How to track Facebook Ads Campaigns without cookies:
UTM Parameters
UTM parameters are custom tags that you can add to your Meta Ads URLs to track the performance of your campaigns. When you use UTM parameters in your Meta Ads campaigns, Sealmetrics will capture and display this information in your analytics dashboard.
How to implement UTM tracking:
Add UTM parameters to your ad destination URLs
Use consistent naming conventions across campaigns
Ensure all required parameters are included
Example UTM structure for Meta Ads:
https://yourwebsite.com?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=summer_sale&utm_term=running_shoes
Benefits of UTM tracking:
Complete campaign attribution
Detailed performance insights
Custom campaign naming
Full control over tracking parameters
UTM Attribution vs. fbclid Attribution
When UTM Parameters Are Present
If your Meta Ads URLs include UTM parameters, Sealmetrics will use this information for attribution:
utm_source: facebook (or your custom source)
utm_medium: cpc (or your custom medium)
utm_campaign: Your specific campaign name
utm_term: Your specific keyword/audience targeting
Best Practices for Meta Ads Tracking
1. Use UTM Parameters for Detailed Tracking
For maximum insight into your campaign performance, always include UTM parameters in your Meta Ads URLs. This allows you to:
Track individual campaign performance
Compare different ad sets and creative variants
Analyze audience segment effectiveness
Generate detailed ROI reports
2. Maintain Consistent Naming Conventions
Establish and follow consistent UTM naming conventions:
Use lowercase letters
Replace spaces with underscores or hyphens
Keep names descriptive but concise
Document your naming scheme for team consistency
Understanding Your Analytics Reports
Campaign Performance Analysis
With proper UTM implementation, you can analyze:
Campaign-level performance: Compare different Meta Ads campaigns
Creative performance: Track which ad variants perform best
Audience insights: Understand which targeting parameters drive results
Cross-platform comparison: Compare Meta Ads performance with other channels
Traffic Source Identification
In your Sealmetrics dashboard, Meta Ads traffic will appear as:
With UTMs: Source shows your custom utm_source value
Medium: Shows "cpc" or your custom utm_medium value
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Missing Campaign Data
If you see traffic with source "facebook-ads" but campaign shows "(not set)":
Check if UTM parameters are properly added to your ad URLs
Verify UTM parameters are not being stripped by redirects
Ensure landing pages preserve URL parameters
Inconsistent Attribution
If attribution seems inconsistent:
Review your UTM naming conventions
Check for URL shorteners that might strip parameters
Verify that all team members are using the same UTM structure
Conclusion
Sealmetrics provides robust tracking for Meta Ads traffic through both UTM parameters and automatic fbclid detection. While fbclid ensures that no Meta Ads traffic goes untracked, implementing proper UTM parameters provides the detailed insights needed to optimize your advertising spend and improve campaign performance.
For the most comprehensive analytics, we recommend using UTM parameters on all your Meta Ads campaigns while relying on fbclid detection as a backup attribution method.