Who owns a Meta Pixel?
Pixel ownership follows the business portfolio that manages it, not the person who set it up.
Is this your situation?
You want to know who controls the pixel tracking your website, and whether that can change without your say. This matters most when a freelancer or agency set the pixel up on your behalf.
What it is
A Meta Pixel can be set up with a business portfolio. A business portfolio allows organizations to bring together Facebook Pages, Instagram accounts and other business assets so they can manage them in one place. Access to the pixel runs through two levels, called Manage events dataset and Use events dataset. A business portfolio ID may be needed to share a Meta Pixel with another organization. Full control of a business portfolio is the highest level of access people can have.
How Facebook handles this
- Full control of the business portfolio lets people manage everything in it, including business assets like the pixel.
- Full control is the highest access level people can have in Meta Business Suite.
- Partial access to the pixel, called Use events dataset, differs from full control, called Manage events dataset.
- You can change someone's permissions to a business portfolio or asset at any time.
- A business portfolio ID may be needed to share a pixel with another organization.
Side by side
| Access level | What it allows | Who typically holds it |
|---|---|---|
| Full control (Manage events dataset) | Manage the events dataset for the pixel. | People with full control can manage everything in the business portfolio. |
| Partial access (Use events dataset) | Use the events dataset for the pixel. | People assigned access through the 2-layer permissions system. |
| Business portfolio | Allows organizations to bring together business assets in one place. | A Meta Pixel can be set up with a business portfolio. |
| Changed permissions | A person's permissions for a business portfolio or business asset can be changed at any time. | People with full control can manage everything in the business portfolio. |
Common mistakes
- Assuming the pixel belongs to whoever installed the code A Meta Pixel can be set up with a business portfolio.Why it happens: You set up the pixel yourself and assume that makes you its owner.Already happened: Check who currently has access to your pixel. Get Full Control of a Facebook Business Portfolio
- Not knowing the portfolio ID when sharing A business portfolio ID may be needed to share a Meta Pixel.Why it happens: The ID is not something most people look up in advance.
- Assuming partial access lets someone manage the pixel Use events dataset differs from Manage events dataset, the full control level.Why it happens: The two levels sound similar but allow different actions.
If this changes who is in control
You want to know who can manage the pixel before you hand off any related work. Review who holds full control of your business portfolio before handing off any pixel-related work.
Quick reference
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What holds the pixel? | A Meta Pixel can be set up with a business portfolio. |
| Who manages it fully? | People with full control of that business portfolio. |
| What is the lesser access level called? | Partial access, called Use events dataset. |
| What is full access called for a dataset? | Manage events dataset. |
| Can permissions change later? | Yes, at any time. |
| What is needed to share the pixel? | A business portfolio ID may be needed. |
| Who can manage pixel access? | People with full control can manage everything in the business portfolio. |
Frequently asked questions
Does the person who installed the pixel own it?
A Meta Pixel can be set up with a business portfolio.
What does full control let someone do with a pixel?
Full control, called Manage events dataset, lets a person manage the pixel's events dataset.
Can I change who has access to the pixel?
Yes, you can change someone's permissions for a business portfolio or asset at any time.
What do I need to share a pixel with another business?
The other organization's business portfolio ID may be needed to share a Meta Pixel.
Keeping track of who has access
Confusion about who holds a pixel builds when access was set up by someone else long ago. Delvia gives you a clear view of which business portfolio holds each pixel and who controls it.
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