FAQs:

Facebook Ads Connector – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. I'm noticing data discrepancies for yesterday, or for the past 15–30 days, even though my Daton jobs are running every hour without any reported failure. What could be causing this, and how does the data sync mechanism affect it?
   There are two types of loads:
   • Incremental Job: Fetches the current day’s data and runs every hour (or as configured).
   • Lookback Job: Fetches data for the past X days (as per your lookback window, e.g., 30 days) and typically runs once daily at 12:00 a.m. in the advertiser account’s timezone.
     If data changes after the lookback job has already run for the day, those changes won't reflect until the next day's lookback run. That means your data can appear stale by up to 24 hours.
      
2. My Facebook Ads integration pulls data from multiple regions (USA, Canada, Europe, UK, etc.). In which timezone will the data be available?
   All data is fetched in the timezone of the first ad account configured at the time of integration. Because timezone is fixed at the integration level—not per ad account—having multiple regional accounts under a single integration may cause inconsistencies. For best results, create separate integrations based on regions/timezones.
    
3. Why am I missing historical data in my Facebook Ads reports?
   Facebook Ads API allows access to up to 37 months of historical data for most metrics. However, data availability can be limited for certain dimensions (like Reach with Gender, Age, Placement) which may be available only for up to 13 months. To retain older data, export and archive it periodically.
    
4. How does the attribution window affect the data I see in my reports?
   The attribution window defines how long after an ad interaction a conversion can still be credited to the ad. Facebook supports multiple attribution windows (e.g., 1-day click, 7-day click, 1-day view). To avoid mismatches with Ads Manager, the attribution setting in Daton must match the one used in your campaign.
    
5. Why do I see differences between Daton’s Facebook Ads data and the data shown in Facebook Ads Manager UI?
   Several reasons can cause differences:
   • Aggregation level differences (campaign, ad group, ad)
   • Mismatched attribution windows
   • Incomplete or outdated data due to lookback window settings
   • Facebook may retroactively update data, which is only captured in the next lookback job
     Always use lookback jobs and consistent attribution settings, and review your selected fields/breakdowns.
      
6. My data matches for the last 30 days, but there are discrepancies for older dates. Why is this?
   Updates to your campaign results after the lookback window won’t be captured by incremental loads. To address this, increase your lookback window in Daton to re-fetch older data. A 30-day window is recommended, but some use cases may require longer.
    
7. How do I grant Daton (or another integration) access to my Facebook Ads account?
   Make sure you have Admin or Advertiser access to the ad account. If you’re working on behalf of someone else, they need to assign you as a partner in Meta Business Manager. Once access is granted, authenticate the connector using your Facebook login and authorize all required permissions for Daton.
    
8. What should I do if my access token expires or I get a permission denied error?
   You need to re-authenticate the integration. Log in again using the account with access to the ad accounts and grant all requested permissions. Make sure you still have access roles such as Admin or Advertiser under the relevant Business Manager.
    
9. Can I sync Instagram Ads data using this connector?
   Yes, if your Instagram account is linked to your Facebook Ad account. Daton will retrieve Instagram metrics using the same API and will differentiate platforms using the publisher_platform field. Ensure the accounts are properly linked in Facebook Business Manager and selected during integration setup.
    
10. How can I adjust which fields and metrics are synced?
    You can change your schema in Daton integration settings. When adding new fields:
    • Load: Adds new columns and fetches data from the current sync date onward.
    • Reload: Drops the table and re-fetches all data from the start of your historical window (up to 37 months).
      Be aware that some fields may require additional permissions or fall under API limitations.
       
11. Can I create custom reports or tables with specific breakdowns (e.g., by device, placement, or demographic)?
    Yes, you can use the custom tab in Daton’s UI while selecting tables and reports. You can combine supported breakdowns and dimensions as allowed by Facebook APIs. Keep in mind that some breakdowns might reduce your available historical data or return fewer supported metrics.
     
12. What happens if I change the lookback window after setup?
    Changing the lookback window affects how much historical data gets re-fetched during every run:
    • Increasing the window allows syncing of late conversions or metric updates.
    • Decreasing makes syncs faster but may skip late-arriving data changes.
      Adjust based on your attribution window and business use case.
       
13. How do I troubleshoot missing or incomplete data for some campaigns or ad sets?
    • Confirm you have the correct permissions and the ad account is active.
    • Review field and breakdown selections.
    • Check Facebook Ads API limitations for specific metrics.
    • Validate whether the campaign/ad group was part of the selected timeframe and lookback window.
      If the issue persists, contact support with the table name, account, and missing data examples.
       
14. What should I do if I encounter API rate limit errors?
    Facebook enforces API rate limits. To avoid them:
    • Reduce the frequency or scope of your sync jobs.
    • Avoid overlapping large-sync jobs (especially manual "sync now" actions).
      If the issue continues, enable retry/recovery logic and reach out to support for batch tuning assistance.

If you have further questions or need specific troubleshooting, please contact our support team with details such as your integration name and tables affected.

Release Notes:
 
November 2021

Fix for the account of the relation facebook51187416ads_adlabels column. 

September 2021

Attribution changes are done.

August 2021

UI for breakdowns and additional columns added to AdInsights.

May 2021

Added new tables and fixed long-running jobs.

February 2021

Source level changes to mask messages for Notifications.

January 2021

• Memory leak fixed.
• Configuration pages revamped.

June 2020

Added support for date_preset parameters for hourly updates.

January 2020

API calls to AdInsights and Breakdowns have been made asynchronous. 
Some of the loads might have been stopped due to rate limits and time-out errors for these tables. 
Reloading these tables for your respective projects will be highly recommended.

November 2019

Error notifications will be displayed in a user-readable message. 
Note: The error messages are not comprehensive and new messages would be updated for these sources when they occur.