What is server-side tracking?

Server-side tracking is an advanced method of collecting user activity data that shifts the process from the user's web browser (the client side) to a server you manage. Unlike traditional client-side tracking, where JavaScript tags send data directly from the browser to third-party platforms, server-side tracking adds an extra layer by routing data through your own server.

Before getting into the details of server-side tracking, let’s briefly discuss what client-side tracking is. This way, it will be much easier to grasp the difference between the two.

Client-side tracking is the most common method for connecting websites with tracking platforms. It utilizes the user's browser (the client) to send information to a tag management system or analytics platform. One of the most popular tag management systems is Google Tag Manager. Once your site is connected to Google Tag Manager, you can use it to send information to various platforms, including Google Analytics, Facebook, TikTok, Mailchimp, etc. 

To implement client-side tracking, you should add the Google Tag Manager (or any other tag management system) code to your website and, ideally, create a data layer. After that, you set up tags and triggers to send information about user activity to third-party tools.  You can also learn more about how to implement server-side tracking.

With server-side tracking, your website first sends data to a cloud server, which then distributes that data between third-party vendors and tracking platforms. To understand how does server-side tracking work in practice: a cloud server acts as a proxy between the information you send to a third-party tool and your site, receiving requests, processing them, and forwarding only what you configure. The most popular server-side tracking platform is Google Tag Manager, which introduced its server-side tagging in 2020. 

A cloud server acts as a proxy between the information you send to a third-party tool and your site (or any other data source). To use server-side Google Tag Manager, you need to set up a cloud server that should (but is not required to) utilize a subdomain of your website. Then, use server GTM requests to forward information to the tracking platforms.

Here are the main benefits of server-side tagging:

• More accurate data collection and conversion tracking. Server-side tagging can reduce data loss due to iOS restrictions and decrease the impact of ad blockers. This is achieved through two main methods: using a custom domain for server-side tagging that sets first-party cookies, and Stape Custom Loader power-up that enhances Google Tag Manager and Google Analytics' resistance to ad blockers. This increased accuracy is critical, as modern data analytics in digital marketing relies heavily on complete, unfiltered event streams to properly attribute conversions and optimize ad spend.
• First-party cookies and extended cookie lifetime. When setting up a server container in Google Tag Manager, it is highly recommended to use a custom domain. This allows for the use of first-party cookies. With the limitations of traditional tracking cookies explained by recent browser updates, it becomes clear why relying on third-party scripts is increasingly risky. The deprecation of third-party cookies affects all major browsers, including Chrome, Safari, and Firefox. If you've set up server-side GA and used a custom domain for your server GTM, cookies can last for 400 days.
• Reduce the impact of ad blockers. With server-side tagging configured on a custom subdomain, tracking requests originate from your primary domain, making them undetectable by ad blockers.
• Control what data each vendor receives. Conversely, with the help of server-side tagging, you control what data each vendor receives. They can access only the information you configured in the request.
• Governance and control. Since server tracking allows you to completely control data flow, each vendor will receive only the information configured in your server-side tags.
• Data enrichment. Server GTM and server-side tracking can enrich data. For example, you can track orders via phone in Google Ads or Facebook.
• Improved website page load time. Reducing the amount of tracking JavaScript on your site can have a massive impact on your organic positions. Many of Stape's clients decided to set up server-side tracking mainly for better page speed.
• Hide Tracking IDs and Secret API keys. Anyone can see your tracking ID in the console or using a browser plugin with web tracking. Server-side tracking has the opposite situation - your tracking IDs are hidden. This may help prevent spam hits.

With Stape, you can set up tagging server URLs in just one click. It's incredibly simple and cost-effective. Stape's hosting is approximately five times less expensive than GCP. Beyond cost and simplicity, server-side tagging with Stape offers numerous advantages, including Custom Loader, Global CDN, Logs, Anonymizer Cookie Keeper, Multi Domains, Preview Header, account sharing, Autoscaling, API, server zones, and more.

Given the many benefits of server-side tracking, it's no surprise that it has numerous use cases. Here are some of the most popular ones:

• Facebook Conversions API. It allows you to send any event (standard and custom) from your server to Facebook's server, helping track users who have opted out of tracking on iOS devices.

• Server-side Google Analytics 4. Google states that server-side GA helps increase cookie lifetime. Since GA lacks event deduplication, you must use either web or server tracking, or both, with different GA properties.

• Server-side Google Ads. Server-side Tag Manager enables you to move your Google Ads conversion tracking tags from the webpage to the server, improving page load times and conversion tracking accuracy. This also addresses performance issues for users with slower internet connections.

