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META PURCHASES

Meta shows no purchases, but Shopify has orders

Your ads are running, Shopify shows paid orders, and the Purchases column in Meta Ads Manager says 0, or a dash. This is not the usual gap where Meta counts a little less. Zero means the purchase stops somewhere on its way, and the place is usually easy to find.

Why it happens

The purchase never reaches Meta. If Events Manager shows no Purchase events at all for your dataset, Meta is not receiving them. The Meta pixel purchase event is not firing goes through the browser side step by step. Common causes: the Facebook & Instagram app was disconnected or its data sharing was changed, a theme or checkout change removed the code that sent the purchase, or a Conversions API access token stopped working. If only the token is the problem, see Meta Conversions API access token stopped working.

Purchases go to a different pixel. A store can send purchases to one dataset while the ads report on another. This happens after a new pixel is created, a business portfolio changes, or an agency sets up its own. Events Manager shows purchases on one dataset, and the ad set tracks the other. Two Meta pixels on one Shopify store covers this.

Meta received them, but none count as ad results. Meta's help says Events Manager shows most events that have been received, while Ads Manager shows attributed events: actions by people who interacted with your business "as a result of being shown your ad". If Events Manager has purchases and Ads Manager has none, Meta could not tie any of them to your ads within the attribution setting. For server events that arrive but do not show, see Conversions API events received but not showing.

The ad set does not track purchases. Ads Manager shows a Purchases result only for the website events the ad set is set to measure. An ad set optimised for traffic or landing page views can show no purchases while Meta still receives them.

The checkout no longer runs the old code. Shopify's checkout no longer runs code pasted into the old additional scripts box on the thank you page. A store that sent its purchase from there stops sending it. Shopify checkout extensibility and tracking explains the change.

Consent blocks everything. With a strict cookie banner, a Meta pixel that waits for consent sends nothing for buyers who decline. If very few buyers accept, the count can drop close to zero. See Shopify consent settings and missing purchases.

Check it yourself

  1. 1In Meta Events Manager, open Data sources and pick the dataset your ads use. On the Overview tab, look for Purchase in the event table and read its count for the last 7 days.
  2. 2If there is no Purchase, open the History tab. Meta lists changes made to your pixel and Conversions API, when they were made and who made them. A change on the day purchases stopped is your lead.
  3. 3Open the Diagnostics tab and read each issue Meta lists.
  4. 4Open Test events, place a test order, and see whether a Purchase arrives from the browser, the server or both. Meta's help says that if nothing appears within one minute, turn off your ad blockers and refresh the site.
  5. 5In Ads Manager, open the ad set and check its conversion location and optimisation event, then open the ad and check which dataset it tracks under Tracking.
  6. 6If Events Manager shows purchases and Ads Manager shows none, compare the dates. Ads Manager reports by your attribution setting, so a new campaign can show zero for its first days.
  7. 7In your Shopify admin, open the Facebook & Instagram app and check that it is connected to the same dataset, and what data sharing level it uses. The three data sharing levels explained.

Run the free diagnosis

FAQ

Events Manager shows purchases but Ads Manager shows zero. Why?

They count different things. Events Manager counts events received. Ads Manager counts only events Meta attributes to your ads. Check the ad's dataset and the attribution setting.

Can a Meta outage cause zero purchases?

Events can arrive late, but a full day at zero with orders in Shopify almost always points to the store's setup. Start with Events Manager.

Does the Meta Pixel Helper prove that purchases work?

It shows what the browser fires on the page you open. It cannot see Conversions API events from a server. Use Test events for both. If the helper does not see the pixel at all, read Meta Pixel Helper not detecting the pixel.

I fixed it. Will the missing purchases come back?

Meta's Conversions API takes events up to 7 days after they happened, and rejects older ones. Orders older than that cannot be sent again.

Why is the count low but not zero?

That is a different problem with different causes. Read Meta shows fewer purchases than Shopify.

Related

Problem

Meta shows fewer purchases than Shopify

Meta's Purchase count is lower than your Shopify paid orders. Three common causes and a step by step check you can do in Events Manager today.

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Meta counts purchases twice

Meta shows more purchases than you had Shopify orders. Why browser and server events double up, and how to find every sender in your store.

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WooCommerce Meta pixel not tracking purchases

Your WooCommerce store has paid orders, but Meta shows few or no Purchase events. Payment redirects, caching and consent are the usual causes. Here is how to check.

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Meta purchases change when you change the attribution setting

Your Meta purchase count goes up or down when you pick another attribution setting. Why click, view and engaged-view windows change the number, and how to compare it with Shopify.

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