Taboola Pixel Helper

The Taboola Pixel Helper is a Chrome extension that allows you to troubleshoot common problems and scenarios when using the Taboola Pixel.

The Pixel Helper helps provide visibility into which of your pixels were implemented on a specific page, an indication of whether each pixel’s implementation was successful or not, and which data was or was not sent to Taboola.

The Pixel Helper scans for all types of pixels - conversion, retargeting or new pixels - and provides real-time feedback to help you validate your pixel implementation. You can also test and troubleshoot your pixel implementation (see the Troubleshooting section below for additional information).

Installing the Taboola Pixel Helper

1.    Open your Chrome browser, and install the Taboola Helper Pixel using this link: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/taboola-pixel-helper/aefiepimkogajhddmhcekceihikjcabd/related.
2.    Open your site in which you have implemented your pixel(s).    
3.    Once the extension is installed, a small number will appear on the extension's icon at the top right of your browser, indicating the number of pixels found.
   
4.    Click the icon to see a report of what pixels were identified on your page. A detailed view of the pixels found – as well as any implementation errors - will display.

The following data will be displayed for each pixel found:

1. An account identifier - either an account name or account ID.
2. The Page that fired the Pixel - the URL on which page the event was fired.
3. Called Pixel URL - the address that the event is sent to (equivalent to the target).
4. The pixel type - i.e., retargeting or conversion pixel.
5. The event name - relevant for events.
6. Parameters Sent - relevant if the pixel has any parameters.
7. Time of Request - the time that it took to send the pixel request and get a response.

Troubleshooting the Taboola Pixel Helper

The Taboola Pixel Helper reports common issues that can help you identify what you need to fix for the Pixel Helper to work properly.

Helper Notification

In your Chrome toolbar, you will see an indication with the number of new notifications. A notification can either be a successfully fired pixel or a reported issue.

Taboola Pixel Helper Examples

The following are some examples of common scenarios you may see with the Taboola Pixel Helper.

The icons you will see are as follows:

No Pixel Was Found (Informational)

Taboola could not find an old snippet, base code, or image tag on the page (i.e., we did not receive any request).

Account Identifier Missing (Error)

Without an account identifier, the pixel is not useful, and no data will be tracked in Taboola.

Account Identifier Invalid (Error)

In this scenario the identifier that was sent with the pixel is invalid, so this event cannot be tracked in Taboola.

TFA Was Loaded, But No Calls Were Received (Warning)

Here the script was loaded, but nothing is being fired to Taboola. In case the trigger is a button click and not a page load, this is not an issue (therefore this is a warning). Note that if you didn’t set the pixel to fire on a dynamic event, you should check the code.

This could also be due to the ad being blocked by an active ad block.

The Pixel Was Activated Multiple Times (Warning)

We received the same event for the same account multiple times. The same event should only occur once upon page loading, and if it is sent with different custom data parameters, the parameters will be aggregated into a single pixel event. Note that when the pixel is activated multiple times on your web page, it can cause errors in your event tracking.

Image Tag - The Page Item URL Does Not Appear to be Encoded (Error)

The {Encoded_page_url} parameter does not appear to be encoded and the HTTP call cannot be sent.  

Image Tag - The Placeholder in the Pixel Was Not Replaced (Warning)

The placeholder was left in the pixel. Taboola will not be able to track the actions/markings properly.

Image Tag - The Curly Braces { } Were Included With the Page URL (Warning)

The curly braces weren’t removed while replacing the {encoded_page_url} placeholder. They will need to be removed.  

The Pixel Took Too Long to Load (Warning)

When the time to request is greater than three seconds, this warning will be displayed.