Meta to deprecate over 100 unique metrics from Ads Insights API on October 30

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, last week announced changes to its Ads Insights API that will impact advertisers and developers worldwide. The company plans to deprecate more than 100 unique metrics from the API, specifically affecting the 'unique_actions' and 'cost_per_unique_action_type' fields. This change is scheduled to take effect on October 30, 2024, giving developers and advertisers approximately 90 days to adapt their systems and workflows.

According to Chris Cutlip, who published the announcement on Meta's Developer Blog, the deprecation will remove several 'action_type' breakdowns from the API's response. This modification aims to streamline the data provided by Meta's advertising platform and improve the quality and consistency of metrics available to advertisers. It's important to note that fields counting total actions, such as 'actions' and 'cost_per_action_type', will remain unaffected and continue to support existing 'action_type' breakdowns.

The Ads Insights API is a crucial tool for advertisers and marketing agencies, providing detailed data on ad performance across Meta's platforms. It allows businesses to retrieve statistics about their ad campaigns, ad sets, and individual ads, including reach, impressions, clicks, and various conversion metrics. The API's data is often integrated into third-party analytics tools and custom dashboards, making it an essential component of many marketing technology stacks.

After the update, the API's 'unique_actions' and 'cost_per_unique_action_type' fields will only return four specific 'action_type' breakdowns: link_click, onsite_conversion_messaging_first_reply, onsite_conversion_total_messaging_connection, and outbound_click. This represents a significant reduction from the current set of metrics, which includes over 100 different 'action_type' breakdowns.

The deprecation affects a wide range of metrics, including those related to app engagement, commerce events, offline conversions, and various types of onsite and offsite conversions. Some of the notable metrics being removed include add_to_cart, app_install, lead_generation, purchase, and video_view. These changes will impact how advertisers track and analyze user interactions with their ads across different stages of the customer journey.

For example, metrics related to app custom events (such as fb_mobile_achievement_unlocked, fb_mobile_add_to_cart, and fb_mobile_purchase) will no longer be available through the 'unique_actions' and 'cost_per_unique_action_type' fields. This change could significantly affect mobile app advertisers who rely on these metrics to measure the effectiveness of their app install and engagement campaigns.

Similarly, e-commerce advertisers will lose access to unique metrics for actions like add_to_cart, initiate_checkout, and purchase through these specific fields. While total action counts will still be available, the ability to track unique user actions in these areas will be limited.

The deprecation also affects metrics related to lead generation, offline conversions, and various types of onsite and offsite conversions. This broad scope of changes suggests that Meta is fundamentally altering how it wants advertisers to measure and analyze campaign performance across different business objectives.

It's worth noting that the changes specifically impact the 'unique_actions' and 'cost_per_unique_action_type' fields. Other fields in the Ads Insights API, such as 'actions', 'action_values', and 'cost_per_action_type', will continue to provide data on total actions and their associated costs. This means that while advertisers will lose some granularity in tracking unique user actions, they will still have access to aggregate data on campaign performance.

The endpoints affected by these changes include those used to retrieve insights for ad accounts, individual ads, ad sets, and campaigns. Additionally, the endpoint for retrieving insights from ad report runs will also be impacted. This wide-ranging effect underscores the significance of the update and the need for developers to carefully review their API integrations.

Meta's decision to deprecate these metrics likely stems from several factors. First, the company may be seeking to simplify its advertising measurement framework, potentially in response to feedback from advertisers about the complexity of the current system. By reducing the number of available metrics, Meta could be aiming to focus advertisers' attention on what it considers the most meaningful and reliable indicators of ad performance.

Second, this change could be part of Meta's ongoing efforts to balance user privacy with advertiser needs. As privacy regulations become more stringent worldwide, and as users become more concerned about data collection practices, tech companies like Meta are reevaluating the granularity of data they provide to advertisers. Reducing the number of unique user action metrics could be seen as a step towards greater user privacy protection.

Third, the deprecation might be related to challenges in accurate measurement due to changes in mobile operating systems, particularly Apple's App Tracking Transparency feature introduced in iOS 14.5. This update made it more difficult for advertisers to track user actions across apps and websites, potentially affecting the reliability of some of the metrics being deprecated.

For developers and businesses relying on the Ads Insights API, this announcement necessitates a careful review of their current implementations. Any applications or processes that depend on the soon-to-be-deprecated metrics will need to be updated before the October 30 deadline to avoid disruptions. This could involve significant work for some organizations, especially those with complex, custom-built analytics systems.

Meta's decision to provide a 90-day notice is in line with industry best practices for API changes, giving developers a reasonable timeframe to adapt. However, depending on the complexity of the systems involved and the extent to which the deprecated metrics are used, some organizations may find this timeline challenging.

It's important to note that while Meta is removing these unique metrics, they are not reducing their overall commitment to providing valuable data to advertisers. The company is encouraging users to explore their recent updates to Attribution Windows, including first conversion attribution, which can be accessed through the Ads Insights API's 'action_attribution_window' parameter. This approach provides a more nuanced view of how ads influence customer behavior over time, potentially offering more valuable insights than some of the deprecated unique metrics.

In conclusion, Meta's decision to deprecate over 100 unique metrics from its Ads Insights API represents a significant shift in the digital advertising landscape. While it may cause short-term disruption for some advertisers and developers, it also reflects the evolving nature of digital marketing measurement and the industry's need to adapt to changing privacy expectations and technological capabilities. As the October 30 deadline approaches, it will be crucial for affected parties to stay informed about any additional details or guidance that Meta may provide and to proactively update their systems and strategies accordingly.

Key facts

Meta will deprecate over 100 unique metrics from the Ads Insights API on October 30, 2024.

The 'unique_actions' and 'cost_per_unique_action_type' fields will be affected.

Only four 'action_type' breakdowns will remain after the update.

Total action metrics like 'actions' and 'cost_per_action_type' will remain unchanged.

Developers have a 90-day notice period to adapt their systems.

The changes aim to improve the quality and consistency of ad metrics.

Meta is emphasizing Attribution Windows and first conversion attribution as alternative measurement approaches.

Multiple API endpoints related to ad insights will be affected by these changes.