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.

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 – Understand the impact on retargeting audiences

If you have retargeting audiences defined at the network level, and all sites use the same Network Account ID, then:

• A single network-level audience will include users from all sites/brands where that pixel fires.
• If you target that audience in one brand's campaigns, you might reach users who interacted with other brands in the same network.

If you want brand-specific retargeting:

1. Make sure each brand/site fires the pixel with its own Account ID.
2. For each account:
   • Create account-level audiences (for example: "Visited Brand A site", "Added to cart on Brand B", etc.).
3. Use those account-specific audiences in your campaign targeting.

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.

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.