Conversions and Results in Meta Ads

This article explains the Conversions and Results metrics in Meta Ads, how they are retrieved, and why they may differ from what you see in Meta Ads Manager.

Conversions are specific actions users take after viewing or clicking an ad, such as a purchase, registration, or app download.

Types of conversion:

• Standard event: predefined Meta actions such as purchases, form submissions, and registrations.

• Custom event: actions you define to measure your own business goals.

The Results metric shows the total number of actions that match the main objective of the campaign. The value depends on the advertising objective selected in Meta Ads Manager, such as conversions, clicks, or video views.

Metrics in the platform

Below, you can see how the platform retrieves Conversions and Results data from the Meta API and why there may be differences compared with Meta Ads Manager.

Conversions in the platform

The platform retrieves conversion data directly from the Meta Ads API, so the displayed value is official API data.

However, the metric selected as Conversions may not always match the one shown in Meta Ads Manager, because the API automatically assigns the most relevant conversion event depending on the campaign type.

This does not mean the data is incorrect. It means the metric may refer to a different event from the one you set as the main campaign goal in Meta.

Attribution settings

The attribution setting defines how long after an ad interaction Meta can attribute a conversion to that ad.
Since June 10, 2025, Meta has updated its Ads Insights API, and the attribution configuration is now reflected on the platform exactly as it is in Meta Ads Manager.

• Before June 10, 2025: attribution model was 7-day click.

• From June 10, 2025 onward: attribution matches the configuration set in the Meta Ads Manager account.

How to interpret conversions

If you notice differences compared with Meta Ads Manager:

• The value shown in the platform comes directly from the Meta API, so it is verified API data.

• The conversion type may differ because the platform selects the most relevant metric, not always the campaign goal you defined in Meta.

• You can review all available conversions, including custom conversions with their identifier, to confirm which event the data refers to. Custom conversions cannot be monitored through the Looker Studio connector.

• If you need more detail, customize the metrics table from the Columns button in the top right. You can add more conversion metrics and other available campaign metrics there.

Results in the platform

Until September 2025, the platform calculated results with an internal algorithm that assigned an objective based on campaign type. Although both values were valid, this could create differences compared with Meta Ads Manager.

Since September 9, 2025, the Results metric comes from the same field in the official Meta API used by Ads Manager, so both now show the same value.

Data history:

• Before September 9, 2025: internal calculation.

• After September 9, 2025: value retrieved directly from the same Meta API field.

Change history