Taboola Conversions API Setup: S2S Postback Without Code

What is the Taboola Conversions API?

The Taboola Conversions API is the name advertisers use for Taboola Realize's server-to-server (S2S) conversion tracking. Instead of a browser pixel, your server — or a tool like SignalBridge — sends each conversion to Taboola with the click ID, using a GET postback or a bulk POST of up to 1,000 conversions. No API key is required.

Taboola's own documentation calls the two delivery methods the S2S postback URL and bulk S2S conversions. Third-party vendors such as Hightouch label the bulk endpoint the "Taboola Conversions API", and that is how many advertisers search for it. They all describe the same mechanism:

This guide shows how to turn it on without writing code using SignalBridge's Taboola by Realize integration, and explains exactly what is happening underneath so you can debug it. If you want the developer-level deep dive on building your own postback endpoint, read our Taboola server-side tracking guide.

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Why send Taboola conversions server-side?

Taboola's Realize platform optimizes bids on the conversions it can see. Its Maximize Conversions bidding, for example, "uses conversion data and behavioral signals to adjust bids in real time", according to Realize's El Corte Inglés case study. On the Q2 2026 earnings call, Taboola management described Realize+ as an AI optimization framework bringing the kind of automation advertisers expect from Google Performance Max and Meta Advantage+ to the open web, with more than 300 advertisers already in beta.

Every one of those systems is only as good as the conversion data it receives. A browser pixel cannot send what the browser blocks:

• 1.1 billion people run ad blockers globally, about 30% of internet users, and 37% of US desktop users block ads (see our ad blocker statistics for 2026).
• Native funnels often pass through advertorial or pre-sell pages and redirects, which is exactly where browser-side tracking and click IDs break.
• Safari and Firefox restrict the cookies and scripts that browser-based attribution depends on.
• Shoppers who pay through an external gateway often close the tab before the thank-you page, so the pixel never fires.

Server-side delivery removes the browser from the conversion path. Taboola recommends combining both methods: its conversion tracking overview states, "For more complete conversion data, use both pixel and S2S when possible." The same logic applies to every platform we support, from Meta CAPI to Google Enhanced Conversions.

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Four ways to send Taboola conversions without writing code

"No code" means different things depending on the method. Here is how the realistic options compare:

Taboola's official Shopify app is its recommended way to install the browser pixel on Shopify, and we recommend keeping it. SignalBridge adds the server-side half. See our server-side tracking pricing comparison for how the managed options stack up on cost.

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What the Taboola Conversions API needs before you start

Every working Taboola S2S setup depends on three things. Get these right and the rest is mechanical.

1. A valid click ID. Taboola automatically appends tblci={click_id} to every ad URL. The click ID is a case-sensitive string, typically 70 to 120 characters, and Taboola warns that "a truncated (or otherwise corrupted) value will be ignored." Redirects, link shorteners, and URL cleaners that rewrite query strings are the usual way it gets damaged.

2. An exact event name. The name you send must match the Event Name field of a conversion defined in Realize. Not the Conversion Name, which is just a label. Names are case-sensitive: lead and Lead are different events.

3. The parameter rename. Your landing page receives tblci, but the postback must send it back as click-id (with a hyphen). Taboola states the parameter "must be named click-id, exactly as shown. Otherwise, no conversions will be recorded."

If you use SignalBridge, point 3 is handled for you. Points 1 and 2 are covered in the steps below.

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How to set up the Taboola Conversions API without code (6 steps)

These steps assume you already run campaigns in Realize. Total time is about 3 minutes once you have your Taboola API credentials.

Step 1: Create the conversions in Taboola Realize

In Realize, create one event-based conversion for each outcome you want Taboola to optimize toward:

1. Open Realize and select your account (top left).
2. In the left sidebar, choose Tracking.
3. Click + New Conversion, select Create conversions using code, and click Continue.
4. Enter a descriptive Conversion Name (for example, "Purchase"). This is only a label.
5. Set Conversion Type to EVENT and leave Fixed Value blank for purchases, since the value is dynamic.
6. Choose the Category and confirm the Event Name matches the table below.
7. For purchases, keep both Include in total conversions and Include in total value checked. For soft events such as add to cart, clear Include in total value so they do not inflate reported revenue.
8. Skip the Event Code section (that is the pixel snippet) and click Create.

Use this mapping so the names SignalBridge sends line up with your Realize conversions:

The checkout row is the one that trips people up. Taboola's default Event Name for the Start Checkout category is start_checkout, while SignalBridge sends initiate_checkout. Realize lets you edit the Event Name when you create the conversion, so set it to initiate_checkout and the two sides match. SignalBridge supports 17 events in total; for any event without a Taboola preset (for example start_trial or schedule), create a conversion whose Event Name equals the name SignalBridge sends.

