Connect your Snapchat Ads account to Avid to pull campaign and delivery data into Insights reporting, push audience segments to Snapchat as Custom Audiences, and send conversion events through the Snapchat Conversions API (CAPI). The connection uses OAuth. Reporting syncs on a daily schedule. Pathways sync when you trigger them.
Use this article when
- You need to connect a Snapchat Ads account to Avid for the first time.
- You need to reconnect an expired or broken Snapchat connection.
- You want to send an Avid audience to Snapchat as a Custom Audience, or send conversion events to a Snapchat Pixel.
Applies to
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Avid plan | Insights plan or Trial. Pathways is not available on the Benchmarks plan. If you do not see Pathways in the sidebar, contact your Account Manager or submit a support ticket. |
| Snapchat account | A Snapchat account with access to the ad account you want to connect, managed through Snapchat Ads Manager. |
| Snapchat Pixel | Required only if you plan to send conversion events. A Pixel is a tracking snippet installed on your website that reports visitor activity back to Snapchat. Create one in Snapchat Ads Manager before setting up a Conversions Pathway. |
| Avid permission | Access to Settings > Connections. Using Pathways also requires the pathways.edit or direct_mail.edit permission. |
| Time estimate | About 10 minutes for the connection. Allow extra time for your first Pathway setup. |
Permission matrix
During sign-in (Step 4 below), Snapchat prompts you to approve access to your ad account. You do not grant these manually.
| Role (Snapchat) | Required access | What it enables in Avid | Where to verify |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ad Account member | Access to manage ads and audiences on the ad account | Create and manage Custom Audiences from Avid Pathways. Load reporting data into Avid Insights. | Snapchat Ads Manager > Business Details > Roles |
| Ad Account member | Access to Pixels on the ad account | Select a Pixel as a Conversions Pathway destination and send conversion events. | Snapchat Ads Manager > Events Manager |
Connect Snapchat Ads to Avid
- In Avid, go to Settings > Connections.
- Find the Snapchat Ads tile. It shows Insights and Pathways badges. Insights means campaign and delivery data sync into Avid reporting. Pathways means the connection can receive audience and conversion syncs.
- Click Authenticate on the Snapchat Ads tile.
-
A Snapchat sign-in window opens. Sign in with the account that has access to your ad account. If you are already signed in, choose the correct account.
Approve the permission request when prompted. Avid requests access to manage your ad account audiences and send offline conversion events.
- You return to Avid. If you have more than one ad account, the connection appears as Snapchat Ads (unconfigured) until you pick an account.
-
A modal asks you to select an Ad Account. Choose the ad account you want to use with Avid.
The connection name updates to Snapchat Ads: {your account name} and shows Active status.
After Connecting: The Snapchat Ads tile on Settings > Connections shows Active and displays your ad account name.
Reconnect an existing connection
If your connection stops working or you need to switch accounts, reconnect from Settings > Connections. Existing Pathways keep syncing once the connection is active again.
What the connection enables
Your Snapchat Ads connection opens three capabilities in Avid.
1. Insights reporting
Avid pulls Snapchat campaign, ad, and delivery data into Insights on a daily schedule. This includes account structure and daily performance stats.
2. Custom Audiences via Pathways
Push Avid audiences to Snapchat as Custom Audiences (saved groups of people you can target with ads) through Pathways.
- Go to Pathways > Add a new Pathway.
- Select your audience and choose Snapchat Ads as the destination.
- Choose Custom Audience (Customer List) as the destination object.
- Map source columns to Snapchat fields on the column mapping screen.
Avid creates or updates a Custom Audience named AVID - {segment name} in your Snapchat ad account. Avid uploads data when you trigger the Pathway, not on a fixed daily schedule.
All identifiers are hashed (SHA-256) inside Avid before being sent to Snapchat. Avid never sends unencrypted personal data to advertising platforms. Learn more in the Data Security and Compliance FAQ.
Field mapping reference
| Avid field | Snapchat mapping target | Notes |
|---|---|---|
EMAIL |
Hashed automatically. Checked first if a row has more than one identifier. | |
| Phone | PHONE |
Hashed automatically. Used if a row has no email. |
| Mobile Ad ID | MOBILE_AD_ID |
Hashed automatically. Used if a row has no email or phone. |
Each row needs at least one of these three fields. Rows without a supported identifier do not sync.
3. Conversions API (CAPI) via Pathways
Send conversion events like donations and purchases to Snapchat through Pathways. CAPI (the Conversions API) sends event data directly to Snapchat instead of relying on browser pixels alone, which helps Snapchat's ad algorithms match conversions back to your campaigns. This requires a Snapchat Pixel.
- Go to Pathways > Add a new Pathway.
- Select your audience and choose Snapchat Ads as the destination.
- Choose Conversions API (Pixel) as the destination object.
- Map your event fields, including the destination Pixel, on the column mapping screen.
