How to Set Up the Right Events for Facebook Optimization (2025)

Facebook's algorithm can only optimize for what it can measure. If you're only tracking installs, Facebook optimizes for people who install apps. If you track purchases, it optimizes for people who buy.

Most apps start by optimizing for installs because it's the default setting and requires no additional implementation. But install optimization attracts installers, not necessarily users who create value for your business.

The apps that scale profitably track and optimize for downstream events—actions that correlate with retention, monetization, and long-term user value.

Here's how to identify which events to track and how to implement them correctly.

Understanding Event Types

Facebook categorizes app events into three types, each serving different optimization purposes.

Automatic Events

These fire automatically when you integrate the Facebook SDK:

• App Install: Triggered when a user installs and opens your app
• App Activate: Fires when a user opens your app
• App Deactivate: Triggered when a user backgrounds your app

You don't need to implement these manually. They're available immediately after SDK integration.

Standard Events

Facebook provides 14 pre-defined standard events optimized for specific business models:

• Purchase: Completed transaction
• Subscribe: Started a paid subscription
• StartTrial: Began a free trial
• CompleteRegistration: Finished account creation
• AddToCart: Added item to cart
• InitiateCheckout: Started checkout process
• AddPaymentInfo: Added payment method
• AchieveLevel: Completed a level (gaming apps)
• UnlockAchievement: Unlocked an achievement
• ViewContent: Viewed specific content
• Search: Performed a search
• Rate: Submitted a rating
• AddToWishlist: Added item to wishlist
• SpendCredits: Used virtual currency

Use standard events whenever possible. Facebook's algorithm has years of training data on these events, enabling faster and more effective optimization compared to custom events.

Custom Events

For app-specific actions that don't map to standard events, you can define custom events:

• Completed onboarding
• Used core feature
• Shared content
• Invited friends

Custom events work for optimization, but standard events typically deliver better results because Facebook's algorithm recognizes patterns from millions of other campaigns using the same event definitions.

Selecting Events to Track

The right events balance business value with tracking feasibility.

The Value Hierarchy

Track events in this priority order:

Tier 1 - Revenue Events:

• Purchase
• Subscribe
• StartTrial

These directly measure monetization and should be your eventual optimization target.

Tier 2 - High-Intent Events:

• AddPaymentInfo
• InitiateCheckout
• CompleteRegistration

These indicate strong user intent and typically correlate with future monetization.

Tier 3 - Engagement Events:

• ViewContent
• Search
• Core feature usage

These show active usage but don't directly predict revenue.

Tier 4 - Awareness Events:

• App Install
• App Activate

These measure top-of-funnel activity but not user quality.

Event Volume Requirements

For Facebook to optimize effectively, your chosen event needs sufficient volume.

Minimum threshold: 50 conversions per week per ad set for optimization.

Ideal volume: 100+ conversions per week.

If your Purchase event only fires 10 times per week, optimizing for it won't work—Facebook doesn't have enough data to identify patterns. In this case, optimize for a higher-volume event like CompleteRegistration or AddPaymentInfo that correlates with eventual purchases.

Event Timing Considerations

Events should fire within a reasonable window after install.

Ideal timing: Within 24-48 hours of install.

If your core value event (like a subscription) typically happens 7+ days after install, consider using a leading indicator event that happens sooner. For example:

• Subscription apps: Optimize for StartTrial instead of Subscribe
• E-commerce apps: Optimize for AddToCart instead of Purchase
• Content apps: Optimize for CompleteRegistration instead of first paid session

Facebook's attribution windows make it difficult to connect conversions that happen more than 7 days after an ad impression. Earlier events provide clearer optimization signals.

Implementation

Once you've identified which events to track, implementation follows a standard pattern.

SDK Integration

Install Facebook SDK version 16.2.1 or later. For iOS apps, this version supports SKAdNetwork 4.0, which is critical for accurate iOS tracking.

iOS (Swift):

import FBSDKCoreKit

// In AppDelegate
func application(
    _ application: UIApplication,
    didFinishLaunchingWithOptions launchOptions: [UIApplication.LaunchOptionsKey: Any]?
) -> Bool {
    ApplicationDelegate.shared.application(
        application,
        didFinishLaunchingWithOptions: launchOptions
    )
    return true
}

Android (Kotlin):

import com.facebook.FacebookSdk
import com.facebook.appevents.AppEventsLogger

// In Application class
override fun onCreate() {
    super.onCreate()
    FacebookSdk.sdkInitialize(applicationContext)
    AppEventsLogger.activateApp(this)
}

Event Implementation

Use standard event methods whenever possible.

