Did you know that a significant portion of user behaviour data never reaches your analytics and advertising tools? One of the main reasons is cookie rejection. Studies of user behaviour with cookie banners show that the average cookie acceptance rate is approximately 30%, and in some cases up to 70% of users may reject marketing cookies or not interact with the banner at all.
As a result, analytics tools such as Google Analytics 4 or tracking implemented via Google Tag Manager may only work with a fraction of real user behaviour data.
This means that with traditional browser-side tracking, a large portion of visitor data can simply go missing. For businesses that rely on accurate measurement of marketing campaigns and ad optimisation, this is a significant problem.
That is why more and more organisations are turning to server-side tracking -f an approach that allows part of the data to be processed on the server, improving measurement reliability even in environments with stricter privacy regulations.
Source
https://www.cookieyes.com/blog/internet-cookie-statistics/
What Is Server-Side Tracking
Server-side tracking helps improve data quality in analytics and advertising tools, even in environments where some users block cookies or use ad blockers. A correctly implemented solution also gives you better control over what data is sent to individual marketing platforms, in compliance with current privacy legislation and GDPR.
How Server-Side Tracking Works
With traditional tracking, data about website visitors is sent directly from the user's browser to analytics or advertising tools such as Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel or Google Ads. This approach is known as client-side tracking.
With client-side tracking, data is sent directly from the user's browser to analytics and advertising tools.
With server-side tracking, data is first sent to a server (or cloud), which then distributes it to individual tools such as Google Analytics, Google Ads or Meta (Facebook) Conversion API.
The result? You have greater control over what data is collected, how it is processed, and where it is sent.
Why Traditional Tracking Loses Data
Traditional web analytics relies on scripts running directly in the user's browser. While this approach worked well for many years, it is becoming increasingly unreliable due to growing privacy requirements and the limitations of modern browsers.
There are several reasons why browser-side tracking can lead to incomplete or inaccurate data.
Cookie rejection Many users reject marketing cookies or do not interact with the cookie banner at all. In such cases, analytics and advertising tools cannot store user identifiers or track behaviour on the site.
Ad blockers and privacy protection A growing number of users rely on ad blockers or privacy extensions that block tracking scripts. Modern browsers such as Safari and Firefox also include tracking prevention technologies that limit cookie lifespan or block certain requests.
Browser restrictions and regulations Browser updates and legislative privacy requirements have significantly restricted the use of third-party cookies and classic client-side tracking. As a result, some user interactions never reach analytics or advertising systems.
Script failures Because client-side tracking depends on scripts running in the browser, it can fail due to slow connections, blocked scripts or page loading issues.
The result is a gap between what visitors actually do on your website and what gets recorded in your analytics tools.
This is where server-side tracking comes in. By processing data on the server first and only then sending it to analytics and advertising tools, measurement can be more reliable - and organisations gain greater control over how tracking data is handled.
What Are the Benefits of Server-Side Tracking?
1. More Accurate Measurement and More Conversions
Standard browser-side tracking is becoming increasingly unreliable - ad blockers, cookie consents and browser restrictions all cause a portion of data to simply disappear.
Server-side tracking helps minimise these losses and increases the likelihood that advertising platforms like Google or Meta receive more accurate conversion signals.
The result can be better-optimised campaigns, lower cost per conversion and higher overall ad performance.
2. Faster Website
Fewer scripts in the browser means fewer requests when loading the page.
The result can be a faster website, leading to a better user experience, improved SEO performance and a higher likelihood that visitors will complete the desired action.
3. Better Security and GDPR Compliance
With server-side tracking, data passes through your server or cloud infrastructure first.
This allows you to better control what information is sent to individual marketing tools — for example, anonymising, filtering or limiting it to only what is necessary for measurement.
This approach can help you set up solutions that comply with privacy regulations and GDPR.
4. Future-Proof Data Measurement
The digital landscape is changing rapidly and user privacy is playing an increasingly important role.
Server-side tracking allows businesses to work more with first-party data and better prepare for future changes in measurement and digital advertising.
Options and Costs
At iMPROVE, we offer several deployment approaches. When selecting the most suitable solution, we first analyse your current measurement setup, technical capabilities and future marketing needs.
Available options:
Google Cloud - reliable and scalable, hosted within Google's infrastructure.
Stape - a simpler and more cost-effective alternative with fast implementation.
Own server - full control over your data, hosted on your own infrastructure.
Operating costs for cloud-based solutions typically start from around €20 per month for medium-sized projects, depending on data volume and website traffic.
How Server-Side Tracking Implementation Works
Implementation typically follows several steps, with the goal of moving part of the data processing from the user's browser to a server or cloud infrastructure.
1. Analysis of existing measurement First, we review how your current tracking is set up — including Google Tag Manager, Google Analytics and any advertising pixels.
