How to troubleshoot Meta Ads sync issues

Meta Ads sync issues fall into a handful of buckets. Work through this checklist in order.

Before you start

Have these tabs open:

• SourceLoop’s Meta Ads card at Setup -> Ad Platforms -> Meta Ads
• Meta Events Manager for the Pixel you’re reporting to
• Meta Business Settings in case you need to regenerate a System User token
• SourceLoop’s Activation -> Conversion sync page, for each Meta sync’s status and recent sends

Step 1: Check the connection status

1. Open Setup -> Ad Platforms -> Meta Ads in SourceLoop.
2. Look at the card:
   • Active with recent Last sync → healthy; problem is downstream
   • Active with stale Last sync (>24 hours) → Insights sync stuck
   • Token expired → reconnect or update the token
   • Disconnected → run the Connect flow

Step 2: For ‘Token expired’ / ‘Disconnected’

There are two connections to check:

• The ad account, which brings in spend. If its card shows Reconnect under Setup -> Ad Platforms or on the Conversion sync page, click it and sign in to Meta again.
• The pixel and System User token, which send conversions. To replace the token, generate a new System User access token in Meta Business Settings (see Send conversions to Meta), open a Meta sync under Activation -> Conversion sync, paste the token in the Send to step, and click Save pixel.

Step 3: For ‘conversions not appearing in Events Manager’

1. Open Activation -> Conversion sync. Each Meta sync shows a status: Sending or Ready is working, Needs setup means the pixel or token is missing, Test mode means a test code is set, and Failing means Meta is rejecting sends.
2. Open the sync and look at Recent sends. Each person is listed with what Meta matched on and whether it was:
   • Sent: Meta has it. Events can take a few minutes to appear in Events Manager.
   • Waiting for an email or click: SourceLoop has nothing Meta can match on yet.
   • Too old to send: Meta only accepts events from the last 7 days.
   • Failed: Meta rejected it, with the error on the row.

Common errors and fixes:

• Invalid access token → the token expired or was revoked. See Step 2.
• Pixel not found or unauthorized → wrong Pixel ID, or the System User isn’t assigned to that pixel in Business Settings.
• Invalid event name → a custom event name with spaces or unsupported characters. Use letters, numbers, and underscores.

Step 4: For ‘test events not showing in Events Manager’

1. Check the test event code on the sync matches the one in Events Manager exactly.
2. Make sure you’re looking at the Test events tab of the same pixel the sync sends to.
3. Refresh the Test events tab after the conversion. It doesn’t always update on its own.
4. Check the conversion arrived in SourceLoop’s Contacts.

Step 5: For ‘poor Match Quality score’

Match Quality is Meta’s measure of how often your events match a real Meta user. To raise it:

1. Install the SourceLoop tracking code on every landing page, not just the page with the form. The ad click is captured where the visitor lands.
2. Ask for email and phone in your forms. SourceLoop sends them hashed, and together they match most people.
3. Check privacy plugins that clear cookies aggressively, which can drop the ad click before the visitor converts.

Step 6: For ‘spend data not updating’

Spend and impressions sync from Meta once a day. If Meta Ads Manager shows the same lag for the last 1 to 3 days, the data isn’t final on Meta’s side yet.

How to start again

To disconnect entirely, see Disconnect Meta Ads from SourceLoop.

When to email support

If you’ve worked through the checklist and CAPI events still aren’t appearing correctly, email [email protected] with:

• The Meta Ads card’s current status
• Two or three error messages from the sync’s Recent sends (verbatim)
• Your Ad Account ID (visible on the Meta card)
• Your Pixel ID

We respond within one business day.