Tarka
Back to Fundamentals
Reddit
Config

Reddit Ads — Conversion Tracking

Set up Reddit Pixel and Conversions API (CAPI) for server-side conversion tracking

Instructions

Reddit Ads — Conversion Tracking

Set up the Reddit Pixel (browser-side) and Reddit Conversions API (CAPI, server-side) to track ad-driven conversions. Use both together for maximum attribution accuracy.

Reddit Pixel (Browser-Side)

The Reddit Pixel is a JavaScript tag that fires when users perform actions on your site.

Install the Pixel

  1. Log into Reddit Ads Manager at https://ads.reddit.com
  2. Navigate to Events Manager -> Pixel
  3. Copy your Pixel ID (format: t2_XXXXXX)

Add to your site's <head>:

<script>
!function(w,d){if(!w.rdt){var p=w.rdt=function(){p.sendEvent?p.sendEvent.apply(p,arguments):p.callQueue.push(arguments)};p.callQueue=[];var t=d.createElement("script");t.src="https://www.redditstatic.com/ads/pixel.js";t.async=!0;var s=d.getElementsByTagName("script")[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}}(window,document);
rdt('init','PIXEL_ID');
rdt('track', 'PageVisit');
</script>

Replace PIXEL_ID with your actual pixel ID.

Track Standard Events

Fire conversion events on key pages:

// Landing page view
rdt('track', 'PageVisit');

// Form submit / lead capture
rdt('track', 'Lead');

// Demo booked or signup
rdt('track', 'SignUp');

// Custom event
rdt('track', 'Custom', { customEventName: 'demo_booked' });

Standard events recognized by Reddit:

  • PageVisit — page view
  • ViewContent — viewed specific content
  • Search — performed a search
  • AddToCart — added item to cart
  • AddToWishlist — saved item
  • Lead — submitted lead form
  • SignUp — completed signup
  • Purchase — completed purchase (include value and currency)
  • Custom — custom event with your own name

Event Properties

rdt('track', 'Lead', {
  value: 50.00,
  currency: 'USD',
  transactionId: 'lead-12345',
  customEventName: 'paid-reddit-ads_lead_captured'
});

Reddit Conversions API (CAPI, Server-Side)

CAPI sends conversion events server-to-server, bypassing ad blockers and browser cookie restrictions. Reddit recommends using both Pixel and CAPI together for redundancy.

Generate Access Token

  1. In Reddit Ads Manager, go to Events Manager -> Pixel Settings
  2. Generate a Conversions API Access Token
  3. Store securely (environment variable, never in code)

Send Server-Side Events

curl -X POST https://ads-api.reddit.com/api/v2/conversions/events/{account_id} \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer CAPI_ACCESS_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "test_mode": false,
    "events": [
      {
        "event_at": "2026-04-01T12:00:00Z",
        "event_type": {
          "tracking_type": "Lead"
        },
        "user": {
          "email": "sha256_hashed_email",
          "ip_address": "sha256_hashed_ip",
          "user_agent": "Mozilla/5.0...",
          "click_id": "rdt_cid_value_from_url"
        },
        "event_metadata": {
          "item_count": 1,
          "value_decimal": 50.00,
          "currency": "USD"
        }
      }
    ]
  }'

Key fields:

  • click_id: Captured from the rdt_cid URL parameter when the user clicks your ad. This is critical for attribution.
  • email: SHA-256 hashed, lowercase, trimmed. This enables cross-device matching.
  • ip_address: SHA-256 hashed. Used for probabilistic matching.
  • event_at: ISO 8601 timestamp. Must be within 7 days of the actual event.

Capture the Click ID

When a user clicks your Reddit ad, Reddit appends ?rdt_cid=CLICK_ID to your landing page URL. Capture and store this value:

// On landing page load
const urlParams = new URLSearchParams(window.location.search);
const rdtClickId = urlParams.get('rdt_cid');
if (rdtClickId) {
  // Store in cookie or session for later CAPI calls
  document.cookie = `rdt_cid=${rdtClickId}; max-age=2592000; path=/; SameSite=Lax`;
}

Pass this rdt_cid value to your backend when the user converts, then include it in the CAPI event.

PostHog Integration

Route Reddit conversion data to PostHog for unified reporting:

  1. Fire PostHog events alongside Reddit events:
// When a Reddit ad visitor converts
posthog.capture('lead_created', {
  source: 'reddit',
  channel: 'paid',
  campaign: 'paid-reddit-ads',
  reddit_click_id: rdtClickId,
  utm_source: 'reddit',
  utm_medium: 'paid'
});
  1. In n8n, build a webhook workflow that:
    • Receives form submissions
    • Fires the Reddit CAPI event (server-side)
    • Creates the PostHog event (server-side)
    • Creates or updates the Attio contact

This ensures every conversion is tracked in Reddit (for ad optimization), PostHog (for unified analytics), and Attio (for sales follow-up).

Deduplication

When using both Pixel and CAPI, Reddit deduplicates events using:

  • click_id match (preferred)
  • email hash match (fallback)
  • event_at timestamp within 5-minute window

Always include click_id in CAPI events to ensure proper deduplication and prevent double-counting.

Verification

After setup, verify tracking is working:

  1. Open Reddit Ads Manager -> Events Manager -> Event Testing
  2. Use Reddit Pixel Helper browser extension to confirm pixel fires
  3. Send a test CAPI event with "test_mode": true
  4. Confirm events appear in the Events Manager within 30 minutes
  5. Check PostHog for the corresponding events with matching properties

Error Handling

  • 401 Unauthorized: CAPI token expired or invalid. Regenerate.
  • 400 Bad Request: Missing required fields or invalid hash format. SHA-256 must be lowercase hex.
  • 422 Unprocessable: Event timestamp too old (>7 days). Send events within hours of occurrence.
  • 429 Rate Limited: Batch events (up to 1000 per request) to reduce API calls.