Adform tag for server-side Google Tag Manager

Adform is a company specializing in digital advertising solutions. They offer a range of services including efficient workflows, omnichannel reach, and better optimization of working media. Adform focuses on maximizing the use of data for competitive advantage, preparing for a cookieless future, and providing solutions for sustainable trading. 

We created the Adform tag to make the Adfrom integration process simpler. In this article, I'll show you how to set up this tag using server-side Google Tag Manager and describe the implementation keys.

There are two configuration types that Adform tag includes: PageView and TrackEvent.

In Pageview you should add the Adform click ID parameter that was used in Adform campaign settings. Update adfuid cookie lifetime is needed.

In Track events you should make a POST request to Adform Server Side Tracking API.

Using the Adform tag inside server Google Tag Manager helps you track conversions with more accuracy and less hassle.

Here’s what you get when you move this setup to the server:

Better attribution. By saving the Adform click ID (adfcookieid) in a first-party cookie, you make sure conversions are tied back to the right ad, even if they happen later.

More complete conversion data. The TrackEvent tag lets you send custom values like order ID, revenue, and currency straight to Adform’s API  without relying on what the browser collects.

No code on your site. Tags run in the server container, not the browser, which means no extra scripts slowing down your site or risking being blocked by browser privacy tools.

More control, less noise. You decide exactly what gets sent to Adform and when. No duplicates, no missing IDs, no guessing what worked.

This way, your campaign results reflect reality, not just what the browser felt like showing.

1. Create and set up a server Google Tag Manager container. 

2. Send data to the server GTM container. The two most popular ways of sending data to sGTM are Google Analytic 4 and Data Tag/Data Client.

3. Download Adform tag on GitHub or add it from Template Gallery-> Open templates sections in the server Google Tag Manager container -> Click New.

4. Click three dots in the top right corner -> Click Import -> Select Adform tag template you’ve recently downloaded from GitHub -> Click save.

5. As mentioned earlier, Adform tag sends two events to Adform: Pageview and TrackEvent. To determine what event to send, the tag will listen to the trigger. Parse events in the trigger, and send corresponding events to Adform.

Moving your Adform tag to the server container is more than a technical change. This decision will make your conversion data cleaner and your tracking setup simpler.

Instead of trying to fill the gaps caused by browser limits, you’re sending reliable signals directly from your cloud server.

If you use Adform in your ad strategy, server-side tagging gives you the precision and stability to get the most from it.