06. How to Detect Facebook Pixels on Websites

Modified on Thu, 27 Jun at 8:23 PM

How Can I Tell if a Website Is Using a Facebook Pixel?

Tracking pixels are widely used by websites to collect data about their visitors for a variety of purposes, such as targeted advertising and analytics. Knowing if a page you're visiting is using a tracking pixel can be helpful in many ways.

WHY IS THIS HELPFUL?
Let’s say you’re a printer who prints direct mail for ACME Corp.

Using MindFire, you can make the direct mail you print for ACME Corp more effective, which means that it’s likely ACME Corp will experience an increase in website traffic.

In addition to converting that traffic into leads, you can also help ACME Corp retarget that traffic online and offline.

Online retargeting is done using a tracking pixel, so knowing whether ACME Corp is already using one is often helpful in your discussions with the Client.

By checking if the Client is using tracking pixels in advance, you’ll look smart, and informed, know what you’re competing against, and equip you to bring more value to the Client because you took the time to research their existing capability.

Here's how to check if a website is using a Facebook Pixel using the Facebook Pixel Helper Chrome extension and Ghostery:

Using Facebook Pixel Helper

Install the Meta/Facebook Pixel Helper Chrome extension from the Chrome Web Store.
Go to the webpage you want to check.
Click on the Facebook Pixel Helper icon in your Chrome browser.
The extension will scan the page and display information about any Facebook pixels found on the page.
If a Facebook pixel is present on the page, you'll see a notification with the pixel information, including its ID, status, and activity.

Using Ghostery

Another useful Chrome Extension is Ghostery. To use the Ghostery Chrome extension to view tracking technologies on a webpage, follow these steps:

Install the Ghostery Chrome extension from the Chrome Web Store.
Go to the webpage you want to check.
Click on the Ghostery icon in your Chrome browser.
The extension will scan the page and display information about the trackers detected on the page.
You'll see a count of the number of trackers on the page, as well as the names of the companies that are tracking you.

Note: Both the Facebook Pixel Helper and Ghostery are free and can be easily installed from the Chrome Web Store. These extensions can help you better understand what your clients employ, and make you more competitive!