Step 2: Confirm the tblci click ID reaches your site

Click one of your Taboola ads (or use the test link from Step 5) and check that the landing page URL contains tblci= followed by a long string. Taboola adds this automatically, so no campaign setup is needed unless you changed the default.

Two rules keep the click ID intact:

• Do not strip query parameters. If you use a redirect, advertorial page, or link shortener between Taboola and your store, make sure it forwards tblci unchanged.
• Keep the default parameter name. Taboola lets you define a custom parameter such as tbl_click_id={click_id}, but SignalBridge's script captures the standard tblci parameter, so leave the default in place.

Step 3: Connect Taboola in SignalBridge

1. Open your SignalBridge dashboard and go to Pixel Settings for your store.
2. Find Taboola (labelled "S2S Conversion Tracking") in the integration catalog and click Connect Taboola.
3. Enter your Client ID, Client Secret, and Account ID. These are your Taboola Backstage API credentials, available in your Taboola account settings or from your Taboola account manager. The Account ID looks like taboolaaccount-yourbrand.
4. Click Connect. SignalBridge requests a token and checks that it can reach the account. A Connected badge confirms success.
5. Click Test at any time. A healthy connection returns "Connection successful! Credentials valid and Backstage API accessible."

You may wonder why credentials are needed when the postback itself requires none. The S2S postback is unauthenticated, as Taboola's docs state. The credentials let SignalBridge validate that the account is yours and sync your Taboola ad spend, so you can see true CPA and ROAS next to your conversions. See the Taboola by Realize integration page for the full feature list.

Step 4: Add the tracking script and choose your lead event

If you have not installed SignalBridge yet, add the one-line tracking script (Shopify merchants can install from the Shopify App Store). The script captures tblci from the landing URL, stores it in a first-party cookie for 30 days, and includes it with your events.

Back in the Taboola card, use Lead event routing if you track lead-style actions. It lets you pick which Taboola event receives SignalBridge's lead-type events (Lead, CompleteRegistration, SubmitApplication, Contact, SignUp, Subscribe, StartTrial, Schedule). Choose the one that matches the conversion you created in Realize. If you run a single "Lead" conversion in Realize, route everything to lead.

Step 5: Verify with Realize's Server Events test tool

Never trust a configuration you have not seen working. Taboola ships a purpose-built S2S verification tool:

1. In Realize, open Tracking, then the Test Events tab under Conversions.
2. Expand Server Events and select a campaign.
3. Click Generate QR Code. It adds a tblci test value to the URL.
4. Scan the code with your phone (or open the test link on desktop) and complete the conversion on your store, such as a test purchase.
5. Watch the Events Received panel on the right. Your event should appear within moments with the correct conversion name and no error icon.

If the event appears, your click ID, event name, and delivery are all correct.

Step 6: Decide how the pixel and S2S work together

Keep the Taboola Pixel installed. Taboola's deduplication rules make running both safe, and its tip is to install the base pixel "even when using S2S only for conversion tracking" because it helps Taboola optimize your campaigns. Then confirm each key conversion has Include in total conversions checked so Taboola's bidding optimizes toward it.

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How Taboola deduplicates pixel and S2S events

The most common worry is double counting. Taboola handles it with a defined rule set, and only events from the same click are compared:

Taboola calls running both methods "dual-method tracking" and names it the best practice. It gives you redundancy: if the pixel is blocked, S2S still delivers; if both fire, S2S wins. Pass a unique orderid with every purchase so duplicates can be recognized. For the general theory behind this, see our guide to event deduplication.

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What the raw postback looks like

You do not need to write this by hand with SignalBridge, but understanding it makes debugging far faster.

The single-conversion postback (GET)

GET https://trc.taboola.com/actions-handler/log/3/s2s-action?click-id=GiC3sJdfEHXrroWoRIMZNc-HmQGs4UllzePkXl8h7XSOfSDOqFUoqNjkqZDk_6u1ATCn214&name=make_purchase&revenue=89.50&currency=USD&orderid=ORD-10492

Note the /log/ segment in the path. It is part of Taboola's documented endpoint, and tutorials that omit it send requests to the wrong URL.

Taboola documents 19 supported currency codes: AUD, BRL, CAD, CNY, EUR, GBP, HKD, ILS, INR, JPY, KRW, MXN, NZD, RUB, SGD, THB, TRY, USD, and ZAR. If your store sells in another currency (for example CHF, SEK, PLN, DKK, or BGN), confirm with your Taboola account manager how revenue is handled before you rely on value-based bidding.

