By “non-purchase,” I’m talking about leads, registrations, custom events for website engagement, and any other type of light-touch action. These are conversionsA conversion is counted whenever a website visitor performs an action that fires a standard event, custom event, or custom conversion. Examples of conversions include purchases, leads, content views, add to cart, and registrations. More that happen quickly, freely, and in many cases, multiple times over the course of a day or several days.

First, make sure to compare attribution. By default, reporting includes 7-day click 1-day view attributionView Attribution is one of the ways Meta gives credit to an ad for a conversion. The default Attribution Setting is 7-day click and 1-day view, meaning that conversions will be attributed for anyone who converted within 7 days of clicking or 1 day of viewing (without clicking) your ad. More, and that’s simply not relevant to this type of conversion. Separate it out to focus on 1-day click attributionClick Attribution is one way Meta gives credit to an ad for a conversion. Credit will be given to an ad when someone clicks your ad within a specified number of days of clicking. Click Attribution options include 1-day click, 7-day click, and 28-day click, the last being only available for reporting. More.

Almost all non-purchase conversions will happen within a day of clicking. While view-through makes sense for purchases, it’s extremely rare and unlikely for this type of conversion. If your ad didn’t inspire the click, it’s unlikely that it contributed to your conversion.

Similar lines for 7-day click. A purchase is a commitment and may not be completed immediately after the click. The typical non-purchase conversion will be completed in one visit.

Next, when you create the ad setAn ad set is a Facebook ads grouping where settings like targeting, scheduling, optimization, and placement are determined. More, click “Show More Options” in the pixel section. Edit the attribution settingAttribution is how Meta gives credit to an ad for a conversion. Your Attribution Setting determines how your ad will be delivered and the reporting attribution window. The default Attribution Setting is 7-day click and 1-day view, which means that anyone who converts within 7 days of clicking or 1 day of viewing your ad will be counted as a conversion. More to be 1-day click only. Remove view-through.

When you do this, your default reporting will be 1-day click. More importantly, Meta will optimize to show your ads to people who will convert within one day of clicking, so you’re less likely to get numbers padded outside of that window.

You will still be able to see conversions that happen in those windows by comparing attribution, so those conversions won’t be completely lost. They are likely to be less common when your attribution setting is 1-day click only in the ad set.

Again, this is only for light-touch conversions. Continue to use the default 7-day click 1-day view for purchases. It’s reasonable to accept and embrace conversions beyond the direct click-to-purchase behavior in that case.