Server-side tracking is becoming crucial for more accurate data tracking. With client-side tracking alone, much of your data is leaking from your analytics tools.
However, analyzing the effectiveness of server-side tracking may be challenging. To address this, we at Stape developed the Stape Analytics feature, designed to provide clear insights into the impact of server-side tracking on data collection. This tool is great for checking setup performance and helping agencies show results to clients.
Those using Stape have already tried the Stape Analytics platform and are ready to share examples of server-side tracking's impact on data collection.
Stape Analytics is a feature within the Stape platform that makes it easy to measure the performance of server-side tracking using data. With its help, you can see how your data quality has improved after implementing server-side tracking. You can see it in the main metrics - the percentage of traffic facilitation thanks to bypassing ad blockers and cookie life expansion in browsers that limit cookie lifetime.
You can find the feature in your container in the section "Analytics" next to "Power-Ups." Stape Analytics is available for everyone who uses Stape Custom Loader (a free power-up by Stape that makes GTM scripts more resistant to ad blockers).
Thanks to server-side tracking technology and Stape features, Stape Analytics uses Custom Loader to detect the number and percentage of requests recovered. The key two parameters we rely on are the number of requests affected by tracking preventions in browsers that reduce the lifetime of cookies and the number of requests recovered for users with ad blockers.
Stape Analytics helps businesses review the effectiveness of their server-side tracking settings. This is especially important when client-side tracking is blocked or unavailable.
Stape Analytics provides a dashboard that breaks down different types of requests. You can see the breakdown of total vs. recovered requests by the client (for example, GA4 client, Data Client, etc.) and event names.
The feature enables businesses to evaluate the effectiveness of their server-side tracking configurations. You can see how your data quality has improved after switching to server- from client-side tracking.
The feature will be beneficial for everyone who uses server-side tracking and wants to check its effectiveness:
Stape's client, Procab Studio - a Swiss digital web agency - has kindly provided the data collection results after using server-side tracking.
Procab Studio has an e-commerce client that runs PPC campaigns. Getting as accurate data as possible is crucial to managing ad budgets effectively, so they decided to use server-side tracking. Stape's analytics platform has shown impressive results:
Most importantly, +35.71% of requests were retrieved for main events like purchases.
A client using Stape Analytics improved GA4 tracking from 8.55% to 35% of visitors with ad blockers by enabling the "GA4 Ad Block Bypass" feature, recovering valuable data and insights.
| Find out more about GA4 Ad Block Bypass in our blog post. |
Stape Analytics is OFF in every Google Tag Manager (sGTM) container on Stape by default.
To turn it on, go to your Stape sGTM container and follow the instructions for setting it up. Then, to make the Stape Analytics work, you must add or update the Custom Loader.
Please keep in mind the following information:
1. Open your sGTM container and click Analytics
2. Click Turn on Analytics.
3. Go to the admin panel of the CMS you are using and ensure the Stape GTM Server Side plugin is updated to the latest version. If it's not updated, you will see an alert that the new version is available. In this case, please update the plugin or simply enable the auto-updates.
2. Click Turn on Analytics.
3. Go to the Power-ups section and enable or open Custom Loader Power-Up.
4. Copy the Custom Loader code and ensure it's updated on the website.
That’s it! Now, your Stape Analytics is ready to go.
We also have instructions on how to turn off Stape Analytics.
It shows the total number of requests for the selected period and separately the requests from users with ad blockers and users with tracking prevention.
Here, you can generally estimate the % of requests that would be lost without using the server side.
Further, you can see the statistics for each client that processes incoming requests on your sGTM separately, as well as a breakdown of the main events for this client.
You can also select the event you are interested in, and the graph will display data only for that event.
This shows stats for other requests or unknown clients, including Cookie Keeper power-up and GTM loading via Custom Loader.
It displays statistics on browsers used by your users and % of requests from these browsers that were restored, i.e., when ad blockers were used.
Read the case studies from our partners at Stape to see the impact of server-side tracking and the impressive results they got thanks to choosing server-side tagging:
| Link to case study | Description |
| ASENTO is measuring 62% more revenue for WoodUpp with server-side tracking | For six months, the ASENTO agency has separately tracked and compared data from client- and server-side tracking. As a result, they got 62% more revenue tracked with a server-side tracking setup. |
| Scandinavian Biolabs amplifies Klaviyo revenues with server-side tracking | Biolabs aimed to boost its email marketing revenue, so they needed to track the users' behavior more accurately. As a result, using server-side data collection, the measured Product Views increased by 91.84%. |
| Immune and wellness supplements company has a 34% increase in conversions recorded with sGTM | Measure Your Web’s client from Slovenia needed precise data to optimize PPC campaigns. With server-side tracking, they recorded a 34% increase in conversions. |
Read more case studies in our blog category with case studies.
The value of using server-side for each site can vary quite a bit and depends mainly on how much your users use ad blockers, browser restrictions (like tracking preventions), or the challenges posed by third-party cookies.
Stape Analytics allows you to see this benefit and enables marketing agencies to show this benefit to clients. With Stape Analytics, you will see how more accurate data collection on the server side boosts your business. This feature helps you monitor how accurate conversion tracking on the server side reveals new business opportunities.
A solid server-side tracking setup is crucial for optimal performance, requiring internal expertise or support from analytics vendors to handle the complexity of integration and ongoing maintenance.
In a nutshell, here are the top reasons to use Stape Analytics:
Need help with your setup? Drop us a line at support@stape.io (available 24/7) or a message in a chat window (in the bottom right corner of this page).
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