If you're running Facebook ads but not tracking events like leads, purchases, or video views correctly, you're leaving serious money on the table. Fortunately, there’s a free and efficient way to solve this: Google Tag Manager (GTM).

In this blog, you’ll learn how to install your Facebook Pixel, fire standard and custom events, and test them—all without spending a single dollar.

Pro tip: Use Great Marketing AI if you're looking for expert help setting up your ad tracking and funnel optimizations.

Step 1: Set Up Google Tag Manager

Start by creating a Google Tag Manager account. Choose "Web" as the platform, enter your domain, and install the GTM code on your site. GTM lets you manage all your tracking tags—like pixels and chat widgets—from one central dashboard without touching your site’s raw code.

Step 2: Add Your Facebook Pixel

Once inside GTM, open the Template Gallery and search for "Facebook Pixel." Add it to your workspace, insert your Pixel ID, and set it to trigger on all pages. This ensures the Pixel fires correctly across your entire website, allowing Meta to collect the necessary data for ad optimization.

Step 3: Create Custom and Standard Events

Use GTM to track not just standard events like "Purchase" or "Lead," but also powerful custom ones such as:

• Scroll depth (e.g., 50% scroll)

• Time on site (30 or 60 seconds)

• Video engagement (e.g., watched 50% of a video)

• Form interactions or abandonment

• Visits to thank-you or checkout pages

These granular data points help improve your retargeting and ad performance.

Watch the Full Setup Tutorial

To walk through this setup visually, watch the full video below:

Step 4: Test Before You Spend

Use GTM’s Preview Mode to simulate real user behavior and Facebook’s Test Events tool to confirm your tags are firing correctly. You’ll be able to verify events like page views, scroll depth, and form submissions before launching your ads.

Final Thoughts

Setting up your Facebook Pixel and tracking with GTM can dramatically improve your campaign results. You get more visibility, better targeting, and can confidently scale your ads without wasting budget.

For expert help managing your Facebook ads, visit our Facebook advertising agency page or reach out to Great Marketing AI to take your tracking and conversion strategy to the next level.

Ready to level up your Facebook ad strategy? Book a free strategy call today.

Let me know if you'd like me to create a downloadable checklist or GTM tag templates to go along with this post.