OpenAI Ads

Configure the OpenAI Pixel and Conversions API with event ID deduplication.

Set up the OpenAI Pixel in the web container first. Then send matching events through the OpenAI Conversions API.

Both tags send the same conversion. Give both tags the same event name and event ID. OpenAI can then deduplicate the events and count one conversion.

This hybrid setup captures browser and server events. It also reduces losses from ad blockers and browser cookie restrictions.

What you'll configure

You will create:

• An OpenAI Pixel tag in the GTM web container.

• An OpenAI Conversions API tag in the GTM server container.

• One shared event_id for each matching browser and server event.

Use this page for the complete implementation. See OpenAI credentials, event ID deduplication, and campaign URL tracking.

Before you start

Make sure you have:

• A GTM web container with GA4 event tags.

• A GTM server container that receives the GA4 events.

• The OpenAI Pixel ID and API Key from OpenAI Ads Manager. See Where to find the OpenAI Pixel ID and API Key.

• A Unique Event ID variable in the web container.

Confirm that the client's OpenAI Ads Manager account is active. It provides the Pixel ID, conversion configuration, and API key.

Part 1: Set up client-side tracking

Step 1: Add the OpenAI Pixel template

1. Open your GTM web container and go to Templates.

2. Under Tag Templates, click Search Gallery.

3. Search for the OpenAI Pixel tag template and add it.

Step 2: Create a Pixel ID variable

1. Go to Variables and create a Constant variable.

2. Set its value to the OpenAI Pixel ID.

3. Save it as your Pixel ID variable.

Step 3: Create client-side event tags

1. Create a new OpenAI Pixel tag.

2. Select your Pixel ID variable.

3. Choose Inherit from DataLayer to reuse the GA4 event name.

4. Choose Override only when OpenAI requires a different event name.

5. Keep Automatic Event Parameters mapping enabled.

6. Under Server-Side Tracking Settings, set Event ID to your Unique Event ID variable.

7. Use the same trigger as the matching GA4 event tag.

Repeat this for every event you want to track. Include page_view with the same trigger as the GA4 page view tag.

Step 4: Pass the event ID to GA4

Add the same Unique Event ID variable to every matching GA4 event tag:

1. Open the GA4 event tag.

2. Add an event parameter named event_id.

3. Set its value to the Unique Event ID variable.

4. Save the tag.

The server container can now read the event ID from the GA4 event.

Part 2: Set up server-side tracking

Step 5: Add the Conversions API template

1. Open your GTM server container and go to Templates.

2. Under Tag Templates, click Search Gallery.

3. Add the OpenAI Conversions API tag template.

Step 6: Create the server-side tag

1. Create a new OpenAI Conversions API tag.

2. Under Event Name Setup Method, choose Inherit from client.

3. Choose Override only when the Pixel tag uses the same override.

4. Choose the correct Action Source, such as Website.

5. Enter the OpenAI Pixel ID and API key.

6. Keep Automatic Event Parameters mapping enabled.

Step 7: Pass the event ID to OpenAI

1. Create a server-container variable that reads the incoming event_id event parameter.

2. Open the OpenAI Conversions API tag.

3. Under Server Event Data Parameters, add Event ID.

4. Set its value to the server-side event ID variable.

Step 8: Configure consent and the trigger

Enable Consent Granted / GTM Consent Mode support. Map it to marketing consent.

Create a trigger for the events you want to send. Use both conditions:

• {{Event Name}} matches RegEx purchase|order_completed.

• {{Client Name}} equals GA4.

Leave Set Click ID cookie enabled unless the client requires otherwise. It stores OpenAI's click ID in the first-party __oppref cookie.

The Pixel and Conversions API tags must use the same event name and event ID. Different values prevent deduplication.

Test and validate the complete setup in preview mode

Before you publish, confirm that the OpenAI cookies reach the server container and that the Conversions API tag forwards the click ID (oppref) and the browser reference (obref) to OpenAI.

The Pixel stores both values in first-party cookies (__oppref and __obref). The Conversions API does not capture them for you. The tag must find the click ID in the URL, the cookie, or the event data, and send it as oppref. The browser reference goes in user.obref, unchanged.

Prepare the test

1. Open a clean incognito window. Connect GTM preview mode for both the web container and the server container.

2. Work in a separate workspace. If the tag offers Validate Only, enable it for the test, so test events are excluded from measurement. Switch it off again before you publish.

3. Open a landing page with a test click ID, for example https://yourdomain.com/?oppref=test123. You can also click a test campaign

Where to look in server preview

Location	What to check
Incoming request (client)	The cookie header contains __oppref and __obref. If they are missing, the tag cannot read them. The server container is probably not running on a first-party domain of the website.
Event Data	page_location contains the oppref parameter. The consent state shows ad_storage granted.
OpenAI tag → Request	The URL is https://bzr.openai.com/v1/events?pid=<PIXEL-ID>. The body contains oppref, user.obref, id and source_url.
Browser → Application → Cookies	__oppref exists with the expected domain and expiry. The server container sets it in the Set-Cookie header of its response.

Run the test scenarios

#	Scenario	Expected result
1	Landing page with oppref in the URL, marketing consent granted	The first event contains oppref, equal to the URL value. The __oppref cookie is set.
2	Second page view without oppref in the URL	oppref comes from the cookie and has the same value.
3	Second ad click with a different oppref	The new value is sent and the cookie is overwritten.
4	Direct visit without oppref	oppref is omitted from the body. It is not an empty string.
5	Marketing consent denied	No request goes to OpenAI and no cookies are set. Revoking consent removes the cookies.
6	Consent given after the landing page loaded	The OpenAI tag fires after the consent update and still contains oppref from the URL.
7	user.obref	Equals the value of the __obref cookie and is not hashed.
8	Pixel and Conversions API together	Both send the same event ID, so only one conversion counts.
9	Purchase sent from a shop webhook	No browser cookies are available. Store the click ID with the order and set it manually in the tag.

Apply the findings to the template

1. Update the OpenAI Conversions API template to the latest version from the gallery. Check that the user fields in the request body match the OpenAI specification, for example emails_sha256, cities, postal_codes and countries as lists.

2. If oppref is missing on the first event although page_location contains it, set the Click ID manually under Server Event Data Parameters. Use a variable that reads oppref from page_location first, then from the __oppref cookie, then from the event data. Manual values take precedence over automapped ones, so make sure the variable falls back correctly. Test in preview what happens when the variable is empty.

3. Keep Set Click ID cookie enabled. Leave HTTP Only on its default (off), so browser scripts can still read the cookie. Choose an expiry that matches OpenAI's cookie lifetime of 30 to 90 days.

4. Fire the OpenAI Pixel page_view tag after the consent update. The landing URL contains oppref on the first page only. If the tag fires before consent is known, the click ID is lost.

5. Use the same Unique Event ID in both tags. Disable Autogenerate an Event ID in the server tag when the Pixel also sends events.

Check the result after publishing

In the outgoing request logs, confirm that:

• Landing pages with oppref in the URL carry oppref in the request body.

• Follow-up page views carry the same value.

• No requests contain "validate_only": true.

• The number of non-2xx responses does not increase.

Only send the click ID, hashed emails and cookie values for visitors who granted marketing consent. Test values such as test123 reach OpenAI as real events unless Validate Only is enabled.