How do Meta Pixel traffic permissions work?
Traffic permissions in Events Manager let you decide which website domains can send events through your Meta Pixel. You create either an allow list, which receives events only from listed domains, or a block list, which excludes only listed domains. You can use one type, not both, and Meta suggests an allow list.
Your pixel ID is public information, so other people can put it on their own websites. Traffic permissions are the setting in Events Manager that lets you control which domains your pixel events are counted from. You choose an allow list or a block list for each pixel, and that choice decides what happens when a new domain starts sending events.
Why do events come from unfamiliar domains?
Meta lists these reasons you might see pixel events from domains you don’t recognize:
- Someone else put your pixel ID on their website. The pixel is base code plus your pixel ID, and Meta notes that the ID is public, so others can find it and add it to their own site.
- You set up your pixel through a partner integration, third-party advertising technology or an iframe. This may cause redirects, and the redirect can appear as the referring URL from an unfamiliar domain. In that case Meta recommends allowing events from both domains.
Before you block an unfamiliar domain, check whether a partner tool or redirect of your own is behind it.
What is the difference between an allow list and a block list?
You can use an allow list or a block list, but not both. Meta suggests an allow list because it gives more control over your pixel traffic.
| Point | Allow list | Block list |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | You add the domains you want events from; events from all other domains are blocked automatically | You add the domains you don’t want events from; events from all other domains are allowed automatically |
| Meta’s example of when to use it | There are only a few domains you want to receive pixel events from | You intend to receive events from many different domains and add unrecognized ones as they appear |
| When the pixel runs on a new domain | You must add the new domain before you see its events in Events Manager | You don’t need to change anything to start receiving its events |
Who can create or edit the lists?
You need a Meta Pixel installed on your website, and at least one of these permissions:
- Full control of the ad account that created the pixel, or permission to manage campaigns
- Full control of the business portfolio that created the pixel
- Full control of the pixel
How do you create an allow list or block list?
- Go to Events Manager.
- Click Data sources in the left menu and select your pixel.
- Click Settings.
- Select Create allow list or Create block list from the dropdown below Traffic permissions.
- Enter the domain you want to add and click Next. You can also add domains from the top domain traffic table.
- Click Confirm, repeat the list and domain steps for any other domains you want to add, then click Close.
Afterwards you can view and edit the domains in the traffic permissions section of your pixel settings. The History table in Events Manager shows when a domain was added to or removed from the list.
Add the top-level domain if you want its subdomains too. Meta’s example is that adding domain.com also adds m.domain.com; to avoid that, add each subdomain separately.
What happens to events from a blocked domain?
Meta says that creating an allow list immediately stops all events from other domains being included in your ads performance. You can add or remove domains at any time, but you can’t recover events that were lost while a domain was blocked. Before you save an allow list, make sure your own domain and any partner or ad-tech domain that redirects your visitors are on it.
You can switch to the other list type at any time. If you switch from a block list to an allow list, the domains on your block list are removed and only the allow list is in effect.
How will you find out about new domains?
If Meta detects new domains sending events through a pixel, it emails people with full control of the business portfolio or ad account that owns the pixel. If several people have full control, only one is notified by email. A notification also appears in diagnostics in Events Manager, which is explained in what the Diagnostics tab reports. For the rest of the tool, see what Events Manager is.
FAQ
Can I use an allow list and a block list at the same time?
No. Meta says you can use an allow list or a block list, but not both. After you create one you can switch to the other type at any time. Switching from a block list to an allow list removes the block list’s domains, and only the allow list stays in effect.
Are traffic permissions the same as publisher block lists?
No. Meta says domain allow lists and block lists decide which website domains you receive pixel events from in Events Manager. Publisher allow lists and block lists are different: they help you control where your ads appear.
Can I get blocked events back?
No. Meta says you can add or remove domains from a list at any time, but you can’t recover events that were lost while a domain was blocked, and blocked events aren’t included in your ads performance.
Sources
- About Meta Pixel traffic permissions (Meta, checked 2 Oct 2026)
- Manage Meta Pixel traffic permissions in Events Manager (Meta, checked 2 Oct 2026)
- Best practices for Meta Pixel traffic permissions (Meta, checked 2 Oct 2026)
Drafted with AI and checked claim by claim against the pages linked under Sources. Found a mistake? Tell us via the corrections policy.