event match quality • emq
How to Improve Meta Event Match Quality
Event Match Quality is Meta's score out of 10 for how well the customer details sent with an event can match it to a Meta account, and you improve it by sending more, cleaner details such as email, phone, IP address, browser ID and click ID with every event. It matters because Meta can only use matched events for attribution and optimisation, so unmatched leads are effectively invisible to your campaigns.
01 • the score
What is Meta Event Match Quality?
Event Match Quality (EMQ) appears in Events Manager next to each event. Meta's best-practices page describes it as a score out of 10 estimating how effective the customer information sent with the event is at matching it to a Meta account. It also says EMQ is currently available only for web events.
Why it matters
Meta's documentation says only matched events can be used for ads attribution and ad delivery optimisation. An unmatched lead does not help your campaigns learn anything.
02 • what to send
Which customer details improve Event Match Quality?
| Parameter | What it is | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| em | Email address | Hashed; one of Meta's high-quality examples |
| ph | Phone number | Hashed; include country code |
| fn, ln | First and last name | Hashed |
| client_ip_address | Visitor's IP address | Sent as plain text |
| client_user_agent | Browser details | Meta says it is required for website events |
| fbp | Meta browser ID cookie | Changes over time; refresh it |
| fbc | Meta click ID cookie (from fbclid) | Changes over time; refresh it |
| external_id | Your own ID for the person | Meta recommends it on all events |
Meta notes that very weak combinations, such as first name plus gender only, are treated as invalid. Aim to send email, phone and the browser IDs together.
03 • how to improve it
How do I raise a low Event Match Quality score?
- 1Send the Conversions API alongside the pixel, so server events can carry email and phone collected by your form.
- 2Capture the fbclid (the click ID Meta adds to ad links) when the visitor lands, store it, and send it as fbc.
- 3Read the fbp and fbc cookies at the moment of the event, not from an old record. Meta warns these values change over time.
- 4Normalise before hashing: lowercase and trim emails, add country codes to phone numbers.
- 5Send external_id (for example your CRM contact ID) on every event, as Meta recommends.
- 6Check the score again in Events Manager a few days after changes.
Event flow • where match details come from
- 01
Ad click
fbclid added to the link.
- 02
Landing page
fbp and fbc cookies set.
- 03
Form
Email, phone, name.
- 04
Server event
All details, hashed.
- 05
Meta
Matches and scores the event.
04 • click ids
How do I capture the click ID and keep it with the lead?
When someone clicks a Meta ad, Meta adds a parameter called fbclid to the link. The pixel turns it into the fbc cookie. If your form saves it with the lead, your CRM can send it later with every stage event, which helps Meta match events that happen days after the click.
- 1On the landing page, read fbclid from the address, or the fbc cookie if the pixel has set it.
- 2Add it to a hidden field in your form so it is saved with the lead.
- 3Store it on the contact record in your CRM (GoHighLevel's help article describes doing this with a custom field).
- 4Send it as fbc with every Conversions API event for that lead.
CRM events also benefit from email, phone and your own contact ID. Even though Meta's EMQ score is shown for web events, the same details decide whether a CRM event can be matched.
05 • clean data
How should I clean customer details before hashing?
Hashing turns the exact text into a code. If the text is formatted differently from how Meta stores it, the codes will not match. Cleaning first is called normalising.
- Emails: trim spaces and use lowercase.
- Phone numbers: digits only, including the country code, with no spaces, dashes or brackets.
- Names: lowercase, without extra spaces or punctuation.
- Do not hash the IP address or browser user agent; they are sent as they are.
Meta's best-practices page links to its normalisation and hashing guide for the exact rules. Its Business SDK also hashes values automatically, which is one reason to use it in custom code.
06 • key terms
Which terms do I need to know?
Short, plain definitions of the terms used on this page.
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Event Match Quality | Meta's score out of 10 for how well an event's customer details can be matched |
| Hashing | Scrambling details like email with a one-way code before sending them |
| fbclid / fbc | The click ID Meta adds to ad links, and the cookie that stores it |
| fbp | A Meta browser ID cookie set by the pixel |
| Conversions API (CAPI) | Meta's way for your server or CRM to send events directly to Meta |
| Event | A recorded action, such as Lead, Schedule or Purchase |
07 • privacy
Is sending more customer data safe and legal?
Hashing protects details in transit, but it does not replace consent and a clear privacy notice. In the UK and EU, advertising tracking generally needs consent first. Never send health details, whatever your score. See Meta ads tracking and consent.
Want to know your current match quality and what would improve it? Ask for the free tracking check.
Free tracking checksee what meta actually receives
Free tracking check
I review which events your Meta ads actually receive and what is missing, then send you a short written summary. No calls required, and no promise of results: just a clear picture of your tracking.
questions
Frequently asked questions
01. What is a good Event Match Quality score?
+
Higher is better. Meta describes it as a score out of 10 and says higher matching quality produces better results. Focus on sending more, cleaner details.
02. Does EMQ apply to CRM events?
+
Meta's page says EMQ is currently available only for web events. CRM events still need good customer details to match.
03. Do I hash IP addresses?
+
No. IP address and user agent are sent as they are. Email, phone and names are hashed.
04. Why does my score drop over time?
+
Often because fbp and fbc values are stale, or because new forms stopped collecting phone numbers.
Sources
Checked on 21 October 2026. Pages change, so read the current version before you act.
Read next
PrimeBuild is not affiliated with any company, platform or website named on this page. Names and links are given only so you can check them yourself.