• TikTok Events API. This technology for TikTok server-side tracking is similar to Facebook's Conversions API and LinkedIn Conversions API. It lists recommended events, event parameters, and user data that should be sent to TikTok servers. You can also use a test ID to test TikTok server events in real-time. TikTok also supports event deduplication.

• Track offline data. Server-side tagging enables tracking of offline conversions, such as phone orders, in-store purchases, and CRM data, allowing you to monitor leads' progress through the sales pipeline. Combined with cross-device tracking, this helps businesses build a more complete picture of customer journeys across devices and channels. Routing these downstream CRM updates directly into your analytics setup guarantees accurate GA4 lead-quality tracking, ensuring ad platforms optimize for closed deals rather than just initial form submissions.

• ActiveCampaign Google Tag Manager. Unlike web tracking, server integration allows you to fully integrate email software with your site, including creating new contacts, thereby speeding up your site's performance as no third-party JavaScript runs in the user’s browser.

• Enhance data security and privacy:

- Data security. Server-side tagging provides greater control over data, with processing and storage occurring on your servers before being sent to third-party services.

- Privacy compliance. With server-side tagging, you can ensure that only the necessary and compliant data is shared with third-party services.

• Performance optimization:

- Improved page load times. By handling tracking and analytics on the server side, you can reduce the amount of JavaScript running in the user's browser, which results in faster page load times and improved user experience.

- Reduced client-side processing. Offloading data collection and processing to the server can reduce the load on the client side.

• Custom data enrichment:

- Advanced data enrichment. Server-side tracking allows for the integration of additional data sources, such as internal databases or third-party APIs.

- Complex data transformation. The server performs complex data transformations and calculations before sending the data to third-party services, ensuring cleaner and more accurate data.

- Refined attribution models. Extending cookie lifetimes and combining web and server-side data can achieve more accurate attribution models.

- Bypass ad blockers. Since the data is sent directly from your server, server-side tagging is less likely to be blocked by ad blockers.

• Improve integration with other systems:

- Integration with internal systems like ERP, CRM, and other business intelligence tools.

- Custom workflows and automation to trigger marketing campaigns or operational alerts.

- Offline data integration. You can integrate offline conversion data, such as in-store purchases or phone sales, with online data to create a complete view of the customer journey.

There are several tools available for setting up server-side tagging. A common question when exploring these options may be what is Google Tag Gateway and whether it can replace a full server environment. While it acts as a helpful proxy for Google tags, our preferred choice for complete control and multi-vendor support is the server Google Tag Manager container. The main advantages of using sGTM include:

• Ease of use.
• Transparency and convenience.
• No additional costs. You only pay for the servers, with no fees for using the sGTM interface.
• Version control system. Any changes can be easily undone and returned to an earlier state, and you can keep track of who made the changes, where, and when.
• Multi-user mode.

If you want to set up Google Tag Manager server-side tagging on your website, we have a step-by-step manual on how to do it with our service.

With Stape, you can set up server GTM in less than a minute, and we are the most affordable solution on the market. Stape is cost-effective because we purchase servers in bulk and for extended periods, and we optimize our servers specifically for Google Tag Manager.

Additionally, Stape offers many other advantages:

1. Custom gtm.js and gtag.js Loader. This helps you make Google Tag Manager and/or Analytics 4 scripts more resistant to ad blockers.

2. Global CDN. This allows for faster JS file serving by using a server that resides closer to your site visitor. This results in improved page speed, which might positively affect organic ranking.

3. Logs. Logs are a useful feature for setting up or troubleshooting server-side tagging, helping you determine what data was sent to the server and how it was processed. For example, you can verify whether all purchase events returned a 200 status (indicating success) or identify requests with a 500 response code.

4. Cookie Keeper. This feature extends cookie lifetimes when a user accesses your site with any browser using the latest version of ITP, which shortens cookie lifespans for responses from third-party IPs. You only need to activate our Cookie Keeper power-up.

5. Anonymizer. With this power-up, you can remove or anonymize user data from Google Analytics.

We have a dedicated blog post outlining the benefits of Stape hosting for Google Tag Manager server.

Last but not least, understanding web tracking as a multi-layer structure can help clarify how different data collection methods interact. From user interactions captured in the browser to data processed on your server and finally sent to analytics platforms, each layer of tracking plays a role in accuracy, reliability, and privacy.

You can explore the entire concept in detail in our web tracking hierarchy blog post, which illustrates how client-side and server-side tracking complement each other.

By mastering server-side tracking, you can gain valuable insights into user behavior that can form the basis of your marketing strategies and improve your website's performance.

Our team of experts is always ready to help new users get started with tracking and answer any questions.

For high-volume websites, we offer custom plans. Feel free to use the pricing calculator to estimate the best plan for your site.