Table of contents

Server Side Tracking Checklist: Start using SST today

TAGGRS-server-side-tracking-checklist

Following this Server Side Tracking checklist has helped us help 10000+ companies generate more conversions and revenue.

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🔑 Key Points

  1. Comprehensive Checklist: The TAGGRS Server Side Tracking (SST) checklist provides 28 carefully selected tasks for optimal SST setup, suitable for both beginners and experienced users.
  2. First Steps: The checklist will help you set up a GA4 account, validate your subdomain and initiate data submission to your server container.
  3. Advanced Tools: In addition to basic tracking capabilities, TAGGRS offers additional tools such as Data Enrichment and GDPR Mode for further optimization.
  4. AVG and Privacy: The checklist also includes guidelines for AVG compliance by adding Consent Mode in the Server Container.

You've probably heard about it but don't know where to start: Server Side Tracking is a crucial aspect in today's digital world. It's understandable if the terminology and complexity seem overwhelming to you at first. That's why we've put together a comprehensive checklist to help you set up your Server Side Tracking setup.

This list contains 28 carefully selected tasks that are essential for an optimal SST setup. Whether you are just starting out and trying to find your way through the basics, or you are an experienced user looking for advanced tools and techniques, this checklist serves as your all-encompassing reference point for Server Side Tracking.

Would you rather have the checklist in Spreadsheet? Check out the Spreadsheet version.

Tip: Create a free TAGGRS account (no credit card required) so you can follow the steps in this guide.

How should you use this Server Side Tracking checklist?

We have divided this checklist into sections that cover the main areas of concern of Server Side Tracking:

  • Before you begin
  • Basic Setup
  • Bonus

Before you start with this SST checklist

Before you can begin Server Side Tracking, certain points must be set up:

Option: Add Enhanced Conversion Data in the data layer (purchase).

Server Side Tracking Basic Checklist.

If you're just getting started with Server Side Tracking, it's essential to lay a solid foundation. This section of the checklist is specifically designed to help you with the first, crucial steps in setting up Server Side Tracking via TAGGRS and Google Tag Manager. Here we cover creating a TAGGRS account and container, validating your subdomain and initiating data submission to your server container. Consider this section your reference point for the basic elements necessary to successfully get started with Server Side Tracking.

1. Create an Account + Container on TAGGRS

If you want to start Server Side Tracking, you need a Server Side Tracking hosting provider for Server Side Tracking. The data collected through Server Side Tracking must be stored and processed somewhere. This is done on a server. A hosting provider provides you with the space on a server to store and process this data.

In the video below, we show you how to create a container on TAGGRS (SST hosting provider).

No Account yet? Create a free TAGGRS account (no credit card required) so you can get started with Server Side Tracking.

Make sure the tasks below are checked off:

  • Create a Server Container in GTM
  • Create a subdomain and validate it on TAGGRS

2. Send data to the Server Container

After you have created an account + container and made sure your subdomain is validated, it is time to send the data from the web container to the Server Container so you can send data from the website to the server for processing and analysis. You do this by adding your created subdomain to your Google Tag. Watch the video below to set up the Google Tag. Already set up the Google Tag and just want to send the data to the server? Then add the following under Configuration Parameter:

  • Parameter: server_container_url
  • Value: https://[Tagging server URL]/

The basics are in place, you can now get started with Server Side Tracking!

3. Implement tags

Now that the basics are in place, the next step is to set up the tags. To set up tags via server side tagging we will use two containers in Google Tag Manager. A web container (client side) (this is the type of container you are probably already using right now) and a Server Container (server side) that you just created.

What tags are there?

Not every software has a server side solution. The way to find out if your software has a server side solution is to go to the Server Container --> tags. From there, click on "new. Then you will see a default list of Google tags. All of these are available.

Implementation

We have written blogs for the tags that most businesses use, explaining step by step how to set them up server side:

taggrs-dashboard-implement-your-tags

We try to make it as easy as possible for customers, which is why we have created a TAGGRS template gallery, where you can download preset GTM Templates from our experts. These can be found within your TAGGRS Dashboard. Furthermore, we offer a free GTM Copy Paste extension for easy copying and pasting of GTM elements.

4. Check that the Event IDs match

Check that the Event ID in the client container events matches that in the server events. Use the Google Tag Manager debug mode to do this.

This is only necessary for Tags that require Event Deduplication, such as with Facebook. We always indicate in our tutorials if you need to apply this.

You go into both client-side and server-side preview mode in Google Tag Manager.

  • Client side: go to container loaded
  • Server side: go to pageview

Check here if both the Event ID of the client side matches that of the server side. Watch the video below for more explanation.

Sometimes the preview mode doesn't work properly, then you need to look at initialization on the client side instead of container loaded.

5. Console Error Messages.

Check in the website console that you have no error messages. Test your Server Side Tracking set up. When debugging in GTM, you need to open both preview mode in the web container and in the server container. When you click on preview mode in the server container you might encounter the message below:

notice-you-cannot-preview-this-container

You can resolve this message by going to Edit Container settings. Under Server container URLs add your subdomain including https://. Once you have done this you can start using preview mode.

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6. Test mode

Use GA4/META's test mode to verify that the data is coming through correctly and in the case of META is deduplicated.

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Bonus

TAGGRS ' GTM Server Side Tracking solution allows you to do much more than just track your data server side tracking. We have developed many tools and solutions to further optimize your tracking to generate more conversions.

Measuring the impact of Server Side Tracking

This is one of the most frequently asked questions: how does Server Side Tracking impact my business?

At TAGGRS, we understand the importance of this question, which is why we developed the TAGGRS SST analysis tool that can measure exactly this. Setting up this tool is simple and can be done by adding two tracking tags. Add the first tag to the Web container (client side) and the second tag to the Server Container (server side). When you add these, the tool will automatically start collecting and analyzing data, giving you a clear and detailed understanding of the impact of Server Side Tracking.

taggrs-analytics-dashboard

Use the TAGGRS Enhanced Tracking Script

Having trouble tracking due to ad-blockers? The TAGGRS Enhanced Tracking Script is the solution for more accurate Server Side Tracking.

Key Points:

  • Bypass Ad-blockers: Customize the GTM code so that it is not blocked.
  • More Measurability: Increase your tracking precision by 1-2%.

Easy to install and essential for reliable data. Add this to your SST setup for better results.

More TAGGRS tools

Beyond the above tools, there are other TAGGRS software tools you can use to further optimize your tracking:

  • Data Enrichment Tool
  • GDPR Mode
  • Webhooks
  • Multi Domain Tool

Online privacy is a hot topic. Thanks to the AVG, obtaining user consent via cookie banners is a must. But how do you stay AVG compliant while still collecting valuable data from analytics and marketing cookies? The answer is Google's Consent Mode V2.

Consent Mode Setting V2 ensures that only approved tags activate, providing an AVG-compliant way to collect data. Add this to your SST checklist for AVG-compliant insights.

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Performing the Server Side Tracking Checklist.

If you want to run this checklist, sign up for a free TAGGRS account.

By simply registering, you can immediately get started with Server Side Tracking, which allows you to:

  • Achieve an immediate increase in measurable data
  • Generate more conversions
  • Measure the impact of Server Side Tracking
  • Improve AVG compliance
  • Be less dependent on third-party cookies

And much more.

See you on the Server Side!

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