What are de-duplicated conversions?
De-duplicated conversions count each sale once, even when a pixel, a server and several ad platforms all report it. Here are Meta, TikTok and Snapchat's deduplication rules, why platforms overlap, and a worked AED example.
De-duplicated conversions are conversions counted once, even when several sources report the same sale. Duplicates appear at two levels: inside one ad platform, when the pixel and the server both send an event, and across platforms, when Meta, Google Ads and TikTok each claim the same order. De-duplicating gives you one true conversion count.
How does deduplication work inside an ad platform?
Each platform matches browser and server events on a shared ID within a time window:
| Platform | Match on | Window |
|---|---|---|
| Meta | Event name and event_id (Pixel eventID) | 48 hours from the first event |
| TikTok | Same event and event_id | 48 hours; Pixel and Events API copies are merged or deduplicated |
| Snapchat | Pixel client_dedup_id = CAPI event_id | 48 hours; purchase fallback on transaction ID up to 30 days |
Sources: Meta, TikTok and Snap developer documentation. TikTok records the first event received, and Meta says it generally prefers the event received first.
What about duplicates across platforms?
Ad platforms do not de-duplicate against each other. Each counts the conversions it can link to its own ads, under its own attribution window. The fix is to count each order ID once, against your store or CRM, then decide which channels get credit.
De-duplicated conversions example
An illustrative UAE brand spends AED 36,000 in a month. Meta reports 120 purchases, Google Ads 90 and TikTok 40, a total of 250. The store shows 180 paid-media orders.
| Measure | Platform totals | De-duplicated |
|---|---|---|
| Conversions | 250 | 180 |
| CPA | AED 144 | AED 200 |
Seventy of the 250 claimed conversions (28%) are duplicates, and the real CPA is 39% higher than the dashboards suggest.
Related terms
See conversions API, attribution model and CPA.
How Grower helps
Grower's attribution engine "de-duplicates conversions from every channel and app into one unified conversion count, then credits each touchpoint with the attribution model you pick, or one you build yourself."
Frequently asked questions
Why do my ad platforms report more conversions than my store?
Each platform claims every conversion it can link to its own ads, using its own window, and some count views as well as clicks. When a customer clicks a Google ad and saw a Meta ad, both report the sale. Platforms may also add modeled conversions. Add the dashboards together and the total exceeds your real orders.
What is event deduplication?
Event deduplication is how one ad platform avoids counting the same event twice when it arrives from both the browser pixel and the server. You send the same event name and a shared event ID through both, and the platform keeps one copy if they arrive within its window, which is 48 hours for Meta, TikTok and Snapchat.
Which number should I use for ROAS and CPA?
Use de-duplicated conversions, matched to your store or CRM, for budget decisions and blended ROAS or CPA. Keep each platform's own numbers for bidding inside that platform, since its algorithms learn from them. Then compare the two: a big gap on one channel tells you where its reporting overlaps with other channels.
Check your real cost per order against platform claims with the ROAS calculator, or book a Grower demo to see every channel on one de-duplicated count.