Snapchat Ads Integration

Sync retargeting audiences to Snapchat Ads as Segments, track server-side conversions via CAPI v3, and reach Snapchat's younger demographic with video and AR ad formats. ILLIXIS connects to the Snapchat Marketing API v1 using OAuth 2.0 Bearer tokens, uploading SHA-256 hashed email lists through Snap Audience Match.

Location: Advertising > Integrations > Snapchat

What It Does

Snapchat Ads integration pushes your ILLIXIS audiences to Snapchat as first-party Segments using Snap Audience Match. Each audience becomes a Segment containing SHA-256 hashed email addresses, which Snapchat matches against its user base for ad targeting. This enables retargeting campaigns across Snapchat's native vertical video, Story, Collection, and AR Lens ad formats.

The integration also supports server-to-server conversion tracking through Snapchat's Conversions API v3 (CAPI v3). Conversion events -- purchases, sign-ups, cart additions -- are sent directly from ILLIXIS to Snapchat without relying on browser-side tracking, improving attribution accuracy and working around ad blockers.

Snapchat's audience skews younger than most ad platforms (primarily 13-34), making it particularly useful for brands targeting Gen Z and younger Millennials. The platform's AR Lens ad format is unique among ad platforms -- no other network offers augmented reality experiences as a native ad unit.

Prerequisites

| Requirement | Description |
|-------------|-------------|
| Snapchat Business Account | Register at business.snapchat.com |
| Ad Account | Active Snapchat Ad Account with at least one Organization |
| Organization ID | Retrieved automatically during connection |
| OAuth Tokens | Access token + refresh token from Snapchat's developer portal |
| ILLIXIS Audience | At least one retargeting audience in Advertising |

Optional for Conversion Tracking

| Requirement | Description |
|-------------|-------------|
| Snap Pixel | Installed on your website for browser-side event tracking |
| CAPI v3 Access | Enabled in your Snapchat Ads Manager for server-to-server events |

Connecting Your Account

Step 1: Get Your OAuth Tokens

1. Go to business.snapchat.com and sign in
2. Navigate to your app credentials or developer settings
3. Generate an OAuth access token with the snapchat-marketing-api scope
4. Copy both the access token and refresh token

The access token is valid for 1 hour. The refresh token is long-lived and allows ILLIXIS to obtain new access tokens automatically.

Step 2: Connect in ILLIXIS

1. Go to Settings > Integrations
2. Scroll to the Advertising section
3. Find Snapchat and click Connect
4. Enter your Access Token in the first field
5. Enter your Refresh Token in the second field
6. Click Connect

Step 3: Automatic Account Detection

When you connect, ILLIXIS:

1. Validates the token by calling the Snapchat Organizations API
2. Retrieves your Organization ID
3. Fetches all Ad Accounts under that Organization
4. Selects the first available Ad Account (or the one linked to your token)
5. Stores the connection with account name and ID

You will see a confirmation: "Connected to Snapchat: [Account Name]"

Disconnecting

1. Go to Settings > Integrations
2. Find Snapchat and click Disconnect
3. Confirm the disconnection

Disconnecting removes stored tokens and marks the connection as inactive. Existing Segments in Snapchat remain but stop receiving updates from ILLIXIS.

Syncing Audiences

How Audience Sync Works

ILLIXIS syncs audiences to Snapchat as Segments using Snap Audience Match. The process:

1. ILLIXIS extracts email addresses from your audience data
2. Each email is lowercased, trimmed, and SHA-256 hashed
3. A first-party Segment is created in your Snapchat Ad Account
4. Hashed emails are uploaded to the Segment (max 100,000 per request)
5. Snapchat matches hashes against its user base

Syncing a Single Audience

1. Go to Advertising > Audiences
2. Open any audience detail page
3. Find the Snapchat sync indicator in the platform badges
4. Click Sync to Snapchat
5. Wait for sync to complete (typically 10-30 seconds)

Sync Status Indicators

| Status | Meaning |
|--------|---------|
| Not Synced | Audience has not been pushed to Snapchat |
| Syncing | Upload in progress |
| Synced | Segment created and populated in Snapchat |
| Error | Sync failed -- check error message and retry |

Bulk Sync

All unsynced audiences for a tenant can be queued at once via the bulk sync background task. Each audience is processed individually, so a failure on one does not block the others.

