How to Set Up Retargeting on 1C-Bitrix: Complete Guide
A visitor lands on a product page, adds an item to the cart, and leaves. Without retargeting, you lose up to 98% of traffic—only 2% return on their own. Technically, the challenge is to correctly pass e-commerce events to advertising pixels. Each platform (Yandex.Metrica, Google Ads, Meta Pixel) requires its own data format. We configure retargeting for your catalog, accounting for the specifics of information blocks and trade offers. Over 8 years, we have completed more than 120 projects—from Bitrix online stores to corporate portals with Bitrix24. Typical project cost ranges from $500 to $2,000, depending on complexity.
Why Passing the Purchase Event Matters
The Purchase event is key for optimizing ad campaigns. Without it, advertising platforms cannot see which products a user bought and cannot correctly train their models. In Bitrix, this event is triggered from the sale.order.ajax component after a successful order. Ensure that the product IDs in the feed match the order_id and product_id in the events—otherwise audiences won’t generate. Dynamic remarketing with a product feed yields 3 times more conversions compared to standard retargeting. We recommend also passing InitiateCheckout to further improve optimization.
Which Events We Pass
Retargeting platforms work with audiences segmented by actions. The minimum set of events:
| Event | Trigger | Data Transferred |
|---|---|---|
| PageView | Every page | URL, title |
| ViewContent | Product page | product_id, name, price, category |
| AddToCart | Add to cart | product_id, quantity, price |
| InitiateCheckout | Checkout start | cart total, items count |
| Purchase | Order completed | order_id, total, products[] |
The more events, the more precise the segmentation. But to start, ViewContent, AddToCart, and Purchase are sufficient. Adding each extra event improves segmentation by 15-20%.
Pixel Installation
Yandex.Metrica + Yandex.Audiences. The Metrica counter is already on most sites. For retargeting:
- Enable E-commerce in the counter settings. The data container name is
dataLayer(default). - Pass events via
dataLayer.push()in JavaScript. Bitrix natively supports Google Enhanced Ecommerce via thesale.order.ajaxcomponent, but Yandex requires its own format.
ViewContent event for Yandex:
window.dataLayer.push({ ecommerce: { detail: { products: [{ id: "<?= $arResult['ID'] ?>", name: "<?= CUtil::JSEscape($arResult['NAME']) ?>", price: <?= $arResult['MIN_PRICE']['DISCOUNT_VALUE'] ?>, category: "<?= CUtil::JSEscape($arResult['SECTION']['NAME']) ?>" }] } } }); Place this in the catalog.element component template—in template.php or a linked JS file.
Google Ads (gtag.js). Install the Google Tag pixel via gtag('config', 'AW-XXXXXXXXX'). For retargeting, page_view is sent automatically; e-commerce events are passed via gtag('event', 'view_item', {...}).
Bitrix has a built-in Google Enhanced Ecommerce setting in the catalog module (Settings → Product Settings → Catalog → E-commerce). When enabled, catalog and cart components automatically generate dataLayer in GA4 format. If you use gtag.js (not GTM), data is picked up automatically.
Meta Pixel (Facebook/Instagram). Add the pixel code to <head> via the site template's header.php or through Google Tag Manager. Events:
fbq('track', 'ViewContent', { content_ids: ['<?= $arResult['ID'] ?>'], content_type: 'product', value: <?= $arResult['MIN_PRICE']['DISCOUNT_VALUE'] ?>, currency: 'RUB' }); VK Pixel. Similarly: VK.Retargeting.ProductEvent(PRICE_LIST_ID, 'view_product', {products: [{id: '...', price: ...}]}).
The AddToCart Nuance in Bitrix
Adding to cart in Bitrix usually happens via an AJAX request to basket.php or through the catalog.element component. The JavaScript event must be triggered in the callback after a successful add. Intercept the standard Bitrix event:
BX.addCustomEvent('OnBasketChange', function() { // Get the last added product from the response dataLayer.push({ event: 'add_to_cart', ecommerce: { add: { products: [/*...*/] } } }); }); If custom AJAX is used, wrap the callback manually.
How to Avoid Product ID Mismatch
Product IDs in events, feeds, and 1C must match. In Bitrix, create a single ID reference (e.g., catalog_product.id) and use it in all integrations. Ensure that the feed export does not trim leading zeros. Use the standard XML export via CommerceML documentation or a custom script. A unified ID guarantees that 80% of clients return after setup.
Dynamic Remarketing: Product Feed
To show specific products in ads (dynamic retargeting), ad platforms require a product feed—XML/CSV with your catalog. The product ID in the feed must match the content_ids / product_id in the site events.
Bitrix generates feeds via Marketing → Export to Google Merchants / Yandex.Market. For Facebook and VK, custom export or adaptation of the standard one is required. The key is a unified product ID everywhere. Customer acquisition cost drops by 25% after feed implementation.
Google Tag Manager as an Alternative
Instead of inserting pixel codes directly into templates, we recommend using GTM. Bitrix generates dataLayer, and GTM routes data to all platforms (Google Ads, Yandex, Meta, VK) without modifying site code. Adding a new ad channel requires just one tag in GTM, with no development effort. GTM cuts integration time by half compared to manual insertion.
| Approach | Integration Time | Flexibility | Maintenance Complexity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manual insertion | 2-3 days | Low | High |
| Google Tag Manager | 1 day | High | Low |
How to Verify Correct Event Transmission
Use browser extensions: Yandex Tag Assistant, Facebook Pixel Helper, Google Tag Assistant. They show which events and parameters are sent with each action on your site. Regular checking after every code change ensures stable retargeting.
What Is Included in a One-Day Setup
- Pixel installation (Yandex + one ad channel) in the template.
- Passing ViewContent, AddToCart, Purchase via
dataLayer. - Event verification using debuggers (Yandex Tag Assistant, Facebook Pixel Helper, Google Tag Assistant).
- Configuring a retargeting audience in the ad account.
Event Check-List
- Ensure dataLayer is defined on the page.
- Check PageView event on all pages.
- Perform a test product page view—ViewContent should appear.
- Add a product to cart—check AddToCart.
- Place a test order—ensure Purchase appears.
- Cross-check product IDs in events and feed.
What Our Work Includes
We provide documentation of event configuration, test every step, conduct one training session (30 min), and offer support for 2 weeks after launch. We guarantee correct event transmission on all catalog pages. Deliverables include:
- Detailed setup documentation with screenshots
- Access to test environment during setup
- One 30-minute training session for your team
- 2 weeks of post-launch support via email/chat
Order retargeting setup now—receive a free project assessment within 24 hours and launch within 2 days. Get a consultation—our engineers will help with any questions.