Step 6. Everything is set up. What to do next?

With sGTM hosting complete, the next steps are: connecting data platform accounts, learning the platform in depth, knowing where to get help, and optionally using tools that speed up further configuration.

1. Verify the setup with the Website Tracking Checker

Before moving forward, confirm everything was configured correctly using the Website Tracking Checker – a free tool that scans your website to assess tracking health across analytics, advertising, cookies, and SEO, and provides a score with actionable recommendations to improve data accuracy and overall performance.

2. Set up server-side tracking for popular platforms

Once your server container is set up, you can now configure tags for the various platforms you use. 

The most popular platform integrations are as following:

3. Set up Stape power-ups and other features

Power-ups are additional features that extend server-side tagging functionality. They're designed to be simple to enable and generally don't require developer involvement, except in more advanced setups.

Stape includes several other features that extend and simplify a server-side tracking setup – from data storage to performance monitoring.

Stape Store – Stape's built-in database for writing, reading, and syncing data within the server GTM container. Functions similarly to Firebase, storing data as JSON documents . 

Monitoring – lets you set custom alert rules on sGTM and server-side tag performance, so you're notified automatically when something needs attention (e.g., a spike in 4xx/5xx error codes or a shift in event volume), rather than having to catch it manually.

Stape Analytics – shows how effectively server-side tracking is performing, compared to a standard client-side setup. 

4. Get help – Helpdesk, community & 24/7 support

If something doesn't work, or you're just not sure how to move forward, Stape offers a few different ways to get help – pick whichever fits how you like to solve problems.

• Helpdesk and blog – articles and guides covering FAQs, setup instructions, GTM template details, API tools, and feature updates.
• 24/7 support – direct assistance via email or support ticket for Stape-related questions.
• Stape Community – a space to discuss platform setups, analytics integrations, and consent management, exchange knowledge, and get support for technical issues.

5. Learn by yourself - Stape Academy

Stape Academy – a free learning hub for marketers, founders, and non-technical teams, covering server-side tracking setup without requiring a developer. Includes video lessons, tests, and a certificate upon completion. Covers:

• Installing and configuring a GTM server container.
• Connecting platforms like Meta, GA4, TikTok, and others.
• Using Stape power-ups such as Cookie Keeper and Custom Loader.
• Testing, debugging, and optimizing the setup over time.

6. Easier way to set up server-side tracking

Manual setup works well for a first container but can become time-consuming when repeated across multiple sites, clients, or platforms. For those planning to create additional containers, or who found the manual setup process complex, Stape offers two solutions to speed things up.

Tracking Setup Assistant – generates personalized web and server GTM container templates, free, fast, and code-free. Instead of manually building tags, triggers, clients, and variables for each platform, it produces ready-to-use containers based on the CMS, business type, and platforms selected.

How to use:

1. Answer a quick questionnaire about your CMS, business type, and tracking needs
2. Select marketing platforms – choose the tools you use, like GA4, Google Ads, Meta, TikTok, or others
3. Fill in credentials – enter the required IDs, tokens, and API keys to connect your accounts
4. Generate and import templates – instantly get ready-made GTM containers, import them into your workspace, and start tracking

CRM & CMS app integrations – connect server-side tracking directly to your platform without a developer.

• CMS apps plug into e-commerce/website platforms (Shopify, WordPress, etc.) and automatically wire up server-side tracking for that platform – pulling in e-commerce event data, extending cookie lifespans, and similar setup work that would otherwise require manual configuration.
• CRM apps connect to a business's CRM (HubSpot, Salesforce, etc.) and watch for changes in the sales pipeline – like a lead becoming a customer – then automatically send that as a conversion event to ad platforms (Meta, Google), so ad platforms know a sale actually happened, without a developer building that data pipeline manually.