What Gets Created in Snapchat

| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| Segment Name | "ILLIXIS - [Your Audience Name]" |
| Source Type | FIRST_PARTY |
| Data Format | EMAIL_SHA256 |
| Retention | 180 days (default) |
| Description | "Retargeting audience synced from ILLIXIS: [Name]" |

Updating an Existing Segment

If a Snapchat Segment ID is already stored on the audience, ILLIXIS uploads new email records to the existing Segment rather than creating a duplicate. This keeps your Segment growing as your audience data expands.

Ad Formats

Snapchat supports several ad formats. The AR Lens format is unique -- no other ad network offers this.

| Format | Description | Spec |
|--------|-------------|------|
| Snap Ads | Full-screen vertical video or image ads between Stories | 9:16, 3-180 seconds |
| Story Ads | Branded tile in the Discover section, opens to a series of Snaps | 9:16, 3-10 Snaps |
| Collection Ads | Snap Ad with four tappable product tiles below | 9:16 + product images |
| AR Lens Ads | Interactive augmented reality filters users apply to their camera | Lens Studio required |

AR Lens Ads

AR Lens ads let users interact with your brand through face filters, world effects, and try-on experiences. These are created in Snapchat's Lens Studio and attached to campaigns as creatives. They are Snapchat's most distinctive ad format and typically drive high engagement among younger audiences.

Campaign Objectives

| Objective | Use Case |
|-----------|----------|
| AWARENESS | Brand reach, video views |
| VIDEO_VIEW | Maximize video completions |
| DRIVE_TRAFFIC | Website clicks |
| APP_INSTALL | Mobile app downloads |
| ENGAGEMENT | Snap opens, shares |
| LEAD_GENERATION | In-app lead forms |

Audience Targeting

| Targeting Type | Description |
|----------------|-------------|
| Segment (email match) | Your ILLIXIS audiences synced as first-party Segments |
| Lookalike | Built in Snapchat Ads Manager from your Segments |
| Interest/Lifestyle | Snapchat's behavioral and interest categories |
| Device targeting | OS, device model, carrier |
| Demographics | Age, gender, language, location |

Budget

Snapchat requires a minimum daily spend of $5/day per campaign. Budgets are specified in micro-currency units (1 dollar = 1,000,000 micro-units).

Conversion Tracking (CAPI v3)

ILLIXIS tracks server-side conversion events through Snapchat's Conversions API v3. This sends events directly from the ILLIXIS backend to Snapchat without relying on browser-side JavaScript.

Supported Events

| Event Name | When to Use |
|------------|-------------|
| PURCHASE | Completed transaction |
| SIGN_UP | New account registration |
| ADD_CART | Product added to cart |
| START_CHECKOUT | Checkout initiated |
| PAGE_VIEW | Key page visited |
| CUSTOM | Any custom event |

How It Works

1. A conversion event occurs (purchase, sign-up, etc.)
2. ILLIXIS fires a background task to send the event
3. The task hashes the user's email (SHA-256) and sends the event to Snapchat
4. Snapchat matches the event to ad impressions for attribution

Event Data Sent

Each conversion event includes:

| Field | Description |
|-------|-------------|
| event_name | Event type (PURCHASE, SIGN_UP, etc.) |
| event_time | Unix timestamp in milliseconds |
| user_data.em | SHA-256 hashed email address |
| custom_data.price | Revenue amount (if applicable) |
| custom_data.currency | Currency code (default: USD) |
| custom_data.order_id | Order identifier (for purchases) |
| event_id | Unique ID for deduplication |
| action_source | Set to OFFLINE for server-side events |

Snap Pixel (Browser-Side)

For browser-side tracking alongside CAPI v3, install the Snap Pixel on your website:

1. Go to Snapchat Ads Manager > Events Manager
2. Create or find your Snap Pixel
3. Copy the pixel code
4. Add to your website's tag or via a tag manager

When both CAPI v3 and Snap Pixel are active, Snapchat deduplicates events using the event_id field.

Token Management

Snapchat access tokens expire after 1 hour -- significantly shorter than most ad platforms. ILLIXIS handles this automatically.

Auto-Refresh Behavior

| Scenario | What Happens |
|----------|--------------|
| API call with valid token | Request proceeds normally |
| API call with expired token | ILLIXIS refreshes the token automatically, then retries the request |
| Refresh token fails | Connection marked as unauthorized; reconnection required |
| Token within 5-minute buffer | Treated as expired to prevent mid-request expiry |

How Auto-Refresh Works

1. ILLIXIS detects a 401 response from the Snapchat API
2. Sends the refresh token to accounts.snapchat.com/login/oauth2/access_token
3. Receives a new access token (valid 1 hour) and optionally a new refresh token
4. Updates the stored credentials
5. Retries the original request with the new token

This happens transparently. You do not need to manually refresh tokens.

