Improving Meta Ad Performance: Expert Answers to Your EMQ Score Questions

Guest post by Kayle Larkin, Head of Marketing at Elevar

For eCommerce brands, leveraging Meta ads is critical to a successful online marketing strategy.

But maximizing return on ad spend (ROAS) often boils down to one essential factor: your Event Match Quality (EMQ) score.

This score affects how well Meta can match your ad data with real users on its platform, which can drastically improve ad performance, lower CPMs, and help you connect with customers more meaningfully.

Below we answer frequently asked questions about EMQ scores to help you maximize your Meta ad effectiveness.

Q: What Is an EMQ Score?

A:Your EMQ score, or Event Match Quality score, reflects how well your customer data—things like email, IP address, and Facebook Click ID (FBCLID)—matches with Meta’s users.

Essentially, it gauges the completeness and matchability of your customer data for Meta’s targeting purposes.

Higher-quality matching helps your ads reach the right audience, improving the relevance and efficiency of your campaigns.

Example: If you run a Shopify store and regularly collect customer emails, phone numbers, and purchase data, Meta uses these identifiers to match your ads with customers who have similar traits.

The more matching parameters provided—especially top-priority items like email and FBCLID—the better Meta can target your ads. This is why collecting and properly transmitting accurate, rich data is key.

Q: How Are EMQ Scores Calculated?

A: Meta calculates EMQ scores using server-side data sent via the Conversions API (CAPI).

Events logged via traditional browser tracking methods (i.e., client-side events) aren’t included in the EMQ score calculation.

Meta assesses the quality and quantity of data points associated with each event within a 48-hour window, so these scores are not static and can fluctuate over time.

Brands should periodically check and update their data collection practices to ensure consistency and quality.

Technical Insight: Server-side tracking, unlike client-side tracking, enables a more comprehensive collection of customer data that’s harder to block by privacy settings or cookie restrictions.

By integrating CAPI, brands can transmit data directly from their servers to Meta, circumventing limitations that often impede client-side data tracking.

Q: Are EMQ Scores Based on Data Quality?

A: Surprisingly, EMQ scores focus on the quantity and completeness of data, not necessarily its accuracy. This means a high EMQ score is possible even if some data is inconsistent or out-of-date.

However, accuracy is crucial for ad performance. For example, an incorrect email or phone number won’t help Meta identify the correct audience.

Therefore, maintaining a balance between data quality and data quantity is essential. Brands should prioritize collecting valid data to ensure that every interaction contributes positively to their EMQ.

Q: What Is Considered a Good EMQ Score?

A: Generally, a score of 6-7 is strong for pre-checkout events, and 8-9 is ideal for checkout events. These scores indicate a well-matched set of data for Meta’s targeting algorithm. Aiming within these ranges places your ads in a favorable position to perform well in Meta’s ad auctions, which can ultimately lead to better ROAS and lower costs.

Quick Tip: For brands looking to increase their scores, prioritizing customer touchpoints that collect high-quality identifiers—such as verified email addresses or logged-in user interactions—can offer a substantial boost.

Q: Is It Possible to Achieve a Perfect 10 EMQ Score?

A: Achieving a perfect 10 is rare due to practical limitations. For instance, it’s unlikely that all pre-checkout events (like page views or product views) will contain comprehensive data like an email or Facebook user ID.

Rather than aiming for a perfect score, brands should focus on continuous improvement. Incremental changes, like updating data collection forms to reduce errors or enhancing server-side integration with Meta, can lead to sustainable score improvements over time.

Best Practice Example: If your checkout process allows customers to log in or create an account, collecting this data not only enhances the customer experience but also improves the quality of identifiers you can send to Meta. This, in turn, contributes to a higher EMQ score without requiring massive changes to your ad strategy.

Q: Will Running Fewer Meta Ads Hurt My EMQ Score?

A: Yes, it can. Businesses with a smaller Meta ad volume may face challenges in boosting their EMQ scores, particularly because FBCLID (Meta’s highest-priority tracking parameter) is added to all outbound links from Facebook ads.

Fewer ads mean less opportunity to gather FBCLID data, which may result in a lower score.

Quick Tip: For brands running smaller campaigns, focusing on optimizing high-engagement events (like checkouts or lead captures) can help ensure they maximize the available data.

Q: Why Do EMQ Scores Impact Meta Ad Performance?

