Outbrain Troubleshooting & Debugging | Blue Frog Docs

Outbrain Troubleshooting & Debugging

Troubleshooting playbook and diagnostics checklist for Outbrain pixel and tracking issues.

Symptom Library

Pixel Not Firing

  • Outbrain Pixel code missing from landing page source
  • JavaScript errors blocking pixel execution
  • Ad blockers or browser privacy settings preventing pixel load
  • Incorrect pixel ID or mismatched account configuration
  • Pixel loaded asynchronously after conversion event occurs

Conversion Tracking Issues

  • Conversions not appearing in Amplify dashboard
  • Conversion counts significantly lower than expected
  • Duplicate conversions from single user actions
  • Conversion value not passing through correctly
  • Attribution window mismatch causing delayed reporting

Campaign Performance Problems

  • High impressions but low click-through rates
  • Clicks not converting on landing pages
  • CPC costs higher than expected or budgeted
  • Campaigns not spending budget or delivering impressions
  • Content recommendations appearing on irrelevant publisher sites

Reporting Discrepancies

  • Mismatch between Outbrain conversions and GA4 goal completions
  • Revenue values differ between Outbrain and internal analytics
  • Time zone differences causing date range discrepancies
  • Conversion attribution differs from last-click models used elsewhere
  • API-reported metrics don't match dashboard values

Investigation Workflow

Step 1: Verify Pixel Installation

  1. Navigate to the landing page where conversions should be tracked
  2. Open browser developer tools (F12 or right-click > Inspect)
  3. Check Network tab for Outbrain pixel requests (look for outbrain.com or amplify.outbrain.com domains)
  4. Verify pixel fires on page load and on conversion events
  5. Inspect pixel request parameters to confirm conversion data is included

Step 2: Test Pixel with Outbrain Diagnostic Tools

  1. Use Outbrain's pixel helper or browser extension (if available)
  2. Trigger a test conversion and verify it appears in the tool
  3. Check for JavaScript errors in the browser console that might block execution
  4. Confirm pixel ID matches the one in Amplify dashboard
  5. Test on multiple browsers and devices to rule out client-side issues

Step 3: Review Amplify Dashboard Configuration

  1. Log in to Outbrain Amplify and navigate to Conversion Tracking
  2. Verify conversion actions are configured correctly with proper values
  3. Check attribution window settings (default is usually 30 days)
  4. Confirm conversion counting method (unique vs. all conversions)
  5. Review any filters or exclusions applied to conversion data

Step 4: Cross-Reference with Analytics Platform

  1. Compare Outbrain conversion timestamps with GA4 or Adobe Analytics events
  2. Use UTM parameters to trace Outbrain traffic through your analytics funnel
  3. Check for drop-off points between click, landing page visit, and conversion
  4. Verify that both systems are using the same time zone for reporting
  5. Account for attribution model differences (Outbrain uses last-click by default)

Step 5: Validate Data Layer and Event Parameters

  1. If using a data layer, inspect it in the browser console (window.dataLayer or window.obApi)
  2. Confirm conversion values, order IDs, and custom parameters are populated correctly
  3. Check for data type mismatches (string vs. number) that might cause parsing errors
  4. Verify special characters in parameters are properly encoded
  5. Test edge cases (very high values, zero values, null values) to ensure robust handling

Tools & Logs

Browser Developer Tools

  • Network tab: Monitor pixel requests and response codes
  • Console tab: Identify JavaScript errors blocking pixel execution
  • Application/Storage tab: Check for cookies set by Outbrain
  • Elements tab: Verify pixel script is present in page HTML

Outbrain Amplify Dashboard

  • Conversion Tracking page: View conversion setup and recent conversions
  • Campaign Reports: Monitor click and conversion performance
  • Placement Reports: Identify which publisher sites are driving conversions
  • Audience Insights: Validate retargeting pixel is building audience lists

Third-Party Testing Tools

  • Google Tag Assistant: While designed for Google tags, can help debug general JavaScript issues
  • ObservePoint or similar tag auditors: Automate pixel verification across multiple pages
  • Postman or curl: Test Outbrain API endpoints for server-side implementations

Server Logs

  • Review application server logs for API integration errors
  • Check for failed Conversion API POST requests
  • Monitor for timeout errors or rate limiting from Outbrain servers
  • Validate SSL/TLS certificates for secure connections

Common Issues & Resolutions

Issue: Pixel Installed But Not Tracking Conversions

Symptoms: Pixel fires on landing page but conversions don't appear in Amplify.

Diagnosis:

  • Conversion event not firing on thank-you page or confirmation step
  • Conversion pixel code different from base pixel code
  • Missing or incorrect conversion parameters

Resolution:

  1. Ensure conversion pixel is on the post-conversion page (e.g., thank-you page, order confirmation)
  2. Verify conversion pixel includes required parameters (conversion ID, value, order ID)
  3. Test conversion flow end-to-end and monitor network requests
  4. Confirm attribution window hasn't expired before conversion occurs

Issue: Duplicate Conversions Inflating Metrics

Symptoms: Same user action counted multiple times in Amplify.

