Configure Amazon server-side tracking with Conversions API

The Amazon Conversions API allows advertisers to track data more accurately, ensuring it isn't affected by ad blockers and browser restrictions. In this article, we list the benefits of Amazon Conversions API implementation, compare it with the client-side solution - Amazon Ad Tag, and show how to configure Amazon Conversions API using a GTM tag developed by the Stape team.

The Amazon Conversions API (CAPI) allows you to send conversion events directly from your server to Amazon's servers. Amazon CAPI supports the same events and event parameters as Amazon Ad Tag (client-side solution for data tracking).

It can be conveniently implemented through partner integrations, such as using server Google Tag Manager, for example, by using a Stape's tag. The Amazon Ads tag developed by Stape supports a variety of event types, advanced user identity enrichment, regional consent frameworks, and provides detailed logging to both the Console and BigQuery. In this article below, we show how you can configure the tag.

Conversions API implementation has the following benefits:

• More precise conversion tracking. As server-side tracking minimizes data loss due to ad blockers and browser restrictions, you can collect data more accurately.
• Reduced cost per action by improving both conversion tracking and targeting. Conversions API allows advertisers to collect more data on users' interactions, making Amazon advertising algorithms more effective.
• High privacy. Unlike client-side tracking, server-side tracking gives you complete control over the data shared with each network, ensuring they only receive the information explicitly defined in your server requests.

The Amazon Conversions API and the Amazon Ad Tag are both solutions used for tracking conversion events that happen outside of the Amazon platform (e.g., on the advertiser's website or app).

The key differences lie in their implementation method, reliability, and the degree of control advertisers have over collected data:

To configure the Amazon Conversions API, you will need the following:

• Configured server GTM container.
• A configured data stream from the web to the server container (Google Analytics 4 and Data Tag/Data Client are popular ways to do it).
• Configured Amazon Ad Tag.

1. Add the Amazon CAPI tag to your workspace. To do it, go to your server GTM container → Templates section → Search Gallery → type "Amazon CAPI" → click "Add to workspace".

2. Create a new tag. Go to the Tags section → click "New" → as tag type select "Amazon CAPI".

3. Configure the tag.

3.1 Select Event Name Setup Method:

• Standard - select from predefined Amazon event names from the list.
• Inherit from client - with this option, the tag maps incoming Google Analytics 4 (GA4) events to Amazon's equivalents.
• Custom - track your own custom events.

3.2 Add Tag ID - to find the value, go to Campaign Manager → select the Advertiser → click on the section Events Manager → copy Tag ID.

3.3 Specify Region - geographic region of your Amazon Advertising account (EU or North & South America, Japan, Australia).

3.4 Override cookie settings - this option lets you choose the domain where the cookie should be written to, and also if the cookie should be set with the HTTP Only flag that prevents it from being accessed via JavaScript in the browser.

3.5 Do not set the Measurement Token cookie (amznAref) - select true or false. If a Measurement Token cookie already exists, it will be included in the request but will not be stored again as a cookie. This applies only to North America, South America, Japan, and Australia. In Europe, the Measurement Token is never transmitted.

3.6 Use Optimistic Scenario - if true, the tag will invoke gtmOnSuccess() immediately, without waiting for a response from the API. This improves sGTM’s response time; however, the tag will always report a successful firing status, even if it fails.

3.7 (Optional) User Data Attributes section.

• Match ID - a privacy-safe, advertiser-generated identifier that connects user interactions across sessions, devices, and channels, without revealing any personally identifiable information (PII).

A persistent Match ID is assigned during the user’s first interaction. This ID is linked to the user in Amazon’s systems (using hashed PII or third-party cookies when available). When a conversion occurs (e.g., a purchase), the same Match ID is included with the event. Amazon connects the conversion back to the initial interaction, enabling full-funnel attribution.

The option is recommended for organizations with strict privacy, those that have multi-step customer journeys, and/or advertisers measuring offline or login-wall conversions.

The field should receive a variable that contains a User ID.

• Enable Advanced Matching - if enabled, captures a user’s email address and/or phone number as an alternative to traditional browser cookies for ad identification. A first-party cookie, aatToken, is stored in the user’s browser and automatically included with all subsequent events.

3.8 (Optional) TCFv2 Information section.

TCF v2, or the Transparency and Consent Framework v2.0, is a set of policies and technical specifications created by IAB Europe to help digital businesses comply with European data protection regulations like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the ePrivacy Directive.

If you target EU countries, you should enable "Include TCFv2 Information".

3.9 (Optional) Event Attributes and Event Custom Attributes sections.

You can add extra attributes to all events or add them specifically to “Off-Amazon Purchases” events. Also, you can set the attributes that will be sent along with events. The attributes are used to include sufficiently detailed information that can be used for monitoring and analysis.

Here is an example of Amazon CAPI tag configuration:

4. Add a trigger for the tag.

5. Test the setup using Preview mode in both web and server GTM containers. Refer to our guide on debugging and monitoring server-side configuration.

The Amazon Conversions API (CAPI) provides advertisers with a server-side solution for tracking conversion events. It offers more accuracy and control over the data collection process compared to the Amazon Ad Tag (client-side method to track data).

Implementing CAPI through server-side Google Tag Manager makes it possible to capture visitors’ interactions on the website, enrich user data, and comply with regional privacy regulations.