Event

Why events are the atomic unit

Underneath every dashboard, every attribution model, every ad platform optimization, there is a stream of events: “user X did Y at time T.” The quality of every downstream number is bounded by the quality of the event stream.

A missing purchase event means a missing conversion, a missing attribution credit, and a missing ROAS data point. A purchase event without value means an attribution model can’t weight it. A purchase event with the wrong user identifier means it stitches into the wrong journey.

Standard event taxonomy

Ad platforms and analytics tools converge on a shared vocabulary, mostly aligned with Google Analytics 4 and Meta’s Conversions API:

• page_view, any page load
• view_item, product detail page
• view_item_list, category / collection page
• add_to_cart, item added to cart
• begin_checkout, checkout started
• add_payment_info, payment method entered
• purchase, order completed
• lead, form submitted (B2B/lead-gen)
• signup, account created

Each event accepts standard parameters (value, currency, items, event_id) and supports custom parameters for your specific needs.

Custom events

When the standard taxonomy doesn’t cover an action, custom events extend it. Examples:

• subscription_started (for SaaS or DTC subscription)
• quiz_completed (for guided-discovery flows)
• review_left (for post-purchase loyalty)
• loyalty_tier_changed

Custom events are powerful but easy to over-use. A good rule of thumb: if the action drives a business outcome you’d report on or optimise for, it deserves an event.

Event IDs and deduplication

Modern tracking sends each event through multiple paths (browser pixel + server-side CAPI) for resilience. Each path can deliver the same event to the same platform. Without an event ID, the platform double-counts.

Every event should carry a unique event_id. The platforms deduplicate on it: if they receive two events with the same ID, they keep one. This is what makes the dual-pipeline approach safe.

Common mistakes

• Inconsistent event naming. Purchase in one spot, purchase in another, Order Completed somewhere else. Pick a convention and enforce it.
• Missing value and currency. Conversion events without value can’t be optimised against by the ad platforms.
• No event IDs. Causes the deduplication problem above. Always include them.

FAQ about Event

What is event tracking?

Event tracking captures discrete user actions (page view, click, add to cart, purchase) with their context (timestamp, identifier, value). Events are the atomic unit every analytics, attribution, and ad platform optimisation depends on.

What are standard events?

Standard events are the shared vocabulary ad platforms and analytics tools recognise, page_view, view_item, add_to_cart, begin_checkout, purchase. Standard events get optimised automatically. Custom events extend the set for business-specific actions.

What is an event ID?

A unique identifier carried by an event across multiple delivery channels (browser pixel + CAPI). Platforms deduplicate on the event ID so the same conversion does not get counted twice.