Diagnosis:

  • Pixel firing on page refresh or back button navigation
  • Single-page app (SPA) triggering pixel on route changes
  • Conversion counting set to "All" instead of "Unique"

Resolution:

  1. Implement client-side logic to prevent duplicate pixel fires within a session
  2. Use unique order IDs or transaction IDs to deduplicate conversions
  3. Change conversion counting method in Amplify to "Unique per user"
  4. For SPAs, ensure pixel fires only once per actual conversion, not on every virtual page view

Issue: Revenue Values Not Passing Through

Symptoms: Conversions tracked but revenue shows as $0 or is missing.

Diagnosis:

  • Conversion value parameter not included in pixel call
  • Value passed as string instead of number
  • Currency formatting issues (e.g., "$100" instead of "100")
  • Server-side conversion data missing revenue field

Resolution:

  1. Verify pixel code includes value parameter with numeric data
  2. Remove currency symbols and thousands separators from value
  3. Check that value is in the smallest currency unit if required (e.g., cents vs. dollars)
  4. For Conversion API, ensure revenue field is populated in POST request

Issue: Attribution Mismatch with Other Platforms

Symptoms: Outbrain shows more or fewer conversions than GA4 or internal analytics.

Diagnosis:

  • Different attribution windows (Outbrain default is 30 days post-click)
  • Attribution model differences (Outbrain uses last-click, GA4 uses data-driven)
  • Time zone differences causing date shifts
  • Conversion deduplication logic differs between platforms

Resolution:

  1. Align attribution windows across all platforms for fair comparison
  2. Document and communicate attribution model differences to stakeholders
  3. Standardize time zones for all reporting dashboards
  4. Accept that some discrepancy is normal; focus on directional trends

Issue: Campaigns Not Delivering Impressions

Symptoms: Campaign approved but not generating impressions or clicks.

Diagnosis:

  • Bid too low for competitive content categories
  • Targeting too narrow (geo, device, audience)
  • Budget constraints limiting delivery
  • Content quality or relevance score too low
  • Campaign paused or scheduled for future dates

Resolution:

  1. Increase bid by 20-30% and monitor for impression growth
  2. Broaden targeting criteria to expand potential reach
  3. Raise daily or total budget to remove delivery throttling
  4. Improve content quality: use compelling headlines and high-quality images
  5. Verify campaign status is "Active" and scheduled dates are current

Issue: High Impressions, Low Click-Through Rate

Symptoms: Ads showing frequently but not getting clicks.

Diagnosis:

  • Ad creative (headline, image) not compelling or relevant
  • Content mismatch with publisher context
  • Ad fatigue from overexposure to same audience
  • Placement on low-quality or irrelevant publisher sites

Resolution:

  1. Refresh ad creative: test new headlines and images
  2. Review placement reports and exclude underperforming publisher sites
  3. Rotate multiple creative variants to combat ad fatigue
  4. Refine targeting to better match audience interests
  5. Use Outbrain's content recommendations to test different content angles

Escalation & Communication

Internal Escalation Path

  1. First-line support: Marketing operations or analytics team reviews pixel implementation
  2. Developer involvement: If pixel code or data layer issues identified, involve engineering
  3. Account manager: For campaign performance issues, consult internal media buying lead
  4. Executive escalation: For business-critical issues affecting revenue or brand safety

Outbrain Support

  • Email support available through Amplify dashboard help center
  • Account managers for managed accounts with dedicated support
  • Technical support for API integration and server-side tracking issues
  • Escalate pixel issues with full diagnostics (screenshots, network logs, example URLs)

Documentation for Support Tickets

When contacting Outbrain support, include:

  • Outbrain account ID and campaign ID
  • Specific URL where pixel is installed
  • Screenshots of browser developer tools showing pixel requests
  • Description of expected vs. actual behavior
  • Steps already taken to troubleshoot
  • Timeline of when issue started

Preventive Maintenance

Monthly Pixel Audits

  • Crawl all landing pages to verify pixel presence and correct implementation
  • Test conversion flow on staging environment before production changes
  • Review placement reports to identify and block low-quality publisher sites
  • Monitor conversion rate trends to spot sudden drops indicating tracking issues

Quarterly Configuration Reviews

  • Review conversion action settings and attribution windows
  • Audit user access and remove inactive accounts
  • Update conversion value rules to reflect current pricing or product mix
  • Validate integration with analytics platforms is still functioning correctly

Continuous Monitoring

  • Set up alerts for sudden drops in conversion volume or rate
  • Monitor campaign spend pacing to avoid budget overruns
  • Track click-to-conversion time to identify funnel bottlenecks
  • Review brand safety reports for unexpected placements

Debugging Checklist

  • Pixel installed on all required pages (landing page, conversion page)
  • Pixel ID matches Amplify account configuration
  • No JavaScript errors in browser console blocking pixel execution
  • Conversion events firing at the correct step in user journey
  • Conversion parameters (value, order ID) populated correctly
  • Attribution window settings appropriate for business model
  • Time zones aligned between Outbrain and internal reporting
  • Conversion counting method set correctly (unique vs. all)
  • API integrations authenticated and not rate-limited
  • Campaign targeting and bidding configured to enable delivery
  • Placement exclusions updated to block undesirable sites
  • Analytics platform integration verified with test conversions
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