Purchase Event (iOS):

AppEvents.shared.logPurchase(
    amount: 9.99,
    currency: "USD",
    parameters: [
        .content: "Premium Subscription",
        .contentType: "subscription",
        .contentID: "premium_monthly"
    ]
)

Purchase Event (Android):

val params = Bundle()
params.putString(AppEventsConstants.EVENT_PARAM_CONTENT, "Premium Subscription")
params.putString(AppEventsConstants.EVENT_PARAM_CONTENT_TYPE, "subscription")
params.putString(AppEventsConstants.EVENT_PARAM_CONTENT_ID, "premium_monthly")

logger.logPurchase(
    BigDecimal.valueOf(9.99),
    Currency.getInstance("USD"),
    params
)

Event Parameters

Include these parameters with revenue events:

• value: Transaction amount
• currency: Three-letter currency code (USD, EUR, GBP)
• content_type: Category (product, subscription, service)
• content_id: Unique identifier

These parameters enable Facebook to optimize for value, not just conversion volume.

Verification

After implementing events, verify they're firing correctly before using them for optimization.

Test on Development Devices

Install your app on a test device and trigger your events. Check that they appear in Facebook Events Manager under "Test Events" within a few minutes.

If events don't appear, common issues include:

• SDK not properly initialized
• Event name typos
• Missing required parameters
• SDK version incompatibility

Production Verification

Once events pass testing, monitor production data for 24-48 hours. Check Events Manager for:

• Event volume (are events firing as expected?)
• Event parameters (is value being captured correctly?)
• Attribution breakdown (iOS vs Android distribution)

Compare event counts from Facebook with your internal analytics. Some discrepancy is normal (5-10%), but larger gaps indicate implementation issues.

Optimization Strategy

Don't immediately optimize for your highest-value event.

Phase 1: Install Optimization (Weeks 1-2)

Start by optimizing for installs. This generates baseline data and exits the learning phase quickly since install volume is highest.

Monitor your downstream events during this phase. Once you accumulate 50+ conversions for a higher-value event, you're ready to advance.

Phase 2: Mid-Funnel Optimization (Weeks 3-6)

Switch optimization to a mid-funnel event like CompleteRegistration or AddPaymentInfo. This improves user quality without requiring extremely high event volume.

CPIs typically increase 15-30% when switching from install to mid-funnel optimization, but user quality and retention should improve significantly.

Phase 3: Revenue Optimization (Week 7+)

Once you're generating 50+ purchase or subscription events per week, optimize directly for revenue events.

Enable value optimization by passing revenue amounts with your events. Facebook will automatically shift delivery toward higher-value users.

Event Limit Considerations

Facebook supports up to 1,000 unique events per app, but for optimization purposes, focus on 5-10 core events.

More events create analysis complexity without improving performance. The most successful campaigns optimize for 1-2 events and use the rest for analysis and audience building.

FAQs

What events should I track for Facebook app campaigns?

Start with standard events: Install (automatic), Purchase, Subscribe, CompleteRegistration, and AddToCart. Choose events that indicate real user value and occur frequently enough to generate 50+ conversions within 7-14 days.

When should I optimize for in-app events vs installs?

Optimize for installs until you have 50+ conversions for a downstream event within a 7-day window. Once you reach this threshold for events like purchases or subscriptions, switch optimization to that higher-value event for improved user quality.

Should I use standard or custom events?

Use standard events whenever possible. Facebook's algorithm is pre-trained on standard events like Purchase and Subscribe, enabling faster optimization and better performance. Only use custom events for app-specific actions that don't map to standard events.

How do I know if my events are working?

Test events using a development device and check Facebook Events Manager under "Test Events." For production verification, compare event volumes in Events Manager with your internal analytics. A 5-10% discrepancy is normal; larger gaps indicate implementation issues.

Can I change my optimization event after launching campaigns?

Yes, but changing optimization events resets the learning phase. Make this change strategically when you have clear data showing you've accumulated sufficient volume for the new event (50+ conversions per week per ad set).

---

Events determine who Facebook finds for you. Track what matters, implement correctly, and optimize for events that correlate with the business outcomes you actually care about.