How to Add Retargeting & Tracking Pixels to Links

Retargeting, also known as remarketing, is a powerful advertising technique that lets you show targeted ads to people who have already interacted with your brand.

By adding a tracking pixel to your links, you can tag everyone who clicks and add them to a custom "audience" — then re-engage that warm audience with ads, for higher conversion rates and a better return on your ad spend.

Linkly has built-in, code-free support for every major advertising and analytics pixel. You don't paste any script — just pick the platform, paste your ID, and save. Linkly fires the pixel automatically the instant someone clicks, then forwards them to the destination.

Linkly is a privacy-focused platform. The retargeting is done by the ad networks themselves, not by Linkly. Linkly simply provides a way to fire the tracking pixels.

Supported pixels and tags

Each platform below has a dedicated integration — you only need to paste its ID:

  • Meta Pixel — Pixel ID
  • TikTok Pixel — Pixel ID
  • LinkedIn Insight Tag — Partner ID
  • X Pixel — Pixel ID
  • Pinterest Tag — Tag ID
  • Microsoft Advertising (UET) — UET Tag ID
  • Snap Pixel — Pixel ID
  • Reddit Pixel — Advertiser ID
  • Google Analytics (GA4) — Measurement ID
  • Google Tag Manager — Container ID

Need something else? Use the Custom tracking scripts section to paste your own <head> and <body> code for any pixel or script Linkly doesn't list natively.

What is retargeting?

Retargeting, sometimes known as remarketing, is the process of invisibly tagging a user as showing an interest in a product or service, with the intention of showing them targeted ads at a later date.

Users who have been tagged are called an audience. Each ad network gives it its own name:

With Linkly, you can add users to these retargeting audiences automatically as they click on your links.

What is a tracking pixel?

A tracking pixel is an invisible piece of code that identifies a user and an action (e.g. 'viewed a product' or 'clicked a link').

The ad network records this, and you can then build ads and audiences around the people who completed those actions.

1

From your ad network (Meta, TikTok, LinkedIn, and so on), copy the ID for the pixel or tag you want to fire. Each network has its own name for it — see the list above.

2

In your Linkly dashboard, click Create New Link, or open an existing link to edit it.

3

Open the Tracking scripts & audience pixels section

Expand the Tracking scripts & audience pixels section in the link editor. You'll see an icon for each supported platform.

4

Click the platform you want to fire — for example Meta, LinkedIn or X. A field appears; paste your ID into it.

You can switch on as many platforms as you like — a single link can fire several pixels at once.

5

For any pixel or script Linkly doesn't natively support, expand the Custom tracking scripts section instead.

You'll see two boxes: one for head tags and one for body tags. Paste the full code — including any <script> tags — following your provider's instructions.

Add a custom script (optional)
Add a custom script (optional)
6

Click Save Link. Now, whenever someone clicks this link, your pixels fire and the visitor is added to your retargeting audiences before being forwarded to the destination.

Frequently asked questions

Adding retargeting pixels to your links allows you to:

  • Build custom audiences of people who have shown interest in your content.
  • Increase conversion rates by showing targeted ads to a warm audience.
  • Improve your return on ad spend by focusing your advertising efforts on people who are more likely to convert.
  • Gain valuable insights into who is clicking your links and what they're interested in.

Do I need to paste any code?

No. For every supported platform you only paste an ID, and Linkly builds and fires the full pixel for you. You only need raw code if you're adding a pixel Linkly doesn't natively support, in which case you can paste it into the Custom tracking scripts section.

Which ad networks are supported?

Linkly has built-in, code-free integrations for Meta (Facebook), TikTok, LinkedIn, X (Twitter), Pinterest, Microsoft Advertising (UET), Snap, Reddit, Google Analytics (GA4) and Google Tag Manager. For any other network you can paste a custom script into the Custom tracking scripts section, or use Google Tag Manager to manage all your tags in one place.

How do I know if my tracking pixel is working?

Most ad networks provide tools to help you debug your pixel implementation. For example, Meta has the Facebook Pixel Helper Chrome extension. You can also check your ad network's analytics to see if your audience is growing.

Yes, adding tracking pixels can slow down redirects. Linkly is designed to fire the pixel and redirect the user simultaneously, but there can still be a small performance impact. The tags have 500 milliseconds to fire after the DOMContentLoaded event. You can read more about slow redirects here.

Yes. You can switch on as many of the supported pixels as you like on a single link, and add further custom scripts in the Custom tracking scripts boxes.

What about the deprecation of third-party cookies?

The advertising industry is moving away from third-party cookies, which will affect how retargeting works. However, the technologies that Linkly uses for retargeting are based on first-party data and are not affected by this change. Ad networks are also developing new privacy-preserving technologies to continue to allow for retargeting in a post-cookie world.

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