A: EMQ scores play a role in determining your ad’s “Total Value,” which ultimately influences whether it wins Meta’s ad auction. The Total Value calculation is as follows:

Total Value = Bid x Estimated Action Rate x User Value

A lower EMQ score can reduce the Estimated Action Rate by limiting Meta’s ability to predict a positive outcome from the ad.

For example, if Meta has difficulty linking your ad clicks to actual conversions due to incomplete or mismatched data, the Total Value decreases. As a result, your ad may not reach as many potential customers, reducing its overall effectiveness.

Q: Can a High EMQ Score Improve Meta Ad Performance?

A: Absolutely. A high EMQ score can significantly improve your ad performance when paired with accurate data. High-quality, well-matched data enables Meta to find the best audiences for your ads, leading to increased engagement and higher conversion rates.

However, it’s worth noting that a high score alone isn’t a silver bullet; the quality of data matters. A high EMQ score with inconsistent or invalid data may ultimately harm campaign outcomes.

Example: Imagine a skincare brand that collects verified email addresses and phone numbers during each purchase. This high-quality, complete data helps Meta accurately identify the most responsive audience, allowing the brand’s ads to perform exceptionally well by reaching users with a genuine interest in skincare products.

Q: Can a High EMQ Score Help Meta Find Better Audiences for My Ads?

A: Yes. When Meta has access to comprehensive and accurate data, it can better understand the traits of users most likely to convert. This enables Meta’s algorithm to optimize ad delivery based on patterns that emerge from your data.

By improving the alignment between your data and Meta’s user profiles, you can increase the likelihood of reaching high-value customers and improve the effectiveness of your ad spend.

Q: Will Higher EMQ Scores Improve My Meta Ads Budget ROI, and If So, How?

A: In many cases, yes. By boosting your EMQ score, you effectively increase your Estimated Action Rate, which allows you to bid more strategically and still remain competitive. This can lead to improved budget efficiency, maximizing each dollar spent on ads. Better EMQ scores can result in lower costs per click (CPC) or per thousand impressions (CPM), especially if you can achieve higher ad relevance.

Advanced Tip: By using server-side integrations, such as Elevar’s Meta integration, you can maximize your data’s potential. Server-side data transmission captures 100% of conversions and provides richer customer insights. Brands using Elevar often report increases in their EMQ scores and an associated rise in ROAS due to these optimized data flows.

Q: Do EMQ Scores Impact Reporting in Ads Manager?

A: Yes. A high EMQ score can positively impact your ad spend ROI by raising your Estimated Action Rate. This allows you to potentially bid lower while maintaining competitiveness in Meta’s ad auction, meaning you get more out of each ad dollar spent.

Q: How Can I Improve My Business’s EMQ Score in Meta?

A: Improving your EMQ score involves a combination of strategies, including:

1. Collecting Essential Data: Gather high-quality identifiers like email addresses, phone numbers, and FBCLID to enhance targeting accuracy.
2. Validating Data Entries: Use validation methods to ensure the accuracy of collected data, as errors can negatively impact match quality.
3. Enabling Advanced Matching Parameters: Adjusting advanced matching settings within your Meta Business Manager can make a significant difference.
4. Reducing Offline Data Use: For some brands, limiting offline data—such as in-store purchase records—can help increase the match score for online events.
5. Keeping Tags Up-to-Date: Ensure that you use the latest tracking tags, as this allows Meta to more accurately connect events between the web and app platforms.

Case Study Insight: After implementing Elevar’s server-side Meta integration, Ledbury saw their Facebook-attributable revenue rise by 13.8% and purchases increase by 19.5% within a year, empowering faster campaign decisions and greater confidence in Meta ad investments.

Conclusion: Improving Your EMQ Score Is Worth It!

Improving your EMQ score can make a substantial impact on your Meta ad performance by allowing better user matching, more precise targeting, and higher ad relevance. This translates to stronger campaign results, more efficient spending, and improved ROI.

Ready to boost your EMQ score? Learn more about Elevar’s server-side solutions for Meta integration and discover how to optimize your Meta ads to reach your business goals. Get started today with a free 15-day trial.

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Author:

Kayle Larkin is the Head of Marketing at Elevar, the comprehensive tracking solution for fast-scaling Shopify stores. With nearly a decade of search marketing expertise, Kayle empowers eCommerce brands to optimize data insights for growth. Outside of marketing, she explores the Great PNW with her family.