Meta Retargeting with Marketing Automation

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This article explains how to use Mapp Intelligence Marketing Automation to trigger Meta (Facebook) Pixel events based on user behavior.

The setup is explained using a concrete example to illustrate the underlying principle.

Configuration steps in Meta are illustrative only and may change over time.

Note

Audience creation via Marketing Automation Audience Streams (URL-based) is covered in a separate How-To.


Function description

Meta retargeting audiences are typically built based on Pixel events sent from a website.

With Mapp Intelligence Marketing Automation, these events can be triggered dynamically and rule-based, instead of embedding the Meta Pixel permanently on all pages. In many setups, the Meta Pixel is already integrated globally on the website.
Marketing Automation is then used to inject additional custom events, not to replace the existing Pixel implementation.

This allows you to control:

  • when Pixel events are fired

  • for which users they are fired

  • under which conditions third-party scripts are executed


Example scenario

Goal

Create a Meta retargeting audience of users who have submitted a demo account request.

Technical approach

  • A Meta Pixel with a custom event is prepared

  • The Pixel is delivered via Custom HTML

  • A Marketing Automation campaign controls when the event is triggered

  • Meta uses the event to build a Custom Audience

  • A general website audience already exists based on the globally integrated Meta Pixel

  • The custom event is used to identify a more specific, high-intent audience (demo request)


Step 1: Prepare the Meta custom event

In this step, you define which additional custom event Meta should recognize as a retargeting signal.

Create a Meta Pixel and copy the Pixel base code.

Define a custom event that represents a successful demo request, for example:

fbq('trackCustom', 'Demo_Request_Submitted');

This event will later be used in Meta to identify users who completed the demo request.


Step 2: Create the Custom HTML element

In this step, you define how the Pixel and event are delivered to the website.

The Custom HTML element contains the custom Meta event and is executed only when the campaign conditions apply. It does not replace an existing Meta Pixel implementation.

  1. Navigate to Marketing > Custom HTML

  2. Create a new Custom HTML element

  3. Use a descriptive name, for example: Meta Pixel – CTA Click

  4. Insert:

    • the Meta Pixel base code

    • the custom event defined in Step 1

The Custom HTML element defines what data is sent to Meta when the campaign is triggered.


Step 3: Create the Marketing Automation campaign

In this step, you define when the Meta Pixel event should be triggered.

  1. Navigate to Marketing > Campaigns

  2. Create a new campaign

Target group

Define the condition that represents a successful demo request. Typical options include:

  • users who reach a specific confirmation page

  • users who trigger a defined interaction

  • users matching Intelligence-based criteria

Example: Users who submit the demo request form and reach the confirmation step.


Content

Select the Custom HTML element created in Step 2.


Placement

Choose an on-site placement that is available after the demo request is completed. The placement acts as a technical anchor for executing the Custom HTML and does not need to display visible content. In practice, this can be:

  • an existing container on the confirmation page, or

  • a dedicated (empty) DIV used only for event execution.

Activate the campaign.

From this point on, the custom Meta Pixel event is triggered only for users who submit a demo request.


Step 4: Use the event in Meta (example)

Once the event is received by Meta, it can be used to:

  • create a Custom Audience based on the demo request event

  • run retargeting campaigns for users with high intent

The exact setup depends on your Meta account configuration and is not part of this documentation.

Typically, the custom event is combined with an existing website audience, for example to target users who visited the website and also submitted a demo request.


Verification and analysis

  • Verify incoming events in Meta’s Events Manager

  • Use Marketing Automation campaign metrics to confirm execution

  • Analyze audience size and ad performance in Meta