Switching from network-level to account-level tracking

Sometimes you may start with a network-level pixel and conversions and later decide you want separate tracking per account/brand. This section explains what changes you need to make and what to expect.

Migration overview:

flowchart LR
    subgraph Before["Before"]
        NPixel["Network pixel<br/>(Network Account ID)"]
        S1["Site A"]
        S2["Site B"]
        S3["Site C"]
        NAud["Network-level audience<br/>and conversions"]
        S1 --> NPixel
        S2 --> NPixel
        S3 --> NPixel
        NPixel --> NAud
    end

    subgraph After["After"]
        AP1["Account A pixel<br/>(Account A ID)"]
        AP2["Account B pixel<br/>(Account B ID)"]
        AP3["Account C pixel<br/>(Account C ID)"]
        A1Aud["Account A audiences<br/>and conversions"]
        A2Aud["Account B audiences<br/>and conversions"]
        A3Aud["Account C audiences<br/>and conversions"]
        S1 --> AP1 --> A1Aud
        S2 --> AP2 --> A2Aud
        S3 --> AP3 --> A3Aud
    end

Step 1 – Decide what you're changing

When you switch from network-level to account-level tracking, both conversions and audiences will be separated per account. You can't have account-level conversions with network-level audiences — if your pixel fires with an Account ID, both conversions and audiences will be tracked at the account level.

Key principle

• If the pixel fires with the Network Account ID, rules and audiences created at the network level will apply across all accounts using that ID.
• If the pixel fires with an Account ID, you can create account-level rules and audiences that only apply to that specific account.

Step 2 – Update the pixel implementation

To move from network-level to account-level tracking:

1. Identify where the current pixel is implemented
   • Check which websites/brands are using the same Account ID today.
   • If all brands currently share the same Network Account ID, their audiences and conversions are combined.
2. Decide per site/brand which ID to use going forward
   • For completely different websites/brands, it usually makes more sense to:
     • Use a different Account ID per brand (the Account ID of the relevant Taboola account).
   • For one site used by several accounts (e.g., country-based accounts pointing to the same domain), a Network Account ID can still be the right solution.
3. Implement the new Account IDs
   • On each site/brand where you want separate tracking:
     • Replace the existing ID (Network Account ID) with the relevant Account ID, or
     • Add a separate pixel instance that fires with the correct Account ID (depending on your setup and your tag manager).
   • Make sure this change is deployed on:
     • All relevant pages in the funnel (landing pages, forms, checkout, thank-you pages, etc.)

Your developer or tag manager owner will usually handle this step. Taboola support can confirm which IDs to use, but cannot change the code on your site.

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Important: Audience rebuild required

When you change the pixel ID (from Network Account ID to Account ID), you must rebuild your audiences. Audience data does not automatically transfer when you switch pixel IDs. You'll need to create new account-level audience rules and wait for them to build up over time.

Step 3 – Create new account-level conversion rules

Once the pixel is firing with the Account ID:

1. In each account that should track its own conversions:
   • Open Realize, and select that account (top, left).
   • In the sidebar (left), select Tracking.
   • Click "New Conversion".
   • Recreate the conversion rules that you previously had at the network level (event-based or URL-based).
2. Confirm that:
   • The event names (for event-based conversions) match exactly what your pixel is sending.
   • The URL rules match the actual URLs for that brand/site.

From this point on:

• New conversions will be logged only for that account, based on its own pixel events.
• Network-level conversion rules will no longer pick up events that are now firing with just the Account ID.

Step 4 – Create new account-level audience rules

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Critical: Audiences must be rebuilt

When you switch from network-level to account-level tracking, audiences do not automatically transfer. You must create new account-level audience rules for each account. Historical audience data remains available, but new audiences will only build from pixel events fired with the new Account ID.

To create brand-specific retargeting audiences:

1. For each account that should have its own audiences:

   • Open Realize, and select that account (top, left).
   • In the sidebar (left), select Tracking.
   • Navigate to the Audiences section.
   • Click "Create Audience" or "New Audience Rule".
   • Define your audience rules based on pixel events (for example: "Visited Brand A site", "Added to cart on Brand B", etc.).
   • Make sure the event names match what your pixel is sending with the Account ID.

2. Wait for audiences to build

   • New account-level audiences will start building from pixel events fired with the Account ID.
   • It may take time for audiences to reach sufficient size for targeting.
   • Historical network-level audiences remain available but won't update with new data.

3. Use account-specific audiences in campaigns

   • Once audiences have built up, use them in your campaign targeting.
   • Each account will only have access to audiences built from its own pixel events.

Summary

• Same Account ID across multiple sites = combined audiences and conversions.
• Different Account IDs per site/brand = separate audiences and conversions, which is typically preferred for distinct brands.
• Audiences must be explicitly recreated when switching pixel IDs — they do not transfer automatically.

Step 5 – What happens to historical data?

• Historical network-level conversions and audiences remain in your reports; they are not deleted.
• After the switch, new data will start populating at the account level based on the new pixel implementation.
• Expect a transition period where old network-level audiences still exist while new, account-level audiences and conversions start building up.

When should you consider this change?

Moving from network-level to account-level tracking is recommended when:

• You manage different brands with different websites and don't want their data mixed.
• You need dedicated retargeting lists per brand.
• You want stricter separation of reporting, optimization and budgeting per account.

If your setup is complex (multiple brands, shared domains, or mixed funnels), your Taboola Account Manager can review your current pixel implementation and recommend the safest migration plan.