The bulk endpoint (POST)

High-volume advertisers can send up to 1,000 conversions per request. Note the hyphenated keys, the actions wrapper, and the millisecond timestamp:

POST https://trc.taboola.com/123456/log/3/bulk-s2s-action
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "actions": [
    {
      "timestamp": 1620723457405,
      "click-id": "GiCsfhikbv6Ov6YdzFR8_JyZp76Rxqey1Lu0AQ",
      "name": "make_purchase",
      "revenue": 54.0,
      "currency": "USD",
      "orderid": "ORD-101"
    }
  ]
}

The {account-id} in the path is your numeric Taboola Account ID, and no authentication header is sent.

Response codes

That last row matters: a bulk request can return 204 and still record nothing if the click ID is wrong. Taboola states that "at this time, the param values in bulk submit requests are not validated."

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What SignalBridge does behind the scenes

Building these mechanics yourself is where S2S projects stall. Here is what the integration handles for you:

Pair this with bot filtering so fake sessions never become conversion signals. Native placements attract more non-human traffic than most channels, and an optimizer trained on bot conversions buys more bot traffic.

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Troubleshooting: conversions appear in SignalBridge but not in Taboola

Work down this table in order. The first three causes account for the large majority of failures.

Remember the attribution window too. Conversions outside the Click Through Conversion Window configured on the Realize conversion are not credited to the click.

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Measuring the impact on Taboola performance

Do not judge the setup by raw conversion counts alone. Compare these over two to four weeks:

1. Taboola-reported conversions vs. your order system. Compare what Realize reports with your own count of orders that came from Taboola clicks. A persistent gap signals a click ID or event-naming problem.
2. CPA and ROAS trend. More complete conversion data should lower reported CPA, because Taboola is now seeing sales it previously missed. Your true ROAS should stay flat; reported ROAS should converge on it.
3. Monthly spot checks. Run the Server Events test once a month, and again after any theme, redirect, or checkout change, so a broken click ID is caught in days rather than quarters.

If Taboola is an assist channel in your funnel rather than a last-click winner, also review assisted conversions before you judge its value.

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FAQ

Does Taboola have a Conversions API?

Yes, but Taboola calls it server-to-server (S2S) tracking. Advertisers send conversions through either a GET postback URL or a bulk endpoint that accepts up to 1,000 conversions per request. Third parties often label the bulk endpoint the "Taboola Conversions API". Neither method uses an API key; the Taboola click ID attributes each conversion.

What is the Taboola S2S postback URL?

The postback URL is https://trc.taboola.com/actions-handler/log/3/s2s-action, called with the query parameters click-id and name (both required) plus optional revenue, currency, quantity, and orderid. A successful request returns HTTP 204. Note the /log/ segment, which some older tutorials omit.

Why does Taboola use tblci in the URL but click-id in the postback?

Taboola appends the click ID to your landing page as tblci, but the S2S API expects the same value under the name click-id, with a hyphen. If you send tblci= in the postback, no conversion is recorded. SignalBridge performs this rename automatically.

Can I set up the Taboola Conversions API without code?

Yes. Create the event-based conversion in Realize, connect Taboola in SignalBridge with your Client ID, Client Secret, and Account ID, and verify the result in Realize's Test Events tool. The whole process takes about 3 minutes, and no theme edits or developer work are required.

Do I still need the Taboola Pixel if I use S2S?

Taboola recommends using both. Its documentation advises installing the base pixel even when S2S handles conversion tracking, because the pixel helps Taboola optimize campaigns. If both report the same event for the same Click ID, Taboola keeps the S2S event and deduplicates the pixel event.

How do I know the Taboola S2S integration is working?

Use the Server Events tool in Realize under Tracking, then Test Events. Generate the QR code, complete a test conversion, and confirm the event appears in the Events Received panel with the right conversion name and no error icon. Do not rely on a 204 response alone, especially for bulk requests.

Does the Taboola Conversions API work with Shopify?

Yes. Keep Taboola's official Shopify pixel app for browser-side coverage and add SignalBridge for the server-side half. Purchase events are sent with revenue, currency, and order ID, and the two methods deduplicate on the Taboola side.

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Related reading

• How to Set Up Taboola Server-Side Tracking (S2S): Complete 2026 Guide — the developer-level deep dive on postbacks and bulk delivery
• What is CAPI? Meta CAPI (Conversions API) Explained — the same server-side concept on Meta
• Google Enhanced Conversions: Complete Setup Guide — server-side first-party data for Google Ads
• Ad Blocker Usage Statistics 2026 — how many visitors your pixel cannot see
• What is Event Deduplication? — why running pixel and server together does not double count
• 7 Best Bot Filter Tools for Ad Tracking — keep non-human clicks out of your conversion data
• How to Calculate True ROAS — judge Taboola against your real numbers
• What Are Assisted Conversions? — give native ads credit for the sales they start
• 7 Best TikTok Events API Tools — another click-ID-based server-side integration
• Server-Side Tracking Cost in 2026 — what managed S2S costs across tools
• What is Server-Side Tracking? — the foundational guide