Field mapping reference
| Avid field | Snapchat mapping target | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pixel ID | pixel_id |
Required. Choose the Pixel that should receive these events. |
| Event ID | event_id |
Required primary key. Use a unique ID per event. |
| Event Name | event_name |
For example, PURCHASE or PAGE_VIEW. |
| Event Time | event_time |
When the event happened. Must be within the last 7 days. |
| Action Source | action_source |
WEB, OFFLINE, or MOBILE_APP. |
| Event Source URL | event_source_url |
Required for WEB events. |
| Email / Phone |
em / ph
|
Hashed automatically. Map at least one identifier, or use Client IP Address and Client User Agent together. |
| Conversion Value | custom_data.value |
Required for PURCHASE events. |
| Currency Code | custom_data.currency |
Required for PURCHASE events. |
| Order ID | order_id |
Optional. Helps Snapchat de-duplicate events. |
For agency partners
During OAuth, Avid requests these Snapchat scopes:
snapchat-marketing-apisnapchat-offline-conversions-api
Pathway destination objects in Avid map to Sixtran as customer (Custom Audience) and conversion_event (CAPI). Custom Audience segments are created or reused with the name AVID - {segment name}.
Test and verify
| Checkpoint | What to look for |
|---|---|
| After connecting | The Snapchat Ads tile on Settings > Connections shows Active and the name Snapchat Ads: {account name}. |
| After reporting sync | Check Settings > Connections for a recent Last Synced date. Confirm Snapchat data appears in Insights reports. |
| After a Custom Audience sync | Check Pathways > Manage Pathways for sync status and record counts. Verify the Custom Audience appears in Snapchat Ads Manager under Audiences. |
| After a Conversions sync | Check Pathways > Manage Pathways for sync status. Verify events appear in Snapchat Ads Manager under Events Manager for the mapped Pixel. |
Troubleshooting
Connection errors
| Error message | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
Something went wrong when connecting to Snapchat Ads. Please try again. |
The sign-in did not complete, or Snapchat did not return access. | Retry the connection from Settings > Connections. Confirm you signed in with an account that has ad account access. |
Snapchat did not return a refresh token. Please try again. |
Snapchat did not issue a long-lived token during sign-in. | Retry the connection. Sign out of Snapchat in your browser first if the error repeats. |
Unable to load Snapchat ad accounts. Please try again. |
Avid could not list ad accounts after sign-in. | Retry the connection. Confirm the signed-in account has at least one ad account in Snapchat Ads Manager. |
The authenticated user does not have any Ad Accounts. Please try again. |
The signed-in Snapchat user has no ad accounts. | Sign in with a different Snapchat account, or ask your Snapchat admin to grant ad account access. |
The authenticated user does not have access to the Snapchat Ads API. Please verify permissions and try again. |
The account lacks Snapchat Ads API access. | Confirm the account has ad account access in Snapchat Ads Manager, then reconnect. |
The ad account has not been selected. |
The connection was created but the ad account step was skipped. | Open the Snapchat Ads connection in Settings > Connections and select an ad account. |
Pathway sync issues
These are the most common reasons a row or event does not sync. Sync details, including per-row failure counts, are available in Pathways > Manage Pathways.
| Sync issue | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Rows do not sync to a Custom Audience | The row has no email, phone, or Mobile Ad ID mapped. | Map at least one of Email, Phone, or Mobile Ad ID in the Pathway's column mapping. |
| Purchase events do not sync | The event is missing Conversion Value or Currency Code. | Map Conversion Value and Currency Code in the Conversions Pathway's column mapping. |
| Web conversion events do not sync | The event has no Event Source URL. | Map an Event Source URL for events where Action Source is WEB. |
| Conversion events do not sync | No identifier is mapped (no Email, Phone, or Client IP Address and Client User Agent together). | Map at least one identifier field in the Conversions Pathway's column mapping. |
| Older conversion events are skipped | Snapchat's Conversions API only accepts events from the last 7 days. This is a Snapchat platform limit. | Re-run the sync with more recent data, or use a Custom Audience Pathway for historical lists instead of Conversions. |
| Conversions Pathway will not save | Snapchat Conversions pathway requires a Pixel ID. In Additional Columns, map Pixel ID and choose a pixel from the dropdown. |
Map Pixel ID under Additional Columns and choose a Pixel from the dropdown. |
Known limitations
- Reporting syncs daily. Snapchat Insights data refreshes on Avid's daily connection schedule. Pathways sync only when you trigger them.
- Conversions events cannot be older than 7 days. This is a Snapchat platform limit. Events outside this window are skipped, not retried.
- Purchase events require a value and currency. Snapchat rejects Purchase events that are missing either field.
-
Web conversion events require a destination URL. Snapchat rejects
WEBevents without an Event Source URL. - Every row or event needs an identifier. Custom Audience rows need Email, Phone, or Mobile Ad ID. Conversion events need Email, Phone, or Client IP Address and Client User Agent together.
- Access can expire. If your Snapchat connection stops working, reconnect from Settings > Connections.
When to contact support
Contact Avid support if:
- The connection fails repeatedly after confirming you have ad account access in Snapchat Ads Manager.
- A Pathway sync fails with an error not listed above.
- The ad account dropdown does not show the account you expect.
Include the following when you reach out:
- The exact error message (copy the full text).
- The name of the Pathway that failed, and whether it is a Custom Audience or Conversions Pathway.
- The Snapchat Ad Account ID or Pixel ID (found in Snapchat Ads Manager).
- The email address of the person who connected the Snapchat account.
- A screenshot of the error, if visible.