What is server-side tracking?

Server-side tracking is a way to collect and send information about user actions through a server. Instead of sending every event directly from a visitor’s browser to analytics or advertising platforms, a website or app sends the event to a server, which processes the information and forwards the relevant details.

For example, when a customer completes an order, the store’s server can send a purchase event to an analytics platform. That event might include the order value and purchased products without including the customer’s name or email address.

The main benefit is greater control over the data flow. A business can decide which information to remove, modify or share before it reaches another service. Google’s introduction to server-side tagging explains how a server container can perform this role.

Unlike client-side tracking, where tracking code runs in the browser, server-side tracking handles part of the process on a server. The two approaches can work together, so a server-side setup may still rely on browser scripts, cookies or other identifiers.

It is therefore not automatically anonymous or exempt from consent requirements. Whether server-side tracking requires consent depends on how the data is collected and what it is used for, rather than simply where it is processed.