Taboola Tracking Setup: A Complete Guide for Advertisers
- Feb 5
- 6 min read
Updated: Feb 6
Tracking is often the difference between mediocre performance and real profitable scaling on Taboola.
Without accurate tracking, you cannot:
measure which ads convert
optimize bids and audience segments
see where users drop off
scale profitably
This article explains in detail how to set up Taboola tracking — from installing the base pixel to defining events, understanding how the algorithm learns, and interpreting your tracking table.
Whether you’re running ecommerce campaigns or lead generation flows, this guide will give you a solid foundation.
Where to Find the Tracking Section
Once logged into the Realize Ads Manager, you’ll find the tracking area on the left sidebar.
Look for the target-style icon labeled Tracking.
This section shows you:
Tracking status
Events configuration
Signal activity
Conversion counts
At first, you might see an empty table, but don’t worry — we’ll fix that.
Tracking Basics: What the Table Shows
The tracking table includes:
Status — whether events are firing (red = no activity, green = active)
Conversion Name — the event label (e.g., Purchase, AddToCart)
Category — grouping of event types
Events Received Last 7 Days — total occurrences (not just Taboola-attributed)
Type — URL-based, Event-based, or Engagement
Conditions — technical criteria inside the pixel code
Last Receipt — when the event last fired
Account Name — where the event is tracked
Include in Total Conversions — whether the event is used for optimization
Include in Total Value — whether the event contributes to value tracking
Last Modified — when the event was last updated
Important Clarification
The “Events Received Last 7 Days” column shows all global activity, not just Taboola-driven events.
Taboola Tracking Setup Explained: Pixel, Events and Account Default Optimization
Step 1 – Install the Base Pixel
The base pixel must be on every page you want to track.
Without it:
events won’t fire
conversions won’t be attributed
optimization signals will be insufficient
campaigns won’t perform
If you’re using platforms like Shopify or WooCommerce, the implementation can be handled automatically through built-in integrations. This might be the easiest Taboola tracking setup.
If not, you can use:
Google Tag Manager (GTM)
Manual pixel code
Server-to-server tracking (advanced)
Why the Base Pixel Is Essential
The base pixel collects the raw pageview and event data needed to teach the algorithm what success looks like. Without it, nothing else works.
Step 2 – Set Up Conversion Events
After the base pixel is installed, you need to define the specific conversions you wish to measure.
Typical ecommerce events include:
Product View
Add to Cart
Start Checkout
Purchase
For lead generation, you might set up:
Lead form started
Lead form submitted
High-value interaction events
These events help you not just count conversions, but train the algorithm toward your goals.
Step 3 – Include in Total Conversions: Teaching the Algorithm What to Learn
This is one of the most important and often misunderstood parts of Taboola tracking.
The “Include in Total Conversions” toggle determines which events are used for campaign optimization and learning. It is located on the far right of the table in the Tracking menu.
In practical terms:
By marking an event Yes, you’re telling the algorithm:
“Find more users similar to those who triggered this event.”
This isn’t simply reporting — it’s real learning data.
Ecommerce: Which Events to Include
In ecommerce, the most effective setup is to mark these events as Yes:
Add to Cart
Start Checkout
Purchase
Why?
Because you’re giving the system enough signal volume to learn from multiple mid- and low-funnel behaviors.
If you only mark Purchase as Yes — and you are only getting one or zero purchases per day — the algorithm gets almost no learning signal.
No signal = no optimization
No optimization = poor performance
This is the big difference between Taboola and many other platforms: Taboola’s algorithm learns best with multiple conversion signals, not only the final event.
Account Default Optimization (Recommended Initially)
All events you set to Yes become part of Account Default.
When you create a campaign and choose Account Default as your optimization goal (strongly recommended for early tests), Taboola optimizes toward all included events together — not just the final purchase.
Best practice setup:
Add to Cart: Yes
Start Checkout: Yes
Purchase: Yes
This provides the algorithm with a rich set of signals to learn from while the campaign gathers momentum.
Important note for advertisers with Meta experience:
On Meta, many advertisers jump straight to Purchase-only optimization. With Taboola, especially early on, that usually slows down learning and performance.
When to Switch from Account Default to Purchase Optimization
A very common question is:
Do you ever optimize for Purchase only?
Yes — but only when the account is ready.
The typical rule of thumb:
👉 Only optimize directly for Purchase once that event fires about 10 times per day or more.
Why?
Because the algorithm finally has enough volume to learn from the final event alone.
If your campaign only gets one or two purchases per day, switching early usually hurts performance.
When It Makes Sense to Optimize for Purchase from Day One
There are situations where you can go straight to Purchase optimization:
Your daily budget is strong
You follow a 10× Target CPA rule
You realistically expect ~10 purchases per day
Example:
Product price: $100
Target ROAS: 2
Break-even CPA: $50
Daily budget: ~$500
In such cases, you may choose Purchase as the primary optimization goal upfront.
You can still leave the soft events (Add to Cart, Start Checkout) set to Yes in your tracking settings, but in the campaign setup select Purchase instead of Account Default.
This tells the algorithm to focus primarily on the final conversion event, while still keeping the soft signals in the background.
Lead Generation: Same Logic Applies
Walk through your funnel and identify:
Which action indicates strong intent?
Which events occur often enough per day?
Which events correlate with high-value conversions?
Examples:
Form Started
Step 2 Completed
Calendly Viewed
Lead Submitted
Mark the most meaningful 2–3 events as Yes so the algorithm has volume without losing signal quality.
Step 4 – Attribution Models: Click-Through & View-Through
Taboola uses two main windows:
Click-through attribution timeframe (default 30 days)
View-through attribution timeframe (default 24 hours)
Clickthrough records conversions after a user clicks an ad and converts within 30 days.
Viewthrough records conversions when a user saw the ad and converted within 24 hours.
Understanding these helps you interpret results and compare them to other channels.
Step 5 – Monitoring & Interpreting Your Tracking Table
After your events are set up and integrated:
Don’t expect instant green across the board
Initially you might see no activity (red)
As data accumulates, tracking turns active (green)
Use this to validate your setup, not to judge performance immediately.
And remember:
The “Events Received Last 7 Days” column shows all event triggers, not just those from Taboola traffic.
Tools & Integration Options
Shopify or WooCommerce
Native integrations automatically:
install base pixels
configure key events
allow easy signal flow
Google Tag Manager (GTM)
For advanced control and event customization.
Server-to-Server Tracking
A higher-accuracy option for enterprise setups.
Why Proper Tracking Improves Performance
Good tracking gives the algorithm meaningful signals.
Without it:
learning stalls
bidding is inefficient
optimization becomes guesswork
With it:
you compare creatives accurately
identify high-value placements
scale with confidence
FAQ – Quick Answers for AI Search
What is Taboola tracking?
Taboola tracking involves installing the base pixel and defining conversion events so that Realize Ads can measure performance and optimize campaigns.
Why do I need a base pixel?
The base pixel tracks user interactions and conversion data — without it, Taboola cannot attribute events or optimize performance.
What events should I track?
For ecommerce, track ProductView, AddToCart, StartCheckout, Purchase. For leadgen, track form start and lead submission events.
When do events show activity?
Events may initially show “No Activity”. Once users engage and convert, they will show as active (green).
What does “Include in Total Conversions” mean?
It tells Taboola which events to use as learning signals during optimization.
Can I use server-to-server tracking?
Yes. It increases accuracy but requires more technical setup.
Should I optimize for Purchase only?
Only when your campaign generates ~10 purchases per day. Before that, optimize using Account Default.