When Reconnection Is Required

If the refresh token itself is revoked (password change, app deauthorization, or security event), auto-refresh fails. In this case:

1. Go to Settings > Integrations
2. Disconnect Snapchat
3. Generate new tokens at business.snapchat.com
4. Reconnect with fresh credentials

Automation Schedule

| Process | Schedule | Description |
|---------|----------|-------------|
| Token Refresh | Automatic on 401 | Access tokens refresh transparently before each API call if expired |
| Audience Sync | On-demand | Click "Sync to Snapchat" from audience detail page |
| Bulk Sync | On-demand | Queue all unsynced audiences at once |
| Conversion Tracking | Real-time | Events sent as they occur via background task |
| Size Updates | With each sync | Estimated audience size updates on successful upload |

Troubleshooting

"Snapchat not connected"

Cause: No active, authorized Snapchat connection for your workspace.

Fix:

1. Go to Settings > Integrations
2. Find Snapchat and click Connect
3. Enter valid access and refresh tokens
4. Verify the connection shows "Connected"

"No email records available for sync"

Cause: The audience has no email data to upload.

Fix:

• Ensure your audience has associated email records in its analysis data or linked subscriber list
• Audiences created from URL-only data (without email addresses) cannot sync to Snapchat's Segment Match

"Access token expired and refresh failed"

Cause: Both the access token and refresh token are invalid.

Fix:

1. Disconnect Snapchat in Settings > Integrations
2. Generate new tokens at business.snapchat.com
3. Reconnect with the fresh tokens

"Snapchat API rate limit exceeded"

Cause: Too many API requests in a short period (limit: 10/second per token).

Fix:

• Wait 1-2 minutes and retry
• If running bulk sync, audiences are already queued individually with retry logic
• The task will automatically retry up to 3 times

"No ad account ID in response"

Cause: Your Snapchat Organization has no Ad Accounts, or the token lacks permission to access them.

Fix:

1. Log in to business.snapchat.com
2. Verify you have at least one Ad Account under your Organization
3. Ensure your token has the snapchat-marketing-api scope
4. Try generating new tokens with full permissions

Sync shows "Error" with no message

Cause: Transient API failure or network timeout.

Fix:

• Click the audience and retry the sync
• Check if Snapchat's API status page reports any outages
• If the error persists after 3 retries, disconnect and reconnect

FAQ

Q: How long does it take for a Segment to become targetable? After upload, Snapchat processes the hashed emails and matches them against user accounts. This typically takes 24-48 hours. Small audiences may take less time.

Q: What is the minimum audience size for Snapchat? Snapchat requires at least 1,000 matched users in a Segment before it can be used for ad targeting. If your email list is small, expect a lower match rate since not all email addresses correspond to Snapchat accounts.

Q: Are emails stored in plaintext by Snapchat? No. ILLIXIS hashes all emails with SHA-256 before upload. Snapchat receives only hashed values and matches them against its own hashed user data. Neither party sees plaintext emails from the other.

Q: Can I use Snapchat audiences for AR Lens campaigns? Yes. Once a Segment is created, you can target it with any Snapchat ad format, including AR Lens ads. Create the Lens in Snapchat's Lens Studio, then assign the Segment as your audience in Ad Squad targeting.

Q: How does the 1-hour token expiry affect my workflow? It does not. ILLIXIS detects expired tokens and refreshes them automatically before retrying the request. You only need to intervene if the refresh token itself is revoked (rare).

Q: Can I track conversions without the Snap Pixel? Yes. CAPI v3 is server-to-server and does not require any browser-side code. However, combining CAPI v3 with the Snap Pixel improves match rates and attribution accuracy.

Q: What is the $5/day minimum? Snapchat requires a minimum daily budget of $5 per campaign. This applies to all campaign objectives.

Q: What happens to my Segments if I disconnect Snapchat? Existing Segments remain in your Snapchat Ad Account. They stop receiving updates from ILLIXIS but can still be used in campaigns.

Q: Does ILLIXIS create campaigns in Snapchat automatically? ILLIXIS syncs audiences and tracks conversions. Campaign creation, ad squad configuration, and creative uploads are done in Snapchat Ads Manager. The integration focuses on getting your audience data into Snapchat and attribution data back.

Related Features

• Advertising: Central hub for managing audiences across all ad platforms
• Prospecting Campaigns: Create campaigns targeting new audiences
• Lookalike Audiences: Build similar audiences from your best segments
• TikTok Ads Sync: Similar audience sync for TikTok's younger demographic
• Video Production: Create vertical video content for Snapchat ads