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Tips to pitch server-side tracking to stakeholders

Uliana Lesiv

Uliana Lesiv

Author
Published
May 1, 2025

Server-side tracking is a data collection method that gathers user data from a website and routes it through a cloud server before transmitting it to third-party platforms. Shifting data processing from browsers improves accuracy and privacy. It also reduces data loss caused by browser restrictions and ad blockers.

Despite server-side tracking's effectiveness, getting stakeholders on board can still be tricky. In this article, we’ll share some helpful tips for making a strong case for server-side tracking.

Why server-side tracking matters

In the age of ad blockers, browser restrictions, and data regulations, server-side tracking has become a handy solution for more accurate data tracking. Server-side tracking offers high data control and flexibility, which makes it a lifesaver for numerous businesses that want to track data while staying compliant.

How to pitch server-side tracking to stakeholders

Whether your stakeholders have a technical or marketing background, the key to successfully pitching server-side tracking is to focus on the business benefits and support your points with real-world examples.

Outline the benefits businesses can gain

Reduced impact of ad blockers

Around 33% of users globally utilize ad blockers. Besides ads, they can also block Google Tag Manager tracking scripts and/or other tools. One common method that allows blocking involves targeting the gtag.js and gtm.js loading path and file name.

Server-side tracking can make tracking scripts more resilient to ad blockers. For instance, a Custom Loader alters the script loading path, making it much harder for ad blockers to detect and block them.

Browsers such as Safari, Firefox, and Brave have limits on the lifetime of third-party and even first-party cookies in some cases. The limitations aim to improve user privacy and reduce web tracking. For instance, with web tracking through Google Analytics, cookies are set by the domain https://www.google-analytics.com and typically last 1 or 7 days. If you're using server-side GA with a custom domain for your server-side Google Tag Manager (GTM) setup, the cookies can persist for up to 400 days.

Tracking cookies
Tracking cookies

Control over the data collected

Server-side tracking allows controlling what data is sent to analytics platforms. These platforms receive only the information configured in the server GTM container. The data can be easily anonymized to ensure no sensitive information is passed to third-party vendors.

High data privacy and security

When using web tracking pixels, you have no control over the data collected. Even data like a user's first and last name can be extracted. In contrast, server-side tagging gives you full control over the data shared with each vendor. They can only access the information you include in the request.

That's an increasingly important benefit due to data privacy regulations like GDPR, HIPAA, etc. To comply with them, you should strictly control when you collect information about your site visitors and to whom you share it. Server-side tracking lets you fully control data flow and the data you send to various platforms.

Protect data
Protect data

Comprehensive tracking, including offline conversions

With server-side tracking, you can capture offline events such as phone orders and in-store transactions. This leads to more accurate measurement of the paid campaign performance and lets you keep all the data in one place.

Offline conversion tracking allows you to not rely on the pixel but to send the event and conversion data through webhooks or other methods to the server container.

Online and offline conversion tracking
Online and offline conversion tracking

These are among the most important benefits of server-side tracking worth mentioning when pitching to stakeholders. For the full list of advantages and detailed description of each, see our blog post on the server-side tracking benefits.

Explain how server-side tracking works

Besides outlining the benefits a business can gain from server-side tracking, it is also important to explain why these advantages can be implemented and how everything works behind the scenes.

So, server-side tracking works as follows: after gaining user consent, the data from the website is sent to a cloud server. Then, it is routed to third-party vendors and analytics platforms. The cloud server acts as a proxy between a website (or another data source) and external tracking tools. 

How server-side tracking works
How server-side tracking works

Present real-world cases

Server-side tracking business cases from real companies will prove the effectiveness of this configuration. For this purpose, you can use Stape's case studies. Below, we list some of the most popular case studies, but you can find more by following the link to the case studies category.

Case studyDescription
ZweiDigital with Herzlack achieved a 37% ROAS increase and a 20% CPA reductionZweiDigital integrated the Google Tag Manager with the Stape’s Shopify app and configured Meta CAPI within the GTM. This made tracking data more precise and led to a 37% increase in ROAS and a 20% reduction in CPA.
Zumnorde achieves a 40% reduction in direct traffic with server-side taggingZumnorde had problems with conversion attribution due to browser restrictions, which limited the lifetime. After implementing server-side tracking, the direct traffic has decreased by 40%.
ASENTO measuring 62% more revenue for WoodUpp with server-side trackingASENTO has used server-side tracking for several platforms (GA4, Google Ads, Meta, SnapChat, TikTok, Pinterest) and has noticed an increase in the revenue recorded as well as in the number of conversions.

Show the flexibility of server-side tracking and provide the pricing details for each solution

While presenting server-side tracking to stakeholders, specific practical challenges may arise, for example, the complexity of setup, the cost of implementation, and maintenance. In such cases, providing complete data on the available market options is crucial.

Today's market offers numerous easier options to set up server-side tracking only on specific platforms, and can be more cost-effective.

On the example with Stape, we provide the following server-side solutions:

SolutionDescriptionPrice
Server GTM hostingWe offer global and European hosting depending on the targeted locations of the business.Starts at $17/month + free plan
Signals GatewayMeta's Signals Gateway is a solution that simplifies sending first-party data from any origin (Pixel, file upload, SDK) to any destination (Meta Dataset, BigQuery).Starts at $17/month + free plan
Stape GatewayHassle-free setup for server-side tracking in GA4 and Google Ads.Starts at $8/month + 7-day free trial
Meta Conversions API GatewayThis is an excellent option for those who need to be more precise with Meta and are not interested in other platforms. 
TikTok Events API GatewayTargeted at precise conversions tracking from the TikTok platform.
Snapchat Conversions APIImproved attribution and more accurate data tracking for Snapchat.

Server-side tracking with Stape

Stape is a platform designed to make server-side tracking configuration and maintenance as easy as possible. As listed in the section above, we provide many services besides server hosting so that any business can find the right option for its needs.

Here are some of the reasons why the business can benefit from configuring server-side tracking with Stape:

1. We offer the lowest prices on the market. We have free plans for server hosting and Signals Gateway, and the paid plans start at $17/month for sGTM and Signals Gateway hosting. Gateways are even cheaper—they start at $8/ month. Our charging system is reasonable—we charge only based on the incoming number of requests, unlike Google Cloud Platform, which also charges for outgoing.

2. We provide 24/7 support, a community, and free courses. Those new to server-side tracking can easily pass the Stape Academy and configure server-side tracking. In case of any problems, we provide 24/7 support and have our own community where you can ask questions.

3. We develop unique technologies. We constantly create new features and power-ups that allow you to easily set up data and get the most out of it. Here are some of the popular solutions we offer:

Stape power-ups
Stape power-ups

4. Stape is the largest contributor to the tag library, with 80+ tags approved and added to the server GTM library. The tags, variables, and clients are essential for handy data tracking management.

Tags developed by Stape
Tags developed by Stape

These are some of the key points that make Stape stand out. For more benefits, please check our article on why there are no alternatives to Stape.

Conclusion

Pitching server-side tracking to stakeholders is challenging. To succeed, you need to point out the key benefits, such as accurate data tracking, high data control, and easier data regulation compliance. Backing up your points with concrete examples or evidence of how server-side tracking has led to more reliable data can strengthen your argument. We hope this article has helped you gather the key insights needed to present the case for server-side tracking effectively.

Stape can also help you pitch the idea to stakeholders. Feel free to contact us so that we can discuss your case and provide support in this process.

author

Uliana Lesiv

Author

Uliana is a Content Manager at Stape, specializing in analytics and integration setups. She breaks down complex tracking concepts into clear insights, helping businesses optimize data collection.

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