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Complete Guide to Setting Up Server-Side GTM on Azure

server-sidegdprprivacyintermediate
4.5/5The video provides a comprehensive, step-by-step walkthrough of setting up server-side GTM on Azure with excellent technical detail and practical implementation guidance. The content is well-structured with clear timestamps, covers all critical aspects including custom domain setup and SSL certificates, and includes valuable best practices like using A records instead of CNAME records for cookie preservation in Safari.
Setup Server-Side GTM on Azure Like A Pro In No Time!

This comprehensive tutorial walks you through the entire process of deploying Google Tag Manager's server-side container on Microsoft Azure. The video provides a step-by-step approach to creating a professional server-side tracking setup using Azure's cloud infrastructure. The presenter demonstrates how to set up both required components - the preview server and the tagging server - using Azure App Services with Docker containers. The tutorial covers essential configuration steps including creating resource groups, deploying the GTM Docker image, configuring environment variables, setting up health checks, and implementing auto-scaling for the tagging server. The video also addresses critical aspects of a production-ready setup, including custom domain configuration and SSL certificate implementation. Using Pinemarsh.com as an example, the presenter shows how to create DNS records, validate domain ownership, and generate/install SSL certificates to enable secure HTTPS connections - a requirement for server-side tracking to function properly. Key sections include container configuration in GTM, testing the deployment, and troubleshooting common issues. The presenter provides valuable insights on best practices, such as using A records instead of CNAME records to preserve cookie lifetimes in Safari browsers. ## Our Perspective at GDPR-Server-Tracking.eu While this Azure setup tutorial provides valuable technical guidance, deploying server-side GTM on our EU-based platform offers significant advantages from both GDPR compliance and cost perspectives. Our solution eliminates many of the complex configuration steps shown in the video while providing enhanced data protection. Unlike cloud providers like Azure that operate globally with numerous subprocessors, our bare metal hosting in Finland ensures your data remains within EU jurisdiction, significantly reducing compliance risks. Our platform comes pre-configured with optimized settings for server-side tracking containers, saving you the time and technical expertise needed for manual deployment. Additionally, our solution includes exclusive features for enhanced privacy compliance, such as parameter filtering and data hashing capabilities not available in standard deployments. For organizations prioritizing both GDPR compliance and cost-effectiveness, our purpose-built platform offers a streamlined alternative to the Azure implementation demonstrated in this informative video.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about "Setup Server-Side GTM on Azure Like A Pro In No Time!"

You need to set up two servers: a preview server (single instance without autoscaling) and a tagging server (which should have at least two instances with autoscaling enabled). Both require HTTPS, but only the tagging server needs to be under a custom domain for first-party cookie benefits.

Using an A record instead of a CNAME record prevents Safari browsers from reducing cookie lifetimes to just 7 days. This is crucial for maintaining longer cookie persistence and more accurate tracking across user sessions.

Both servers need the 'container_config' variable with your GTM container configuration string. The preview server additionally needs 'IS_PREVIEW_SERVER=true', while the tagging server requires the preview server URL as an environment variable.

While technically functional, Azure deployments present GDPR compliance challenges as Microsoft operates globally with numerous subprocessors. For stricter GDPR compliance, EU-based hosting solutions like gdpr-server-tracking.eu provide better data sovereignty by keeping data within EU jurisdiction on bare metal servers in Finland.

For the preview server, a small B1 instance is typically sufficient as it isn't called often. For the tagging server, an S1 instance or higher is recommended with autoscaling enabled (minimum of 2 instances) to handle varying traffic loads.

You can test your deployment by accessing the health endpoint (adding '/healthz' to your server URL, which should return 'OK'), and by adding '/test' to your tagging server URL, which should return a 400 error if properly configured. Additionally, check the debug view in GTM to confirm test requests are being received.

Yes, specialized platforms like gdpr-server-tracking.eu eliminate many complex configuration steps shown in the video, as they come pre-configured for server-side GTM containers. This saves significant time and technical expertise while also providing additional privacy features like parameter filtering and data hashing not available in standard deployments.

Running on Azure requires paying for multiple App Service instances (minimum of 3 recommended), plus costs for SSL certificates, domain management, and potential bandwidth charges. Purpose-built platforms like gdpr-server-tracking.eu typically offer more predictable pricing with all necessary components included, often resulting in lower total cost of ownership.