> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.upstackdata.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Meta Start Trials: Free Trial Sign-ups from Ads

> Track free trial sign-ups from Meta ads. Measure subscription intent and optimize campaigns for trial acquisition performance.

<Tip>
  Counts how many people started a free trial after engaging with your Meta ad—an early indicator of subscription conversion potential.
</Tip>

## Formula

<Info>
  **Meta Start Trials** = **COUNT** ( trial\_start events )
</Info>

### Formula Components

| Metric                  | Definition                                                                           |
| ----------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **trial\_start events** | Each free trial initiation attributed to your Meta ads within the attribution window |

| Metadata        |                                   |
| --------------- | --------------------------------- |
| **Type**        | Number                            |
| **Data Source** | [Meta Ads](/sources/facebook-ads) |
| **Aggregation** | Count                             |

***

## Example

Your SaaS company ran a prospecting campaign in March, generating **847 trial starts** across ad sets.

| Ad Set                      | Trials Started | Cost per Trial |
| --------------------------- | -------------- | -------------- |
| Lookalike - High Value      | 312            | \$8.42         |
| Interest - Small Business   | 285            | \$11.67        |
| Retargeting - Site Visitors | 250            | \$5.23         |

***

## How It Works

Meta fires a `StartTrial` event when a user initiates a free trial on your site or app. This event is captured via the Meta Pixel or Conversions API and attributed to the ad that influenced the conversion within your attribution window.

***

## When to Use

| Scenario                  | Action                                                             |
| ------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Subscription model launch | Track trial volume as your primary top-of-funnel metric            |
| Campaign optimization     | Compare trial rates across audiences to find high-intent segments  |
| Budget allocation         | Shift spend toward ad sets with lower cost per trial               |
| Funnel analysis           | Pair with subscriptions to calculate trial-to-paid conversion rate |

***

## Related Metrics

| Metric                                                                                                      | Relationship                                            |
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------- |
| [Meta Cost per Start Trial](/reference/metrics/advertising/meta/meta-conversions/meta-cost-per-start-trial) | Average spend required to generate one trial start      |
| [Meta Subscriptions](/reference/metrics/advertising/meta/meta-conversions/meta-subscriptions)               | Completed subscriptions—tracks trial-to-paid conversion |
| [Meta Spend](/reference/metrics/advertising/meta/meta-spend/meta-spend)                                     | Total ad spend used to calculate cost per trial         |

[See all Meta Conversions metrics →](/reference/metrics/advertising/meta/meta-conversions)