are correctly attributed to the right ad.
Prerequisites
Before starting this test, ensure that:
You have completed the Cometly setup process.
Your Cometly pixel is properly installed.
Your events are configured.
UTM parameters are set up and added to your ads.
Step-by-Step Testing Process
1. Select an Ad for Testing
Go to your Meta Ads Manager.
Find an ad that you want to test that has Cometly UTM parameters.
Click on the ad and select Preview.
Under the View on Facebook dropdown, select Facebook Desktop News Feed.
Important: Do not use the Preview link at ad level; this method will not work correctly because it doesn't pass the dynamic UTM parameters through.
2. Click the Ad Like a Normal User
Locate your ad within your Facebook News Feed (you may need to scroll past a few posts).
Click the ad using the button or the ad headline.
(Optional) Right click and open the ad in an Incognito/Private Browsing window to ensure a fresh tracking session.
3. Verify URL Parameters
Once the ad opens in your browser:
Check that the UTM parameters in the URL are correctly populated.
Example parameters:
comet_source=Facebook,comet_ad_id=123456789,placement=Facebook_Desktop_Newsfeed
If these parameters appear correctly, it means the click data is being captured properly.
4. Complete the Conversion Action
Perform the conversion event you want to test:
If testing a lead opt-in, submit the form.
If testing a booked call, book a call.
If testing a purchase, complete the checkout.
If necessary, verify your email or complete any required steps.
5. Check the Data in Cometly
Return to your Cometly account.
Navigate to the Report Builder
You can also just navigate to the Contacts page in Cometly.
Configure the report for the correct metric.
Refresh the page and check if the event count has increased.
Example: If the previous count was 9, it should now show 10.
Click on the new event to view the full user journey.
You should see the exact ad you clicked and all the events tracked.
6. (Optional) Perform Additional Tests
To verify tracking for multiple events (e.g., lead submission followed by a purchase), repeat the steps above and check that Cometly updates the full journey in real time.
If you use multiple emails, Cometly will track them under the same user profile if they belong to the same person.
Troubleshooting
If the data does not appear correctly in Cometly:
Double-check that you opened the ad via Facebook Desktop News Feed preview.
Ensure that the Cometly pixel is correctly placed on all relevant pages.
Verify that your UTM parameters are present in the ad URL.
Confirm that the event was fired by using a tracking tool like Meta Pixel Helper.
Conclusion
Following these steps ensures that your Meta ads are correctly tracked in Cometly, giving you accurate attribution data. If you encounter any issues, reach out to Cometly Support for assistance.
Happy tracking!