Server-side tracking is the tracking of user data and sending that data to various platforms including marketing, analytics, and others are called server-side tracking.
Are you running a business online right now? Then you may be relying on ads. There are lots of ways to promote business but e-commerce businesses, service businesses rely a lot on paid ads.
If so, you can consider this is for you. Our main goal is to optimize our ads to get good performance right? Here the ultimate goal is to get sales.
So if you are up to date with the latest trends and news you may know that there are a lot of barriers now and they will increase more in the future. People use adblocker, iOS 14.5 updates, Google Chrome will stop to collect 3rd party cookie data. This is why tracking the user’s behavior/activity will be hard. Eventually, it’ll harm your business.
Why?
The reason behind it is, that your ads rely on data a lot. If you don’t get enough data the ads won’t be effective because they don’t where to show the ads most because they don’t have that data. So ultimately ad performance will be low and sales figures will be down.
What is The Solution of 3rd party cookie Block?
Here comes the savior, server-side tracking. This is the ultimate solution for any kind of website and business. Because server-side tracking can pass those barriers.
To understand that, let’s quickly deep dive into why all the people are blocking 3rd party cookies which means client-side tracking.
(Some says client-side tracking, some says browser-side tracking, also familiar as 3rd party cookie tracking)
So why people are concerned? Because 3rd party cookie are taking user’s data and privacy infos and sending those to the 3rd party platforms. For example, you visited abc.com but there are Facebook pixels installed. If you are a business owner or marketer sometimes it may feel it’s fine but general people might don’t like it.
That’s why they may reject data collection on the website. The main concern is here. They don’t want a 3rd party to collect their information. Privacy concerns are the most important focus. So that’s the reason 3rd party cookies are worldwide getting a lot of traction regarding this matter that it should be turned off.
So you know that 3rd party cookie tracking is going to die we need a solution right? Otherwise, our ads won’t run. In this case, server-side tracking comes and solves the issues.
How can server side tracking can solve data block of 3rd party cookies?
Server-side tracking is the feature to set up the tracking in the websites in the first-party mode. That is called first-party cookie tracking. Here we will set up a cookie this way that the cookie will not send any data to any other 3rd party. Rather the cookie will pass the data through a first-party method. That will be your website. Then will use tag management tools which is the powerful Google Tag Manager tools. By this, we will send those data to other platforms as we need.
Here is how server-side tracking works:
When a user requests to a webpage, to track user data or behavior instead of sending data directly to any third-party platforms, the website captures information like page views, purchases, scrolls, and clicks on its own server (by a subdomain). This collected data stays in a first-party domain, which is considered as first-party domain tracking.
Then those data arrive in a GTM server container and it sends (need to set up based on requirements) data to the required places (e.g. Meta pixel, Google Analytics, and more).
What’s the difference between client-side tracking and server-side tracking?
| Aspect | Client-Side Tracking | Server-Side Tracking |
| Data Collection | On the user’s device (browser/app) | On the server hosting the website/app |
| Accuracy | Affected by ad-blockers and browser settings | More accurate, bypasses client-side limitations |
| Performance | Can slow down page loads | Minimal impact on user experience |
What are the pros and cons of Client-Side Tracking and Server-Side Tracking?
| Aspect | Client-Side Tracking | Server-Side Tracking |
| Pros | – Easier to implement with JavaScript | – More accurate, bypasses ad-blockers |
| – Immediate interaction with user actions | – More secure, less susceptible to tampering | |
| – Greater control over what data is sent | – Minimal impact on user experience | |
| Cons | – Prone to ad-blockers and browser settings | – More complex implementation |
| – Can slow down page loads | – Requires robust server infrastructure | |
| – Less secure, exposed to user tampering | – Data processing requires more resources |
Benefits of Server Side Tracking:
We need to consider many factors about server-side tracking. Let’s run ads on online platforms such as Meta Ads, Google Ads, or any other platform. We will get user/visitor behavior and interaction data when visitors visit the website. That data then needs to be sent to those marketing platforms. The marketing platforms use the data to optimize ads.
If a visitor spends much time on a website, purchases something, or makes any kind of conversion, it means those types of visitors are ideal for the specific website or business running ads, right? So, the marketing platform will then optimize ads for that business with that information.
What if they don’t get enough data? I hope you understand. Due to many barriers, third-party cookie tracking, also known as client-side tracking, is not getting enough data, and it’s hampering the ads. So, to get enough data, we need to set up server-side tracking.
The reason why client-side tracking is getting restriction
Privacy Restrictions:
- Browsers like Safari and Firefox limit third-party cookies; Chrome is phasing them out, hindering client-side tracking.
- Increased user privacy consciousness leads to opt-outs and ad blocker usage that block client-side scripts.
Data Inaccuracy:
- Ad blockers can prevent client-side tracking scripts, resulting in incomplete data.
- Browser extensions and privacy settings can alter or obscure tracking data.
Limited Control:
- Website owners have less control over data collected by third-party trackers.
- Data ownership issues complicate compliance with privacy regulations.
Slower Page Load Times:
- Client-side tracking scripts add extra code, potentially slowing down website performance.
All the solution relies on server-side tracking. But there are some cons also in server-side tracking.
Cons of server-side tracking
Complex Implementation:
- Requires technical expertise and robust server infrastructure.
Increased Server Load:
- Adds processing demands, affecting server performance.
Higher Costs:
- Increased server resources and maintenance costs.
Data Processing Delays:
- Possible delays in processing and reporting data.
Limited Client-Side Data:
- May miss real-time user behavior and interactions.
