Facebook has made changes due to Apple iOS 14.5 and now requires that domains be verified to run Ads with optimization for “Offsite” Conversions.
An "Offsite Conversion," in this context, applies to the concept that the Ad Sets are being optimized based on any events coming through the Pixel on the website (e.g. View Content, Lead, Add To Wishlist, Search, etc).
If at any time your clients are unable to verify their domain, we have developed a new process (our fallback logic) that we will deploy if your domain is not verified, and if any of the Ads in the play are optimized for Offsite Conversions.
Want more information on verifying your domain? Here are 2 resources to help:How to Help Clients Verify Their Website Domain in Facebook Business Manager
Sharing Your Agency's Pixel & Prioritizing Pixel Events [Post Domain Verification Steps]
Our New Fallback Logic
If you are attempting to build out a Playbook in BuyerBridge including an Ad or Ads that are optimized for Offsite Conversions, and the domain is not verified…
Facebook will respond with an error stating that the domain is not verified and will not allow us to proceed with the play deployment.
How The Fallback Logic Works
The fallback logic is pretty simple:
If your domain is unverified, and the play being deployed contains Ads that are optimized for Offsite Conversions, Facebook will respond with an error:
“We are unable to deploy the play due to an unverified domain.”
For those accounts that receive this error, our fallback logic is to re-deploy the play with optimization for Link Clicks.
If the domain is verified and Facebook does not respond with an error message, then there is no change to the existing process!
If we identify during deployment that the play being deployed has any Ad Sets currently optimized for Offsite Conversions, BuyerBridge will display the following message:
“{Play} contains an Ad Set that is optimized for Offsite Conversions which requires a verified domain within Facebook. If your domain is not verified within Facebook the play will be deployed using Link Click optimization instead of Offsite Conversion. If you wish to verify your domain prior to deploying {play} please Save and Exit this deployment and re-try once your domain has been verified within Facebook."
...and we will automatically employ our fallback logic to:
- Delete any Ad Sets included under the campaigns that are not optimized for Link Clicks, as long as they are our Ads.
- Rebuild all the Ad Sets for Link Click optimization.
Facebook currently isn't giving us a programmatic way to detect if the events were prioritized against the pixel on file, which is the reasoning behind our newest messaging and process.
If your domain is unverified and you do not want to optimize for Link Clicks, you have the ability to stop prior to play deployment and verify the domain before continuing.
Simply follow the steps provided in our message above: Save and Exit the deployment, and then retry once your domain has been verified within your agency’s Business Manager.
After the deployment is complete, users will be informed whether or not we were forced to re-optimize their play deployment for Link Clicks.
Once the play is deployed, if the fallback logic was activated, we will display the following message on the "manage" screen:
“{Play} was deployed with an optimization for Link Clicks instead of Offsite Conversions due to your domain not being verified within Facebook.”
Temporary Issue With On-Facebook Ad Destination Ad Sets (OFBAIA)
Currently, Facebook is requiring that we follow this same logic for On-Facebook Destination Ad Sets as well.
We’ve tested a variety of alternatives in an effort to avoid implementing this process for On-Facebook Destinations, but none have proved to be a viable solution - yet!
Our team has opened a case with Facebook to dispute the logic and is hoping to have an improved fall-back sequence for AIA ON-FB that doesn't require us to fall back to Link Clicks.
Falling back on Link Clicks will have an adverse effect on Retargeting campaigns, so to avoid this - make sure your domains are verified!
For help on verifying domains, read: How to Help Clients Verify Their Website Domain in Facebook Business Manager