Stape Gateway: simplify server-side tracking for GA4 & Google Ads

In most cases, configuring tracking, especially server-side tracking GTM, takes a lot of time. Here at Stape, we aim to simplify the process of its configuration. That is all about Stape Gateway — a simple, no-fuss solution to quickly set up server-side Google Analytics 4 and Google Ads.

Stape Gateway offers a solution to switch from web to server-side tracking, making it much easier to implement reliable data tracking for both GA4 and Google Ads without setting up server GTM container.

In this article, we’ll dive into the details of Stape Gateway from Stape and how it allows you to focus on what matters most: collecting accurate marketing data and boosting ad performance.

Stape Gateway is designed to help customers simplify server-side tagging configuration for Google Analytics 4 and Google Ads. The setup is simple: you must have web tracking for GA4 and Google Ads configured correctly and then set up Stape Gateway. There’s no need for manual configuration of server-side GA4 or Google Ads — Stape Gateway handles web requests to send data through the server-side connection.

You can try Stape Gateway for free for 7 days without providing any billing details.

1. Pay as you go

With the pay-as-you-go plan, you can add several combinations of custom domains and web GTM. Each additional domain will cost $10 per month and include up to 2 million monthly requests ($100 per year).

2. Ultimate

Create an account or log in to Stape. Click on "More Gateways" → "Stape Gateway" → “Create Stape Gateway”.

Write in the gaps:

Click Create Stape Gateway.  

Stape offers: 

Configuring a custom domain is highly recommended because it allows you to serve your Google Tags from the first-party context and prolongs first-party cookies. 

3.1. Choose your Stape Gateway on Stape. Click Add a custom domain.

3.2. Type the domain name, add or select web Google Tag Manager ID and select whether you want to use Own CDN. Own CDN allows serving custom domains (tagging server URL) from the same IP address as your website domain. It helps to set first-party cookies in browsers with ITP, like Safari and Firefox. 

Read more about configuring Own CDN for Stape Gateway here.

Below is an example of how to add a custom domain without Own CDN.

3.3. Configure the DNS records you see in the Stape.io admin. With these guides, you can find information on how to set up DNS records for top providers manually.

But you can also do it Automatically via Entri.

Below is an example of a Cloudflare setup.

It usually takes 20-30 minutes to validate DNS records, but for some providers, it might take up to 72 hours. If the domain is not verified in 72. hours, please follow the steps from this guide or reach out to Stape support. 

The Custom Loader makes Google Analytics 4 and Google Ads script invisible to ad blockers, improving the quality and quantity of your data collection. 

5.1 Add /healthy at the end of your Stape Gateway (e.g. https://gwt.stape.dog/healthy). If everything works correctly, you should see the response OK.

5.2 Open Web Google Tag Manager debugger, click through your website to activate GA hits, and select GA in the GTM preview.

Go to Summary → Output → Hits Sent, and verify that hits are routed to the correct tagging URL (the one you’ve added inside the stape admin).

Stape Gateway simplifies server-side tracking by automating the configuration process for Google Analytics and Google Ads. Whether focused on improving data collection or maximizing ad performance, this solution enhances data quality and accuracy.

Explore the benefits with a free plan, and don’t hesitate to contact our support team if you have any questions.