Why Facebook Pixel & Google Tag Manager Are Not Enough for Affiliate Tracking

What They Actually Do

Facebook Pixel tracks actions users take after interacting with your Facebook or Instagram ads. Google Tag Manager (GTM) lets you manage and deploy tracking tags across your site without editing code.

They’re great for ecomm brands and in-house marketing. But affiliate tracking? That’s a whole different animal.

So, What’s the Problem?

1. They Don't Track the Whole Journey

Affiliate marketing isn’t linear. Users might click an ad, land on a pre-sell page, bounce around, come back later — and finally convert on a third-party site. Facebook Pixel can’t follow users beyond your domain. Neither can GTM.

Example: If your offer is hosted on an affiliate network’s landing page, your pixel won’t fire when someone converts. That means... no data.

S2S (server-to-server) tracking fixes this — but Pixel and GTM can’t do that natively.

2. Ad Blockers & iOS Privacy Kill Visibility

Apple’s iOS updates? A nightmare for browser-based tracking. Pixels are getting blocked more often. Cookies are expiring faster. Browsers like Safari and Firefox are shutting down third-party tracking.

That means less reliable data. GTM and Pixel can’t work around that. But server-side tracking? Way more resistant to this stuff.

3. No Real Affiliate-Level Control

If you’re an affiliate, you don’t own the thank-you page. You can’t just slap your Pixel on someone else’s site. So if you’re running paid traffic and want to optimize your campaigns based on conversions, you need something better.

Tools like Voluum, RedTrack, or Binom let you track without needing access to every page in the funnel. Facebook Pixel can’t do that.

4. They’re Not Built for Scaling

Let’s say you're managing dozens of campaigns across different offers, networks, and traffic sources. GTM quickly becomes a mess. Facebook Pixel only helps on Meta platforms. There’s no unified view.

A real tracking platform gives you granular control. Split-testing, bot filtering, redirect paths, conversion data — all in one place.

So What Should You Use Instead?

You need an actual affiliate tracker — one built for performance marketing. Some solid picks:

• Voluum - Super robust and cloud-based.

• RedTrack - Great balance of price and features.

• Binom - Self-hosted, fast, and super customizable.

• TrafficDynamix - Solid support for S2S and advanced routing.

These tools track conversions with S2S, handle redirects, auto-optimize, and help you scale without losing your mind.

Last Word From the Dashboard

Facebook Pixel and GTM are great — for what they’re meant to do. But affiliate tracking is a different game. If you're sending traffic to pages you don’t control, or if you care about accurate data, you need something more powerful.

Don't rely on duct tape when you can build a real system.