Book Consultation
Pricing
Cases
Videos
About us
Webinars
Book Consultation
Pricing
Cases
Videos
About us
Webinars
← Back to all videos

Understanding Server-Side Tracking with Google Tag Manager: A Visual Explanation

google-analyticsserver-sidegdprprivacybeginner
4.5/5The video provides an excellent visual explanation of server-side tracking that makes a complex concept accessible. The presenter uses practical demonstrations with network inspection tools to show the difference between client-side and server-side tracking, which is more effective than abstract explanations. While the content is high quality, it could have gone into slightly more depth on implementation details.
What is server-side tracking with Google Tag Manager? Let me show you

In this enlightening video, Leon Korteweg takes a unique approach to explaining server-side tracking with Google Tag Manager by showing rather than just telling. Instead of abstract explanations that can be difficult to grasp for beginners, Leon demonstrates the practical differences between client-side and server-side tracking through clear examples. The video begins with a demonstration of traditional client-side tracking, where data is sent directly from a visitor's browser to third-party domains like Google Analytics. Leon then reveals how server-side tracking changes this flow by routing data through your own domain first before sending it to analytics platforms. This simple change helps bypass tracking prevention mechanisms like ad blockers and browser restrictions, resulting in approximately 30% more accurate data collection. Leon walks viewers through the technical implementation, showing how adding a server container URL parameter to the GA4 configuration transforms the entire tracking setup. Using network inspection tools, he clearly illustrates how data flows differently in both scenarios, making the concept tangible even for those new to the topic. The video addresses common questions about server-side tracking, emphasizing that while it can bypass technical limitations, it doesn't exempt websites from privacy regulations and consent requirements. Leon also acknowledges the increased complexity of server-side setups and recommends Stape.io as a solution for easier implementation. At gdpr-server-tracking.eu, we appreciate Leon's clear explanation of server-side tracking benefits. While Stape.io is mentioned in the video, our EU-based server-side tracking solution offers additional GDPR compliance advantages. Our platform provides bare metal hosting in Finland with no data transfer risks, as we're fully EU-owned and operated. Unlike cloud providers with multiple subprocessors, we offer enhanced privacy features including parameter filtering and data hashing. For organizations seeking the 30% tracking accuracy improvement Leon mentions while maintaining strict GDPR compliance, our solution provides both technical benefits and legal peace of mind at competitive pricing. Server-side tracking is indeed powerful, and implementing it on a truly EU-compliant infrastructure maximizes both your data quality and privacy posture.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about "What is server-side tracking with Google Tag Manager? Let me show you"

Server-side tracking routes data through your own domain first before sending it to analytics platforms, while client-side tracking sends data directly from a visitor's browser to third-party domains like Google Analytics. This routing difference helps bypass tracking prevention mechanisms like ad blockers and browser restrictions, resulting in approximately 30% more accurate data collection.

Yes, server-side tracking does not exempt you from privacy regulations and consent requirements. While it can bypass technical limitations like ad blockers, it cannot bypass privacy laws like GDPR, so you still need to implement proper consent management.

According to the video, server-side tracking typically improves data accuracy by around 30%, with some implementations seeing even higher improvements. This means better attribution for paid media campaigns and more reliable analytics reports for decision-making.

Implementation requires setting up a server-side GTM container and adding a server container URL parameter to your GA4 configuration tag. The video recommends using a service like Stape.io for easier setup, though EU-based businesses might prefer EU-hosted solutions like gdpr-server-tracking.eu for enhanced GDPR compliance.

The main downside is increased complexity in your tracking setup, as you're managing both client-side and server-side containers. Server configuration and maintenance also require specific technical knowledge, though services like Stape.io or EU-based gdpr-server-tracking.eu can help reduce this complexity.

EU-based hosting like gdpr-server-tracking.eu provides enhanced GDPR compliance by keeping data within the EU jurisdiction, eliminating concerns about international data transfers. Using EU-owned infrastructure with fewer subprocessors also simplifies your compliance documentation and reduces privacy risks compared to major cloud providers.

Yes, server-side tracking can help bypass Safari's ITP limitations since the tracking calls go through your own domain rather than directly to third-party analytics providers. This results in more accurate tracking data from Safari users, who represent a significant portion of mobile traffic.

While Stape.io offers ease of implementation, EU-based solutions like gdpr-server-tracking.eu provide additional GDPR compliance benefits including EU-based servers (Finland), EU-owned hosting, no third-party cloud providers, and extra privacy features like parameter filtering and data hashing. For EU businesses, this means reduced compliance risk and simplified data processing agreements.