TikTok Event Match Quality (EMQ) is a score from 0 to 10 that measures how accurately TikTok can match the events you send (like purchases) back to TikTok users who saw your ads. A higher score means more conversions are matched, which gives TikTok’s algorithm better data to optimise your campaigns with.
Most Shopify stores running TikTok ads have an EMQ between 5 and 7. Getting above 8 requires intentional setup. This guide shows you exactly how to do it.
Where to Find Your TikTok Event Match Quality Score
Go to TikTok Ads Manager → Assets → Events → Web Events. Click on your pixel. In the Event Details table, you will see an EMQ column next to each event type. The score you care most about is the one for CompletePayment, since this is the conversion event that drives bidding.
What Affects TikTok Event Match Quality
EMQ is calculated based on how many customer information parameters you send with each event. The more identifiers TikTok receives, the more likely it can match the event to a specific TikTok user account.
Parameters that contribute to EMQ:
- Email (hashed) — highest impact. TikTok matches by email against user accounts.
- Phone number (hashed) — second highest impact
- External ID — your customer ID from Shopify
- TikTok Click ID (ttclid) — captures the click ID from the TikTok ad URL parameter
- IP address — sent automatically by Events API
- User agent — sent automatically by Events API
- Cookie (ttp) — the TikTok pixel cookie from the browser
Step 1: Enable Advanced Matching in the TikTok Shopify App
In the TikTok Shopify app settings, find the Advanced Matching section and enable it. This tells the app to pass hashed customer email and phone number with every event, including CompletePayment.
This is the single biggest improvement you can make to your EMQ. Stores that enable Advanced Matching typically see a 1–2 point increase immediately.
Step 2: Capture the TikTok Click ID (ttclid)
When a user clicks a TikTok ad, TikTok appends a ttclid parameter to your URL (similar to Meta’s fbclid). This click ID should be captured and passed with your Events API calls.
The TikTok Shopify app handles this automatically when set up correctly — it reads the ttclid from the URL, stores it in a cookie (ttp), and passes it back with the purchase event via the Events API. Verify it is working by checking the Events Manager and looking at the match keys for CompletePayment events. You should see ttclid and ttp listed.
Step 3: Send Events API Data (Not Just Pixel)
If you are only using the browser pixel and not the Events API, you are missing the server-side signals that contribute to EMQ. The Events API sends the customer’s IP address and user agent from your server, which contributes to matching even when the browser cookie is blocked.
Enable the Events API in the TikTok Shopify app. It is included in the app by default in newer versions using Shopify’s Customer Events system. Confirm it is active in TikTok Events Manager — you should see events marked as coming from “API” in addition to “Pixel.”
Step 4: Pass External ID
If your Shopify customers are logged in at the time of purchase, send their Shopify customer ID as the external_id parameter. This gives TikTok another matching signal beyond email and phone.
For most Shopify stores, guest checkout is common, so external_id will not always be available. But for returning customers who are logged in, it adds a strong additional signal.
Step 5: Confirm Data Quality, Not Just Volume
Sending bad data hurts more than it helps. Common data quality issues that lower EMQ:
- Sending unhashed email or phone (TikTok requires SHA256 hashing for privacy)
- Sending empty strings for parameters instead of omitting them
- Sending the wrong event type for CompletePayment (using Purchase instead of CompletePayment)
Check the Events Manager diagnostics for any warnings about parameter formatting.
What to Expect After Improving EMQ
Moving from EMQ 6 to EMQ 8+ typically increases the percentage of purchases TikTok can attribute to ad exposures by 20–35%. This means your campaigns appear more efficient, your cost per purchase drops in reporting, and TikTok’s algorithm has better signals to optimise toward higher-value conversions.
It does not mean TikTok is generating more conversions — it means TikTok can see the conversions it was already influencing but could not previously attribute.
Get Your TikTok EMQ Audited
If your TikTok Event Match Quality is below 7, you are likely sending purchase events without the parameters TikTok needs to match them. A tracking audit will show you exactly which parameters are missing and how to fix the setup.
Book your free Shopify tracking audit here. We check your TikTok pixel, Events API configuration, and Advanced Matching setup and give you a specific action list to improve your score.