Server-side tracking has become a critical element in modern analytics, providing businesses with better data accuracy, improved privacy compliance, and optimised performance. This post will explore the benefits of server-side tracking, focusing on why Stape.io is one of the best solutions for organisations looking to enhance their tracking setup.
Purpose of server-side tracking
Server-side tracking serves several important purposes:
- Improved data accuracy: By moving tracking to the server, data loss caused by privacy measures such as ITP (Intelligent Tracking Prevention) and ad blockers is reduced.
- Performance: Server-side solutions often result in faster load times and more precise data collection.
- Privacy compliance: Server-side tracking makes it easier to ensure that data collection complies with privacy regulations such as GDPR.
- Scalability and security: Server-side solutions offer better security and scalability for growing businesses.
These benefits make server-side tracking an essential component for any organisation looking to optimise their data collection and advertising performance, while maintaining compliance.
Case using Stape
Stape offers a fully managed solution for server-side Google Tag Manager (sGTM), making it easy to implement and maintain server-side tracking without the need to manage your own servers.
Case study: Stape's Power-ups recovered 51% of lost requests, significantly improving overall tracking performance.
See more case results:
- Recovered from tracking prevention (TP): 290,690 requests → 50.05% of all requests
- Recovered from ad blockers: 3,284 requests → 0.57% of all requests
- Total recovered requests (combined): ~51% of requests were recovered due to power-ups via server-side tagging
Case study: Recovery of lost tracking data
A notable case demonstrated how Stape recovered 293,974 requests in just 10 days that would otherwise have been lost due to tracking prevention and ad blockers. This represented a 51% recovery of total requests that would otherwise have been lost, underscoring the effectiveness of server-side tagging.
How does Stape improve ad performance?
Through its server-side setup, Stape optimises platforms such as Google Analytics 4 (GA4), Google Ads, Facebook CAPI, and LinkedIn CAPI, ensuring more accurate and improved conversions. Centralised event tracking and parameter mapping across platforms enables seamless integration and consistent data collection.
CMP & Consent Mode integration
With Consent Mode v2 integrated with a CMP (Consent Management Platform), businesses can ensure that data is only tracked in accordance with user consent. Stape works seamlessly with platforms such as Cookiebot — our preferred choice — ensuring compliance with global privacy regulations while maintaining detailed tracking.
Event Mapping and documentation (part of our service)
Event Mapping and documentation is part of our service and audit. This service ensures that all tracked events align with GA4's baseline and helps teams document their tracking setups. It is a valuable resource for both internal teams and clients who need to maintain clarity and precision in their data tracking.
Conclusion
Server-side tracking is an essential tool for improving data quality and advertising performance, while adhering to privacy regulations. Stape's managed sGTM solution makes it easy for businesses to integrate and optimise server-side tracking without having to manage their own servers.
