What is a Pixel? How Website Tracking Code Works
Also known as: tracking pixel, Meta Pixel, Facebook Pixel
Short answer
A pixel is a small snippet of code you place on your website that records visitor actions and sends them to an ad platform. It runs in the visitor browser, so it only sees what happens on the website and can be blocked.
The simple way to think about it
A pixel is a clerk standing inside your shop, noting who came in, what they picked up, and who paid. The notes are good, but the clerk only sees inside the shop.
Limits worth knowing
| Limit | Effect |
|---|---|
| Ad blockers | The event never sends |
| Cookie refusal | Matching weakens |
| Device switching | Click and purchase never link |
| Closing on WhatsApp | The pixel never sees it |
| A purchase in a physical shop | The pixel never sees it |
What to do about it
Keep website tracking code for events that genuinely happen on the website, then send the important events from your server too. Give both paths the same event marker, so one sale is never counted twice.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between a pixel and CAPI?
- A pixel sends events from the visitor browser. CAPI sends events from your server. A pixel can be blocked by ad blockers or privacy settings; CAPI cannot. Use both, sharing the same event marker.
- Is one pixel enough for every platform?
- Each ad platform has its own code. Installing many makes the page heavy and easy to get wrong. One tracking code that captures events and forwards them to several platforms is easier to maintain.
- Why does my pixel report fewer events than I have sales?
- Because some visitors use blockers, some decline cookies, and some buy through another channel such as WhatsApp. That gap is normal, and it is exactly why server-side sending exists.
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.