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. Whether you were previously considering a standard Google gateway proxy or manually configuring a server container, this tool provides a much faster alternative. The setup is simple: you must have web tracking for GA4 and Google Ads configured correctly and then set up Stape Gateway.

• Server-side Google Analytics 4.
• Server-side Google Ads remarketing. 
• Server-side Google Ads conversion tracking. 
• Server-side Google Ads offline conversion tracking.

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

1. Pay as you go

• 10$/month or 100$/year.
• Up to 2,000,000 requests per month.

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

• 100$ per month or 1000$ per year.
• Up to 20,000,000 requests per month.
• Up to 20 custom domains.

1. 1.
   Low price. You can start with a 7 day free trial to check all the benefits and then proceed to the paid plans. In the meantime, you can save hundreds or thousands of dollars compared to manual implementation.
2. 2.
   Easily set up server-side tracking for GA4 and Google Ads without the hassle of manually configuring tags using the server Google Tag Manager container. Simply configure web tracking for GA4 and Google Ads and set up the Stape Gateway.
3. 3.
   Bypass AdBlockers by enabling Custom Loader.
4. 4.
   Prolong cookie lifetime by configuring Own CDN or enabling Custom Loader.

Also, Stape offers a handy solution for GA4 management - MCP Server for GA4 - it allows you to perform the tasks within GA4 using AI.

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

Fill out:

• Gateway name. You can create a random name.  
• Web Google Tag Manager ID. Follow these steps to find the web Google Tag Manager ID.
• Server location. Select a location closer to your website visitors. 

Click Create Stape Gateway.  

Stape offers: 

• 7-day free trial.
• Pay as you go plan - 10$/month or 100$/year with up to 2,000,000 requests/month.
• Ultimate plan - 100$/month or 1000$/year with up to 20,000,000 requests/month.

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.

• Log in to your Cloudflare account
• Select domain name on account home page
• Click three dots next to domain
• Click Configure DNS
• Click Add record
• Add a CNAME record similar to the screenshot below. Ensure that the proxy status is off 
• Save changes

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 scripts invisible to ad blockers, improving the quality and quantity of your data collection. 

1. Go to Power-ups and click Use next to the Custom Loader panel.

2. Toggle the Custom Loader switch to enable it.

4. If you want to encode tracking requests sent from the browser to your sGTM container, toggle the Enhanced ad blocker protection. By masking recognizable URL patterns and tracking signatures, it prevents ad blockers from identifying and intercepting those requests.

5. Click Save changes.

6. In the Code & Setup information section, choose the Platform and select Other to receive a JS snippet in case you’re using another platform or a custom website.

7. Configure the following settings:

• Web GTM ID – enter your web Google Tag Manager ID.
• Same Origin Path – if you use the same-origin approach, enter the path here so both GTM and gtag.js load through it.

8. You can also configure Advanced settings:

• Generate with Cookie Keeper – includes Cookie Keeper functionality in the generated code.
• User identifier type – appears together with Generate with Cookie Keeper. Choose how to identify users, Cookie is recommended. When selected, enter the Cookie name of the first-party cookie to use as the identifier. For more information, read How to choose user identifier type in Cookie Keeper.

9. Click Generate and add the provided code to your website.

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.