2. Creating the server container A server container is created to receive and process tracking requests. It can be hosted in Google Cloud, via Stape or on your own server.
3. Connecting web and server tracking The web container begins sending data to the server container first, which then processes it and forwards it to analytics or advertising tools.
4. Domain setup and data security Server-side tracking is often configured via a custom subdomain, helping you work with first-party data and maintain better control over data processing.
5. Testing and optimisation After implementation, all events are tested to ensure they are correctly passed through to analytics and advertising systems.
Solution Comparison
Google Cloud Ideal for businesses looking for stability, scalability and integration with the Google ecosystem.
Stape Fast implementation and lower upfront costs, particularly suitable for small and medium-sized businesses.
Own server Higher initial investment, but maximum control over infrastructure and data.
Case Study: Server-Side Tracking Implementation for TRIV
To illustrate the practical benefits of server-side tracking, here is an example from our implementation for TRIV, a client whose website is primarily used to generate enquiries and provide information about their removal services.
Project Context
The client's website used standard browser-side tracking implemented via Google Tag Manager and Google Analytics 4. The main measurement objectives were:
- submitted contact forms
- removal order submissions from a multi-step form
- interactions with key page elements
The client also uses Google Ads as their primary channel for acquiring new enquiries, with campaigns managed by our team. Performance Max campaigns play a particularly important role — they can deliver strong results, but are heavily dependent on accurate conversion signals.
A lack of precise conversion data can significantly impact campaign optimisation, especially for automated campaign types like Performance Max. We therefore decided to implement server-side tracking to improve data quality and provide advertising platforms with more accurate optimisation signals.
Implementation
The solution was server-side tracking using a Google Tag Manager server container hosted via Stape.
Implementation included:
- creating the server container in Google Tag Manager
- hosting the server container via Stape
- setting up a custom tracking subdomain
- connecting the web and server containers
- configuring data forwarding to Google Analytics and advertising platforms
With this setup, tracking requests are processed on the server first and only then forwarded to individual analytics and marketing tools.
Results
After implementation, we monitored request and event processing directly in the Stape dashboard.
The server container was processing significantly more tracking requests than had been recorded with classic browser-side tracking.
In practice, this meant:
- a higher number of recorded conversions
- more accurate measurement of forms and interactions
- more stable signals for advertising campaigns
Server-side tracking helped improve the quality of data used by both analytics tools and advertising platforms to optimise campaigns.
Testing server-side tracking implementation in Google Tag Manager debug mode:
After implementing server-side tracking, we tested individual events directly in Google Tag Manager debug mode. The screenshot shows active tags and event processing, which are subsequently forwarded to analytics and advertising tools.
Server-Side Tracking Results
After implementation, we analysed processed requests in the Stape platform dashboard. The data showed that a portion of requests that would have been blocked by ad blockers or browser privacy mechanisms under classic browser-side tracking were successfully captured and processed via the server container.
The Stape dashboard showing the number of processed requests and the share of data captured despite browser-side blocking.
During the analysed period, the server container processed more than 10,000 requests, with approximately 17% coming from requests that would have been blocked by privacy mechanisms or ad blockers under classic browser-side tracking.
Summary
To put it simply, with GTM Server-Side Tracking you can:
- improve the performance of your advertising campaigns
- obtain more accurate and reliable data
- speed up your website loading time
- better control data processing and meet privacy requirements
The investment in this solution often pays off quickly through more efficient campaigns, more accurate measurement and better optimisation of marketing activities. More accurate data also enables better decision-making, which can significantly impact the growth of your business.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is server-side tracking?
Server-side tracking is a method of data measurement in which tracking requests are first processed on a server or cloud infrastructure and only then forwarded to analytics or advertising tools.
What is the difference between client-side and server-side tracking?
With client-side tracking, data is sent directly from the user's browser to analytics tools. With server-side tracking, it is first processed on the server, which can improve measurement reliability and give you greater control over your data.
Is server-side tracking compliant with GDPR?
Server-side tracking can help you better control data processing — for example, by anonymising or filtering information before it is sent to marketing tools. However, any implementation must always be configured in compliance with privacy regulations and GDPR.
How much does server-side tracking implementation cost?
Costs depend on the chosen solution and data volume. For cloud-based solutions, operating costs typically start from around €20 per month, with implementation costs varying based on project complexity.
Feeling Like You're Losing Data?
It may be time to consider server-side tracking — a solution that can help you obtain more accurate data, better optimise your advertising campaigns and make more informed marketing decisions.
At iMPROVE, we can help you with both the design and implementation:
- we will propose the optimal server-side tracking solution based on your business needs
- we will handle implementation, testing and technical support
- we will explain everything clearly and practically, with no technical knowledge required on your side
Want to Get More from Your Data?
Find out how much data your website could be losing without server-side tracking.
