Add Your Meta Pixel with Google Tag Manager
Ruuster has no pixel field, but you can run the Meta (Facebook) Pixel on your pages by adding it to your Google Tag Manager container.
Ruuster has no field for the Meta Pixel (still called the Facebook Pixel by most people). You can still run it on your pages: save your Google Tag Manager container ID in Ruuster, then add the pixel as a tag in that container.
The pixel is for advertising. It lets you build website custom audiences from people who browsed your listings, and it measures what your Meta ads produced.
Before you start
Ruuster admin. Only admins can save a container ID.
Google Tag Manager access. Edit and publish rights on your brokerage's container.
A Meta pixel. Create one in Events Manager if your brokerage does not have one yet.
Housing ads rules. Real estate ads run under Meta's Housing Special Ad Category. See "Good to know" for what that changes.
1. Copy your pixel ID from Meta
Open Events Manager in Meta Business Suite.
Select Data sources, then your pixel (Meta now calls it a dataset).
Copy the ID shown under the name. It is a long number, not a script.
You need the number only. The official tag template builds the code for you, so there is no snippet to paste anywhere.
2. Add your Google Tag Manager container to Ruuster
Open Ruuster at your branded address (format:
https://yourcompany.ruuster.com).Click your username in the top right, then Account Settings.
Scroll to Connect your Google Tag Manager.
Enter your container ID in the Your Google tag ID field. It looks like
GTM-XXXXXXXXXX.Click Save Changes.
Once an ID is saved, a Delete GTM tag button appears next to the field.
There is one container ID per brokerage, and it loads for every visitor to your Ruuster pages. If an ID is already saved here, add the pixel to that container instead of swapping the ID.
3. Add the Meta Pixel template to your container
In Google Tag Manager, select Templates, then Search Gallery under Tag Templates.
Search for Meta Pixel and pick the one published by Facebook.
Click Add to workspace.
Use this template rather than a Custom HTML tag. It sequences the base code for you, so later event tags cannot fire before the pixel loads.
4. Create the pixel tag
Select Tags, then New, and choose the Meta Pixel template.
Paste your pixel ID into Facebook Pixel ID(s).
Leave Event Name as PageView.
Turn off Automatic Configuration so the pixel does not read your form fields.
Under Triggering, choose Initialization - All Pages.
In Advanced Settings, set Tag firing options to Once per page.
Name the tag "Meta Pixel" and click Save.
Running a consent banner? Use your consent-aware initialization trigger instead, so the banner does not strip the pixel.
5. Publish and check it
Click Submit, then Publish.
Open Preview and load one of your Ruuster pages.
Install the Meta Pixel Helper Chrome extension and confirm one PageView, not two.
In Events Manager, open Test Events and watch the visit arrive.
Allow a few minutes for activity to show up in the main Events Manager view. Test Events is the fast check.
Tag settings at a glance
Setting | Use | Why |
|---|---|---|
Tag type | Meta Pixel template from the gallery | Handles the base code and sequencing that Custom HTML makes you do by hand |
Event Name | PageView | The base event every audience is built from |
Automatic Configuration | Off | Stops the pixel scanning form fields for names, emails, and phone numbers |
Trigger | Initialization - All Pages | Fires as early as the container allows, before other tags |
Tag firing options | Once per page | Prevents duplicate PageView events |
Good to know
This screen is moving. In Ruuster's new navigation the same field lives on the Integrations page under Admin. The ID and everything else here are unchanged, only the location.
Housing rules still apply. Real estate ads run in Meta's Housing Special Ad Category: no ZIP code targeting, no age or gender targeting, no detailed interest targeting, and no audience exclusions.
Retargeting works, lookalikes do not. You can still build website custom audiences from pixel traffic and retarget them. Standard lookalike audiences are off for housing, and the Special Ad Audiences that replaced them were discontinued in October 2023.
Keep personal data out of it. Your Ruuster pages are used by signed-in clients. Leave Automatic Configuration off, and do not add tags that push a name, email, or phone number into an event.
Add a History Change trigger for in-app screens. The URL changes as a client moves around Ruuster. A tag on Initialization - All Pages fires on every full page load. Add a second Meta Pixel tag on a History Change trigger to also record a PageView when the route changes without a reload.
Do not double-install. If the pixel already runs on your marketing site and you load that site's container on Ruuster, check that it is not added twice. Meta Pixel Helper reports duplicates.
Use your own container. A container shared with another company would put their tags on your clients' pages.
Deleting the ID stops everything. Traffic on your landing page and search results stops being measured until you add another ID. To remove only the pixel, delete its tag in Google Tag Manager instead.
FAQ
Is the Facebook Pixel the same thing as the Meta Pixel?
Yes. Meta renamed it, and Events Manager now calls it a dataset. The setup is the same, and the ID is still a long number.
Can I paste the pixel code straight into Ruuster?
No. Ruuster has no field for pixel or script code. Your Google Tag Manager container is the supported way to run tracking scripts on your Ruuster pages.
Can I run the Meta Pixel and the Follow Up Boss Pixel at the same time?
Yes. One container holds as many tags as you need, and the two do not interfere. Ruuster stores only one container ID, so both tags live in the same container.
Will I see which listings a lead viewed inside Facebook?
Not as a per-person history. The pixel feeds ad audiences and aggregate reporting, not a lead timeline. For who viewed which property, use your CRM.
Why does Meta Pixel Helper show two PageView events?
The tag is firing twice, usually because the pixel is also installed elsewhere or the tag is not set to Once per page. Check both before you look anywhere else.
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Still need help? Reach out to us at helpme@ruuster.com and we'd be happy to assist!