What are Meta's standard events for the pixel?
Standard events are website actions with names Meta predefines and supports across its ad products, such as Purchase, AddToCart and Lead. Meta's pixel specification lists 17 of them, plus PageView, which comes with the base code. You use them to log conversions, optimize for conversions and build audiences.
Meta keeps a fixed vocabulary of website actions. Log a purchase as Purchase rather than a name you made up, and Meta’s ad products recognise it, so you can report on it, optimize toward it and build audiences from it.
Which standard events does Meta list?
| Event | What it logs | Code name |
|---|---|---|
| Add payment info | A customer adds payment details during checkout | AddPaymentInfo |
| Add to cart | An item goes into a shopping cart or basket | AddToCart |
| Add to wishlist | An item goes onto a wishlist | AddToWishlist |
| Complete registration | Someone submits details in exchange for a service, such as an email subscription | CompleteRegistration |
| Contact | A customer contacts you by phone, SMS, email, chat or other means | Contact |
| Customize product | Someone uses your configuration tool to customize a product | CustomizeProduct |
| Donate | Someone donates funds to your organization | Donate |
| Find location | Someone finds one of your locations online, intending to visit | FindLocation |
| Initiate checkout | A checkout process starts | InitiateCheckout |
| Lead | Someone submits details knowing you may contact them later | Lead |
| Purchase | A purchase is completed, such as reaching an order confirmation page | Purchase |
| Schedule | Someone books an appointment to visit one of your locations | Schedule |
| Search | A search runs on your website, app or other property | Search |
| Start trial | A free trial of your product or service starts | StartTrial |
| Submit application | Someone applies for a product, service or program, such as a credit card or job | SubmitApplication |
| Subscribe | A paid subscription starts | Subscribe |
| View content | Someone visits a page you care about, such as a product page | ViewContent |
You fire each one with fbq('track', 'EventName');. Meta notes that ViewContent tells you a URL was visited, not what the person did or saw on that page.
Where does PageView fit?
Meta lists PageView separately from the table: it is part of the pixel base code, and it records each time someone lands on a page that carries that code.
What does the Purchase event need?
Meta’s developer reference marks currency and value as required for Purchase. The help centre example is:
fbq('track', 'Purchase', {value: 0.00, currency: 'USD'});
For Advantage+ catalog ads, Meta also requires either contents or content_ids. Meta’s examples for StartTrial and Subscribe include value, currency and predicted_ltv.
When should you use a custom event instead?
Use a custom event for an action no standard event covers, with a unique name, set up through pixel or Conversions API code. When you send a new custom event, Meta asks you to review it in Events Manager to confirm it comes from your business and follows the Meta Business Tools Terms. Both standard and custom events can be used to optimize for conversions and build audiences.
How do you add standard events to your site?
- Choose a method: the event setup tool, a partner integration, pixel code or Conversions API code.
- Paste the event code, if using pixel code, inside your pixel code just above
</script>. - Repeat on every page where that action happens; the base code stays the same on all pages.
- Check the name’s spelling and case exactly against the table above.
- Verify each event with the Test events tool before you rely on it.
FAQ
What happens if I change the case of a standard event name?
Meta treats event names as case-sensitive. A standard event sent with different spelling or capitalisation is not recognised as the standard event; Events Manager records it as a new custom event instead. Copy the code names exactly, for example AddToCart, so the action is counted where you expect it.
Can I send standard events through the Conversions API?
Yes. Meta says you can set up standard events with the event setup tool, a partner integration, your pixel code or your Conversions API code. Meta recommends sending the same website events through both the pixel and the Conversions API, with matching event IDs so each action is counted once.
Do I need to add the PageView event myself?
No. Meta includes PageView in the pixel base code, so every page with the base code installed sends it automatically. You only add code for the other standard events, and only on the pages where those actions take place, such as Purchase on your order confirmation page.
Sources
- Specifications for Meta Pixel standard events (Meta, checked 2 Oct 2026)
- Meta Pixel reference: standard events (Meta for Developers) (Meta, checked 2 Oct 2026)
- About standard and custom website events (Meta, checked 2 Oct 2026)
- About deduplication for Meta Pixel and Conversions API events (Meta, checked 2 Oct 2026)
- Best practices for Meta Pixel standard event setup (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.