What is Tracking Pixel

How It Works

A tracking pixel is a discreet piece of code or a 1×1 pixel image that is added to a web page’s HTML or an email’s content. When a user visits the web page or opens the email, their browser or email client loads the pixel in the background. This action triggers the pixel to send a request to a remote server, typically controlled by the advertiser or website owner. The server records data about the user’s activity, such as page views, clicks, conversions, and more.

The benefits of pixel tracking

Tracking pixels are the most prevalent tracking method. They are used by ad trackers and analytics software. Once implemented on a page, they can measure all kinds of metrics and user activities:

• Events such as ad impressions, clicks, scrolls, conversions, app installs
• Heatmaps
• Shopping cart event such as ‘add to cart’, ‘remove from cart’

Pixels can be used by various parties and stakeholders to provide various benefits to its owners. Note that not all tracking pixels are equal: some platforms like Voluum provide tracking pixels that offer more than what you can get by sticking to Facebook or google pixels.

Regardless, advertisers may benefit from using tracking pixels in a following way:

Performance Measurement: Advertisers use tracking pixels to measure the effectiveness of their online advertising campaigns. They track metrics like clicks, impressions, and conversions to assess campaign performance.

Audience Insights: Website owners can gather valuable insights about their audience by tracking user behavior. This data helps in understanding user preferences and tailoring content accordingly.

Remarketing: Pixels enable advertisers to retarget users who have previously visited their website or interacted with their ads. This increases the chances of converting potential customers.

Email Tracking: In email marketing, tracking pixels help marketers monitor email open rates and click-through rates, allowing for better email campaign optimization.

Common Problems with Using a Tracking Pixel

While tracking pixels offer valuable insights and benefits, they also present some challenges and concerns:

Privacy Concerns: Tracking pixels can raise privacy issues as they collect user data without explicit consent. This has led to concerns regarding user privacy and data protection regulations, such as GDPR and CCPA.

Ad Blockers: Many users employ ad blockers that can block tracking pixels, limiting the accuracy of data collection and potentially skewing analytics.

Data Accuracy: Tracking pixel data may not always be 100% accurate. Factors like user device settings, network issues, and user behavior can affect the reliability of collected data.

Slow Page Load Times: Excessive use of tracking pixels can slow down a website’s loading speed, negatively impacting user experience and SEO rankings.

Cross-Device Tracking: Tracking a user’s journey across multiple devices can be challenging, leading to fragmented data and incomplete user profiles.

Data Security: Storing and handling the data collected through tracking pixels requires robust security measures to protect sensitive user information from data breaches.

Final thoughts

Tracking pixels are so widely used across digital space that there is a specialized software – called tag managers – sole purpose of which is to manage all tracking pixels. A typical web page may have a dozen pixels that need to be checked, configured and updated.