What is FBCLID? The Meta Click ID and Its Limits
Also known as: fbclid, Facebook Click Identifier, fbc, fbp
Short answer
FBCLID is the Meta Click ID, a unique code appended to your URL when someone clicks a Facebook or Instagram ad. It is used to form the click identifier sent with conversions, so Meta learns which ad worked.
Example
After a click the URL looks like `konektor.id/?fbclid=IwAR2abcdef`. That value is stored and later sent back with the conversion event.
Why Meta relies on two paths
| Path | When it works | Accuracy |
|---|---|---|
Click identifier from fbclid | Click and conversion on the same device | Highest |
| Customer details as one-way codes | Device switch, WhatsApp close | Medium to high |
| Neither present | Conversion arrives with no identifier | Lowest |
Send both when you have them. Meta uses whichever matches, and more matches bring measurement closer to reality.
What you must never do
Never send a value your own system already encrypted as a customer identifier. What is required is a standard one-way code of a normalised value. Ciphertext matches nothing, and your conversion lands with no match at all.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between fbclid, fbc, and fbp?
- `fbclid` is the raw URL value. `fbc` is the form sent with a conversion event, built from `fbclid` and its click time. `fbp` is a browser identifier your tracking code creates, and is not an ad click marker.
- Why does Meta also ask for email and phone?
- Because `fbclid` is often lost when people switch device or buy through WhatsApp. Customer details sent as one-way codes give a second matching path, so the conversion still connects.
- Is fbclid always present?
- No. Click to WhatsApp ads, for instance, send no `fbclid` in a URL, because there is no website visit. Those ads use `ctwa_clid`, which arrives inside the first message.
Related terms
Konektor guides
Your ad numbers are only as accurate as the data behind them
Konektor captures the Click ID and sends conversions that close on WhatsApp, over the phone, or in a shop back to the ad platform.