Meta says Core setup is on for your pixel

Why it happens

Core setup is a restriction Meta puts on a dataset. It limits what the dataset shares with Meta. Meta also calls the pixel a dataset. The setting sits on the dataset itself in Events Manager, under Settings > Data restrictions. Nothing in your Shopify admin turns it on or off.

Meta also flags custom conversions that suggest a health condition. This is a separate restriction from Core setup; a store can have either. Meta's developer guide for conversion tracking says that from 2 September 2025 Meta began to restrict custom conversions that "may suggest information not permitted under our terms". Its examples are custom conversions suggesting specific health conditions, such as "arthritis" or "diabetes". Meta says these are flagged and cannot be used to run ad campaigns.

Meta removes custom parameters. Under Core setup, Meta drops the custom parameters that arrive with your events. A custom parameter is any field you or your app adds beyond Meta's standard ones, such as the customer type on a purchase. Audiences, custom conversions and reports built on those fields lose their data.

Meta cuts the page address down to your domain. Each event normally carries the address of the page where it happened. Under Core setup, Meta keeps only your domain. An audience of people who viewed one collection, or a custom conversion that matches a page path, can no longer tell those pages apart, because every event carries the same address, your domain.

Custom events need your confirmation. A custom event, for example PurchaseNewCustomer, needs your confirmation in Events Manager before Meta uses it. Until you confirm it, Meta does not use it.

Server sending does not get around it. The restriction belongs to the dataset, not to the way events arrive. Purchases sent from a server through the Conversions API go into the same dataset and get the same treatment. A tool that promises to lift Core setup by sending from its own server promises something a server cannot do.

Check it yourself

1. 1In Meta Events Manager, open Data sources, click your pixel and open Settings. Under Data restrictions, read whether Core setup is on.
2. 2On the Overview tab, look at Purchase for the last 7 days and compare the count with your paid online orders in Shopify for the same days. Core setup does not stop purchases, so a large drop has another cause.
3. 3Install Meta Ads Data Advisor, Meta's free extension for Chrome and Edge, and open your store. Meta's guide says it marks an event with Error when it has a critical issue such as blocked parameters.
4. 4In Events Manager, go through your custom conversions. Any whose name or rule suggests a health condition can be flagged by Meta and kept from running campaigns. Rename or rebuild it on a standard event. If you think one was flagged by mistake, Meta's guide says you can request a review on the custom conversions page in Events Manager. For a running campaign that uses a flagged one, Meta suggests duplicating the campaign with a custom conversion that is not flagged.
5. 5Review audiences and custom conversions that rely on a page path or a custom parameter. Rebuild the ones you need on Purchase, which keeps reaching Meta with value and currency.
6. 6If your store sends a custom event such as PurchaseNewCustomer, look for it in Events Manager and confirm it there.
7. 7Check that your purchases still carry value and currency. If they do not, that is a separate problem: Meta purchase missing value, currency or content IDs.

Only Meta can review the classification; a tracking app cannot change it.

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FAQ

Can a server-side tracking app remove Core setup?

No. Core setup applies to the dataset, whatever sends to it: the browser pixel, the Facebook & Instagram app or a server connection. Be careful with any tool that claims otherwise.

Does Core setup stop my purchases from reaching Meta?

No. Purchases keep reaching Meta with their value and currency, so Meta can still count your sales. What goes is the extra detail: custom parameters and the full page address.

Why did my website custom audiences get smaller?

Audiences built on page addresses or custom parameters lose their input once Meta keeps only the domain and drops custom parameters.

Does it affect Google Analytics 4, Google Ads or TikTok?

No. Core setup is a Meta restriction on a Meta dataset. Other platforms keep receiving what they received before.