Meta integration

This guide applies only when selling pre-orders through Purple Dot's own checkout. Pre-orders sold through the Shopify checkout benefit from the same tracking as your regular sales.

If you have enabled Meta tracking on the Integration settings page in the Merchant Portal, the Purple Dot checkout automatically sends certain events to Meta via the Conversions API (CAPI).

What you need before you start

• The Facebook & Instagram app installed on the Shopify store and connected to the merchant’s Meta Business account

• A dataset (pixel) active on the storefront via that app, with browser events flowing in Events Manager

• Admin access to the merchant’s Meta Business Manager and Events Manager

Prerequisites

Before configuring Conversions API in Meta or connecting Purple Dot to your Meta account, you must have the Meta Pixel running on their Shopify storefront. Purple Dot will not send any server-side events for a session where we could not find browser cookies (_fbp and _fbc) that the pixel sets in your storefront.

Step 1 - Install the Facebook & Instagram app on Shopify

1. In Shopify Admin, go to Settings → Customer events (or open the Shopify App Store).

2. Search for and install Facebook & Instagram (by Meta).

3. Open the app and sign in with the Meta account that has access to the merchant’s Business Manager.

4. Connect the Shopify store to the correct Meta Business Portfolio (Business Manager).

5. When prompted, connect or create a dataset (Meta Pixel). Use the same dataset you plan to use for Conversions API and Purple Dot.

6. Complete the app setup and confirm the pixel is connected and active on the storefront.

Facebook & Instagram app connected to Meta account

Use the same dataset everywhere. The Dataset ID you enter in Purple Dot must match the dataset connected in the Facebook & Instagram app and shown in Meta Events Manager. If these don’t match, connection tests may pass but production events will go to the wrong dataset or checkout events won’t attribute correctly.

Verify the pixel is working on the storefront

1. In Shopify Admin, go to Settings → Customer events

2. Verify the app is “Connected”

3. On the Facebook & Instagram app, click “Test”

1. Accept any cookie consent banner that covers marketing/analytics cookies

2. Confirm events are being processed

Step 2 - Set up the Conversions API connection in Meta

1. Open Meta Events Manager.

2. Select the dataset used on the merchant’s storefront (the same one connected via the Facebook & Instagram app).

3. Go to Settings (gear icon) → Conversions API.

4. Choose Set up manually or Connect via partner (either works; Purple Dot sends events directly with an access token).

5. Review the event configuration. Purple Dot sends these standard Meta events:

   Purple Dot action	Meta event name
   Item added to cart	AddToCart
   Checkout started	InitiateCheckout
   Payment details entered	AddPaymentInfo
   Pre-order completed	Purchase

6. Confirm the dataset is configured to accept server events for those event types.

7. Configure the parameters to send with the events

   1. Event ID

   2. Email

   3. Browser ID

   4. Phone

   5. Client IP

Step 3 - Generate an access token, get the Dataset ID, and open Test Events

Generate an access token

1. In Events Manager, on the same dataset, go to Settings → Conversions API.

2. Under Set up manually, find Generate access token (or Set up with Conversions API → token section).

3. Click Generate access token.

4. Copy the token immediately and store it securely. Meta may not show it again.

Find the Dataset ID

1. Stay on the dataset in Events Manager.

2. Open Settings.

3. Copy the Dataset ID (numeric string, e.g. 1695925551723490).

Use this value in Purple Dot’s Dataset ID field (not the Business Manager ID or ad account ID).

Open Test Events (for verification)

1. In Events Manager, select the dataset.

2. Open the Test Events tab.

3. Copy the Test event code shown at the top (e.g. TEST52433). You’ll use this when testing from Purple Dot so events appear in this tab instead of production reporting.

Keep this tab open while you run the connection test in Step 5.

Step 4 - Add credentials in Purple Dot

1. Log in to the Purple Dot merchant portal.

2. Go to Settings → Integrations.

3. Under Analytics, click Connect for Meta.

4. In the Meta connection modal, enter:

   Field	Value
   Access Token	Token from Step 3
   Dataset ID	Dataset ID from Step 3

5. Click Save.

Step 5 - Send a test event and verify the connection

You can verify in two ways. Use Test Connection in the modal for the first setup; use the Test button on the saved connection tile for later checks.

Option A - Test before saving (recommended for first setup)

1. In the Meta connection modal, fill in Access Token, Dataset ID, and Test Event Code.

2. Click Test Connection (bottom-left of the modal).

3. Wait for “Credentials verified!”

Confirm in Meta Events Manager

1. Return to Events Manager → [your dataset] → Test Events.

2. Within a few seconds, you should see an event named PurpleDotTestEvent.

3. Confirm the event shows as received/processed (not rejected).

Option B - Test via live checkout with meta_test_event_code (end-to-end)

This option verifies the full integration: storefront → Purple Dot checkout → Meta CAPI → Events Manager Test Events. It is the best way to confirm real checkout events (AddToCart, InitiateCheckout, AddPaymentInfo, Purchase) are flowing correctly.

1. Copy the Test event code from Meta Events Manager → [your dataset] → Test Events.

2. Open the storefront with the test event code in the URL:

   https://your-store.com/products/example-product?meta_test_event_code=TEST52433

   Replace TEST52433 with your actual test event code. The parameter can be added to any storefront page URL.

3. Complete a test pre-order/checkout flow (add to cart, open checkout, enter payment details, complete the order).

4. In Meta Events Manager → Test Events, confirm the real checkout events appear - for example InitiateCheckout, AddPaymentInfo, and Purchase.