Introduction
If events show as "success" in your ServerTrack dashboard but don't appear in Facebook Events Manager, there are several possible causes. This guide will help you diagnose and fix the issue.
First Check: Events can take 5-15 minutes to appear in Facebook Events Manager. If it's been less than 15 minutes, wait a bit longer before troubleshooting.
Step 1: Check ServerTrack Event Logs
The first step is to verify that events are actually being sent from ServerTrack:
- Go to your ServerTrack dashboard
- Navigate to your Server Deck → Event Logs
- Look for recent events
- Check the Facebook status column
What to look for:
- Status: "success" - Event was sent successfully to Facebook
- Status: "failed" - There was an error sending to Facebook (check error message)
- Status: "pending" - Event is queued and will be sent soon
- Status: "blocked" - Event was blocked (check reason)
Step 2: Verify Access Token
An invalid or expired access token is a common cause of events not appearing:
- Go to Facebook Events Manager → Settings
- Navigate to Conversions API section
- Check if your access token is still valid
- If needed, generate a new access token
- Update the token in your ServerTrack dashboard
- Save the configuration
Common Issue: Access tokens can expire after 60 days. If events suddenly stop appearing after working previously, the token may have expired. Regenerate and update it in ServerTrack.
Step 3: Verify Pixel ID
Ensure your Pixel ID is correct:
- In Facebook Events Manager, note your Pixel ID (15-16 digit number)
- Go to ServerTrack dashboard → Facebook CAPI settings
- Compare the Pixel ID - they must match exactly
- Check for typos or extra spaces
- Update if incorrect and save
Step 4: Check Events Manager Filters
Facebook Events Manager has filters that might hide your events:
- In Events Manager, go to your Pixel
- Click on "Test Events" or "Events" tab
- Check the filters at the top:
- Time Range: Make sure it includes recent time period
- Event Name: Ensure it's not filtering out your event type
- Event Source: Check if "Conversions API" or "Server" is selected
- Clear all filters and refresh
Step 5: Use Test Events Tool
Facebook's Test Events tool helps verify events in real-time:
- In Events Manager, go to "Test Events"
- Enter your website URL
- Keep the Test Events tab open
- Trigger an event on your website (or use ServerTrack's test feature)
- Watch for the event to appear in Test Events (should appear within seconds)
What to check in Test Events:
- Event Source: Should show "Conversions API" or "Server"
- Event Name: Should match what you're sending
- Status: Should show as received successfully
- Event ID: Should be present and unique
Step 6: Check Deduplication Settings
If you're running both browser pixel and server-side tracking, deduplication might be affecting visibility:
- In Events Manager → Settings → Conversions API
- Verify "Deduplicate server and browser events" is enabled
- Ensure Event ID matching is enabled
- Check that Event IDs match between browser and server events
Note: When deduplication is working correctly, you might see the event marked as coming from "Pixel" even though it was sent via CAPI, because Facebook matched them and kept the Pixel version. This is normal and expected.
Common Error Messages and Solutions
"Invalid Access Token" Error
Symptoms: Events fail in ServerTrack logs with "Invalid access token" message.
Solution:
- Regenerate access token in Facebook Events Manager
- Update token in ServerTrack dashboard
- Ensure token has correct permissions
- Check that token wasn't revoked in Business Settings
"Invalid Pixel ID" Error
Symptoms: Events fail with "Invalid pixel ID" or "Pixel not found" errors.
Solution:
- Verify Pixel ID in Events Manager
- Check for typos in ServerTrack configuration
- Ensure Pixel ID is from the correct Facebook Business account
- Verify you have admin access to the Pixel
Rate Limiting Errors
Symptoms: Some events fail with rate limit errors, but others succeed.
Solution:
- Reduce event sending frequency if possible
- Wait for rate limit to reset (usually 1 hour)
- ServerTrack automatically retries failed events
Diagnostic Checklist
- ✔ Events show "success" status in ServerTrack logs
- ✔ Access token is valid and not expired
- ✔ Pixel ID matches exactly between Events Manager and ServerTrack
- ✔ Events appear in Test Events tool when triggered
- ✔ Events Manager filters are not hiding events
- ✔ Waited at least 15 minutes for events to appear
- ✔ Deduplication is configured correctly (if using both pixel and CAPI)
- ✔ Server Deck status is "Active" (not Paused)
Understanding Time Delays
Events don't appear instantly in Facebook Events Manager:
- Test Events: Appear within seconds (real-time)
- Events Dashboard: 5-15 minutes delay is normal
- Standard Reports: Can take 1-2 hours to update
- Custom Reports: May take 24 hours to fully populate
Use Test Events for immediate verification, and allow time for events to appear in standard reports.
When to Contact Support
Contact ServerTrack support if:
- Events show "success" in logs but never appear in Test Events
- Access token and Pixel ID are correct but events consistently fail
- You're seeing error messages not covered in this guide
- Events worked previously but suddenly stopped (and token is still valid)
Summary
Most issues with events not appearing in Facebook Events Manager are resolved by:
- Verifying access token is valid and not expired
- Ensuring Pixel ID matches exactly
- Checking Events Manager filters
- Using Test Events tool for real-time verification
- Allowing adequate time for events to appear (15+ minutes)
Always check ServerTrack event logs first to confirm events are being sent successfully before troubleshooting in Facebook Events Manager.