---
title: "How to set up subscriber sign-up tracking for IG and FB for a legacy website"
updated: 2026-01-06
---

# How to set up subscriber sign-up tracking for IG and FB for a legacy website

> **Disclaimer**
>
> These instructions apply to the legacy Website Builder, which is only available to publications created before July 15, 2025. The legacy Website Builder is no longer being updated. Please migrate your site to the [new Website Builder](https://beehiivhelp.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/34881541755287) for the best use of beehiiv.

## Using Meta Ads, Meta Pixels, and Google Tag Manager with beehiiv

Running a campaign through Meta Ads is an excellent way to advertise your beehiiv newsletter on Facebook and Instagram and introduce your content to new subscribers. Tracking the subscribers you’ve gained via this method gives you crucial insight to optimize your campaigns and determine the return on investment (ROI) of your marketing budget. 

A Meta Pixel is a snippet of code that collects data on how users interact with your site. To track new sign-ups from your Meta ads, you can utilize event tracking in Google Tag Manager and integrate your Meta Pixel ID into your beehiiv account.

This article provides both video and written instructions for enabling event tracking to send data to Meta and set up a sign-up trigger when users subscribe to your publication as well as custom variables to track subscribers. 

It also covers obtaining a Meta tracking pixel and setting it up within both Google Tag Manager and your beehiiv publication. You can watch the quick video tutorial and/or follow the step-by-step instructions below.

> **Tech Note**
>
> Meta Pixel and Facebook Pixel are used interchangeably. In Meta Business and on beehiiv, the pixel will be referred to as a Meta Pixel. In Google Tag Manager and in Facebook Ad Manager, the pixel is referred to as a Facebook Pixel. Even when referred to as the Facebook Pixel, the pixel will still track all the ads you run on Meta, including on Instagram, that are connected to the pixel and lead to a subscription event.

---

## Watch and learn: Meta Ads Tracking (Instagram + Facebook)

[Embedded video](//www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/6Vq6QLWxgig)

> **Disclaimer**
>
> The beehiiv platform has evolved since this video was recorded, so parts of the interface may look slightly different from what you see in your account.  
>   
> This video features the legacy Website Builder. In particular, when you go to access your beehiiv account, you'd go to **Website > Builder (Legacy) >** [**Settings tab**](https://app.beehiiv.com/website_builder/settings/pixels) **\>** [**Pixels**](https://app.beehiiv.com/website_builder/settings/pixels) as outlined in the steps below with updated screenshots.  
>   
> If you're using the New Website Builder (available to all accounts), check out our articles in the [**New Website Builder category**](https://www.beehiiv.com/support/category/21554103469847-account-settings#29729771566743-new-website-builder) for updated instructions.

---

**Step 1: Set up GTM and add it to your beehiiv account**

## How to set up Google Tag Manager for event tracking 

Google Tag Manager allows you to tag events and subscribers to give helpful data points that you can translate into analytics. For instructions on adding 

1.  Go to [tagmanager.google.com](http://tagmanager.google.com) and sign in. Make sure you are using a Google account.  
     
2.  Click **Create Account**.  
     
3.  Fill out all on-screen details:

-   Under **Account Name** add the name of your beehiiv publication.
-   Under **Country** select the country you are based in.
-   In **Container Setup**, under **Container name**, add your beehiiv publication URL.
-   Under **Target Platform** select **Web**.  
     

4.  Click **Create**. The Google Tag Manager Terms of Service Agreement will appear. **Check the box** to agree to the terms, then click **Yes** in the right corner.  
     
5.  You’ll be redirected to your **Google Tag Manager workspace**. You’ll see a **code that starts with ‘GTM’** in the top right corner of your screen next to Workspace Changes. **Copy this code**.  
     
6.  Log in to beehiiv. From the left panel Dashboard, go to **Website >** [**Builder (Legacy)**](https://app.beehiiv.com/website_builder).  
     
7.  The **Website Builder** will open on the **Styles** tab in the left hand panel. Click on **Settings >** [**Pixels**](https://app.beehiiv.com/website_builder/settings/pixels)**.**  
      
    **![](https://beehiivhelp.zendesk.com/hc/article_attachments/26763109872663)**
8.  Paste the code you copied from Google Tag Manager into the box under **Google Tag Manager Pixel ID**.  
      
    ![](https://beehiivhelp.zendesk.com/hc/article_attachments/26763109877783)

**Step 2: Create a custom signup trigger**

## How to set up a custom sign-up trigger 

Setting up a custom sign up trigger in Google Tag Manager creates an event that indicates when someone has signed up for your newsletter. _To follow these instructions, you must already have Google Tag Manager set up._ 

1.  Go to [**tagmanager.google.com**](http://tagmanager.google.com) and sign in to your **Tag Manager workspace**.  
     
2.  From the left hand panel in your **Google Tag Manager workspace**, click **Triggers** **\> New**.  
     
3.  In the input box next to the folder icon, enter your **trigger name** (we recommend using ‘Subscriber Sign-Up’), then click **Trigger Configuration**, and scroll down to **Other**. Under Other, click **Custom Event**.  
     
4.  Name your Custom Event **signedUp** entered _exactly_ as shown, as the input is case sensitive.

**Step 3: Add a custom subscriber variable**

## How to set up a custom subscriber variable 

A custom variable in Google Tag Manager helps platforms like Meta increase conversion data accuracy by matching a subscriber’s email address to their account. _To follow these instructions, you must already have Google Tag Manager set up._ 

1.  From the left hand panel in your **Google Tag Manager workspace**, click **Variables** then, next to User Defined Variables, click **New**.  
     
2.  In the input box next to the folder icon, rename the **variable** DLV-EMAIL then select **Data Layer Variable** as your variable type.  
     
