Server-side tracking.
Server-side tracking routes conversion data through a server you control before it is sent to the ad platforms. It complements in-browser measurement, without bypassing visitor consent.
Simplified illustration.
What changes, point by point.
Server-side does not replace in-browser tracking: it changes the path data takes, what it contains and who controls it.
What changes on the server side Same, or to plan for
A site that invests across several ad platforms, with a large share of visitors on Safari or using blockers, and bidding algorithms that learn from the conversions they receive.
A site without ad campaigns or with low traffic, or in-browser tracking that is not yet reliable. In that case, the tagging plan comes first.
Sent twice, counted once.
A server-side setup often sends the same conversion twice: from the browser and from the server. This double send is useful, as long as the ad platform can link the two and recognize the customer.
- A shared event ID. Both sends carry the same ID, generated only once in the page. The ad platform then keeps a single conversion.
- Complete matching data. Hashed email and phone number, click and browser identifiers: the better the ad platform recognizes the customer, the better the conversion is attributed. Meta measures this quality with its Event Match Quality score.
- Regular checks. Duplicate rate, match quality and the gap with your actual sales are checked after setup, then over time.
Fictional cases, for illustration only.
The building blocks of server-side tracking.
Each ad platform offers its own interface for sending data from a server. Which building blocks you need depends on the ad platforms you use and on your site.
Server-side Google Tag Manager
A container hosted on a server, on a subdomain of your site, that receives events and forwards them to the ad platforms.
Conversions API
Sending events to Meta from a server, alongside the pixel, with deduplication by event ID.
Enhanced Conversions
Enhanced Conversions send Google hashed customer data, such as email addresses, to better match conversions to clicks.
Events API and Conversions API
The equivalent interfaces from TikTok and Reddit, for sending conversions from a server.
Consent Mode v2
Google's consent mode passes each visitor's choice to the tags, which adjust their behavior accordingly.
Offline conversions
Importing sales closed outside the site, for example after a sales call, to attribute them to campaigns.
A server hosted by a specialist.
A server-side Google Tag Manager container is rarely set up without an external tool: it has to be hosted, connected to your domain and maintained. JAAB relies on solutions available on the market, with no particular partnership, and chooses with you based on your traffic and your constraints.
Hosting for server-side Google Tag Manager containers, with servers in Europe and a library of connectors to the ad platforms.
Server-side GTM hostingA French solution for hosting and running server-side tracking, with monitoring of the data passing through the server.
French solutionHosting the container directly on Google's infrastructure, for teams that manage their own servers.
Self-hostingHow we move to server-side.
Server-side is only worthwhile if the starting tracking is accurate. So the steps always start with a diagnosis, and end with a check against actual sales.
Diagnosis
An inventory of what your conversions really count, how far they are from your sales, and the share of visitors who consent.
Architecture
Choosing the events, the parameters and the ad platforms to feed from the server, and setting the consent rules.
Implementation
Setting up the collection server, connecting the conversion APIs and deduplicating with the browser.
Verification
Comparing the conversions reported before and after, ad platform by ad platform, with your actual sales.
Measurement that serves your campaigns.
JAAB manages ten ad platforms for its clients. Server-side tracking serves a specific goal there: giving bidding more complete and more accurate conversions, checked against actual sales. We do not promise a specific gain: it depends on consent, on your visitors' browsers and on your starting setup.
The agency works with more than fifty international clients, with a 97% recommendation rate. It was founded in 2023 by two former Google and Twitter employees, has a team of seven and holds Google Partner Premier status.
Server-side, in practice.
01What is server-side tracking?
It is sending conversion data to the ad platforms from a server, instead of only from the visitor's browser. The site passes the event to a collection server, which filters it and then forwards it to Google, Meta or TikTok.
02Is server-side tracking GDPR compliant?
Yes, as long as consent is respected. Server-side does not exempt you from obtaining visitors' consent: a visitor who declines ad tracking must not be tracked, whatever path the data takes. It does, however, give you better control over the data sent to each ad platform.
03What is the difference between Enhanced Conversions and the Conversions API?
Enhanced Conversions is the Google feature that supplements conversions with hashed customer data. The Conversions API is Meta's interface for sending events from a server. Both serve the same purpose, each for its own ad platform.
04Should you keep tracking in the browser?
In most cases, yes. The two complement each other: the browser and the server send the same conversion with a shared event ID, and the ad platform keeps only one. Without that ID, conversions are counted twice.
05How many additional conversions can you recover?
The gain depends on your site, the share of visitors who consent and the browsers they use. We do not estimate it in advance: we measure it by comparing the conversions reported before and after, and reconciling them with your actual sales.
06How much does a collection server cost?
The collection server is hosted by a specialist such as Stape or Addingwell, or directly on Google Cloud, which bill it based on traffic volume. This hosting cost comes on top of the setup and stays separate from the media budget.
07Does server-side tracking get around ad blockers?
Not on its own. What limits losses is routing data through a subdomain of your own site rather than through the ad platforms' domains. Consent is still required: a visitor who declines tracking is not tracked.