CAPI vs. Enhanced Conversions
They aren't alternatives — they solve different things and are used together. CAPI is the channel: it sends events from your server to the platform, bypassing browser blocking. Enhanced Conversions is the payload: it attaches hashed first-party data (email, phone) to the conversion so the platform can match the user. One is the pipe, the other is what flows through it.
CAPI = how the event reaches the platform (server-to-server). Enhanced Conversions = what identifying data the event carries.
CAPI
Conversions API (CAPI)Sending conversions directly from your server to the platform (Meta, TikTok, Google), server-to-server, instead of relying only on the browser pixel. It recovers conversions lost to ad blockers and browser restrictions and improves matching.
You're losing events to ad blockers, ITP or cookie refusal, and want a channel the browser can't block.
EC
Enhanced ConversionsGoogle's feature that uses hashed first-party data (email, phone) provided at conversion to improve matching and recover conversions that would otherwise be lost. It combines naturally with server-side tracking.
You have email or phone at conversion, with consent, and want better match rates — without sending personal data in the clear.
This comparison is part of the Atlas — Websem's reference of AI search, Google Ads, tracking and chatbot terms. 129 terms, each with its own definition.