3.  Under **Data Layer Variable Name** type **eventProps.email** entered _exactly_ as shown, as the input is case sensitive. Click **Save**.

**Step 4: Create a Meta Pixel**

## How to set up a Meta Pixel

> **Note**
>
> You need to have a Meta Business Account to follow these instructions.

1.  Go to [**business.facebook.com**](http://business.facebook.com) and log into the Facebook or Instagram account associated with your Meta Business Account.  
     
2.  In the left hand sidebar, click **Events Manager**.  
      
    If you do not see it, you are likely in the Meta Business Suite, in which case you should click **All Tools** then scroll down to **Advertise**. Under **Advertise** click **Events Manager**.  
     
3.  In the left hand sidebar, click **\+ Connect Data Sources**. Select **Web** then click **Connect**.  
     
4.  You will be prompted to name a dataset. Enter your beehiiv publication name. Click **Create**.  
     
5.  On the next page, enter your beehiiv URL. Click **Next**.  
     
6.  You will be asked to choose a setup method. Select **Do it yourself**. Click **Next**.  
     
7.  Under **Choose how to connect your website**, select **Meta Pixel Only**. Click **Next**.  
     
8.  Under **Connect website activity using Pixel** click **Install code manually**.  
     
9.  From here, disregard the remaining options, and click **Continue** on each page until you have completed the setup.  
     
10.  You will be taken to your pixel overview, and see a list of all pixels you have connected. From here, you can copy the **pixel ID number** under the name of your publication to add to your beehiiv publication or Google Tag Manager.

**Step 5: Add your Meta Pixel to beehiiv**

## How to add your Meta Pixel to beehiiv

> **Note**
>
> In order to follow these instructions, you must first set up a Meta Pixel.

1.  From the left panel Dashboard, go to **Website >** [**Builder (Legacy)**](https://app.beehiiv.com/website_builder).  
     
2.  The **Website Builder** will open on the **Styles** tab in the left hand panel. Click on **Settings tab >** [**Pixels**](https://app.beehiiv.com/website_builder/settings/pixels)**.**  
      
    **![](https://beehiivhelp.zendesk.com/hc/article_attachments/26763109872663)**
3.  Paste your Meta Pixel under Meta Pixel ID. The instructions to get your Meta Pixel ID are included in the setup instructions above. Click **Save**  
      
    ![](https://beehiivhelp.zendesk.com/hc/article_attachments/26763109881239)
    
    > **Tech Note**
    >
    > If you have the [Cookie Consent banner enabled in your account](https://beehiivhelp.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/14809395228183), the pixel will not load unless users click **Accept** on the cookie banner. If users reject or close the banner, the pixel won't load, and tracking will not work.

**Step 6: Add your Meta Pixel to GTM**

## How to add your Meta Pixel to Google Tag Manager

To connect your Meta Pixel to Google Tag Manager, you will create a custom variable for your Meta Pixel data. _In order to follow these instructions, you must first set up a Facebook or Meta Pixel as well as Google Tag Manager._

1.  From the left hand panel in your **Google Tag Manager workspace**, click **Variables** then, next to User Defined Variables, click **New**.  
     
2.  In the input box next to the folder icon, rename the **variable** ID-META then select **Constant** as your variable type.  
     
3.  Under **Value**, paste your Meta Pixel ID. Click **Save**.

**Step 7: Create a tag in GTM**

## How to create a tag in Google Tag Manager

This will bring together all of the previous steps to create a tag in Google Tag Manager and deploy the code that communicates the sign up with Google Tag Manager. 

1.  From the left hand panel in your **Google Tag Manager workspace**, click **Tags** **\>** **New**.  
     
2.  Click **Tag Configuration > Discover more tag types in the Community Template Gallery**.  
     
3.  Search for **Facebook** then click **Facebook Pixel**.  
     
4.  Click **Add to workspace**.  
     
5.  You’ll be asked to confirm that you want to add a community template and will be shown the permissions that a Facebook Pixel requires. Click **Add**.  
     
6.  Next to the folder icon, rename the tag Meta Event-Subscribe.  
     
7.  Under **Facebook Pixel ID**, you can add the Meta Pixel ID you have already created by typing **{{** to start a set of curly brackets. A dropdown will appear where you can select the **{{ID-META}}** that you created in the last set of instructions.  
     
8.  Under **Event Name**, change the dropdown from **Page View** to **Subscribe**.  
     
9.  Check the **Enable Event Matching** box.  
     
10.  Under **Customer Information Data Parameters**, click **Add parameter**. Under **Parameter name** select **Email** and under **Parameter value** type **{{dlv-email}}** into the field.   
       
      
11.  Click **Triggering** and select the **Subscriber Sign-up** custom event you created following the instructions above. Click **Save**.  
      
12.  Click **Submit** in the top right corner of your workspace.

**Step 8: Connect a Meta Ad to your Meta Pixel**

## How to connect a Meta Ad to your Meta Pixel

1.  Go to [**adsmanager.facebook.com**](http://adsmanager.facebook.com) and create a new ad.  
     
2.  Select **Leads** as your campaign goal and click **Manual Leads Campaign**.  
     
3.  Under **Conversion Location** select **Website** and under **Performance Goals** select **Maximize number of conversions**.  
     
4.  Under **pixel**, select the pixel you created.  
     
5.  From the **Conversion Events** Dropdown Menu, select **Subscribe**.
    
    > **Note**
    >
    > If you are doing this immediately after the rest of your set up, you may get a warning that no data has been received. This is normal and to be expected as it can take up to 24 hours for data to begin populating in Meta’s platform.
    
6.  Continue setting up your ad as normal.