In this guide
- The Enricher adds stored customer data to later events from the same browser, so ad platforms can match a visitor who only browses.
- It reads from the Data Store, so switch the Data Store on first. Both are available on every plan.
- Choose what to remember, how to recognise the visitor, Automatic or Manual mode and the consent switches.
Ad platforms match events to people using the details in each event. The trouble is that those details are only available at certain moments. A visitor types an e-mail address at checkout, but when they come back a week later and just browse, the page view carries no e-mail. To the ad platform it is an anonymous visit, and your remarketing and attribution lose a link. The Enricher closes that gap. It remembers what the visitor gave before, on your tagging server, and adds it back to later events. This page explains how it works, the choices you make and how to test. It builds on the Data Store and sits with Cookie Keeper and event match quality.
How it works
A visitor gives details
At checkout, in a lead form or when they log in, an event carries a hashed e-mail and phone.
The Data Store saves them
Your tagging server stores the values under a key that identifies the visitor, for the days you choose, up to 400.
The visitor comes back
They browse, view products or add to cart. These events carry no e-mail.
The Enricher looks them up
It finds the stored values for that visitor and adds them to the event before the tags run.
The tags send richer events
Meta, TikTok and Google Ads receive the event with the matching data, so more of those visits are attributed.
Check your tracking in one pass
This is an example. Run the check on your own site to see where yours stands.
What it can remember
The Enricher can remember these fields: e-mail, phone, name, external ID, the Meta click ID (fbc), location, postal code, street, date of birth and gender. You choose which ones. Remember only what you actually use, and only what your privacy notice and consent allow. E-mail and phone give most of the value. The rest add little for most stores.
How it recognises the visitor
| Key source | How it works | Good when |
|---|---|---|
| GA4 client ID | Uses the first-party client ID the GA4 client sets | You use the Google tag and want the simplest option |
| User ID | Uses a user ID your site sends for logged-in visitors | Customers log in, and you want to recognise them across devices |
| A cookie of your site | Uses the value of a cookie you name | You already have your own visitor cookie |
A recognition key that is stable across visits is the whole point. If the key changes every day, the Enricher finds nothing to add. Pair it with Cookie Keeper, which keeps the cookie values alive for returning visitors.
Raw events in. Clean events out.
Open Tracked collects each event on your own domain, removes the noise and sends what is left to Meta, Google Ads, TikTok.
Automatic or manual mode
Automatic
The Enricher fills the gaps of every event for you. The ad platform tags see richer events without extra work. This is the easiest choice.
Manual
The Enricher only provides "Stored ..." variables that your own tags can read. Choose this when you want to decide which tag gets which data.
Consent switches
The Enricher has switches that tie remembering and adding data to the visitor's consent. Use them. Storing identifiers about someone who declined advertising is the wrong default, and the switches let you make it follow your banner. Set them to match your consent set-up and test accept and decline in a private window. See server-side tracking and GDPR.
Set it up
- Switch on the Data Store and press Save.
- Open the Enricher, choose what to remember and how to find the visitor.
- Choose Automatic or Manual and set the consent switches.
- Save, then open the Setup Wizard, Enrich step, and turn on Remember returning visitors.
- Download the GTM files and import them into your server container.
- Press Test this power-up.
Test it
In GTM Preview, send a purchase with an e-mail, then a page view from the same browser. The page view should reach Meta with the stored e-mail. Check that the value in the event is the hashed e-mail, not the plain address. Then repeat with consent declined and confirm that nothing is stored or added.
What to watch
- Store size. The Data Store holds 1,000 keys on Free, 50,000 on Pro, 500,000 on Business and 5 million on Enterprise. When it is full, new visitors are not stored.
- Retention. Choose the shortest period that serves the purpose. The default is 90 days and the maximum is 400.
- Shared devices. A key based on a cookie can mix up people who share a browser. Prefer a login-based key when you have one.
- Accuracy. The Enricher adds what the visitor gave earlier. It does not invent data.
The best way to judge the effect is to compare event match quality for page views and add-to-cart events before and after. The purchase event usually matches well already, so it is the in-between events that show the change.
Works with your stack
Grab a logo and throw it. These are the tools Open Tracked already talks to.
Frequently asked questions
What does the Enricher do?
It adds stored customer data, such as hashed e-mail and phone, to later events from the same browser so ad platforms can match them.
Do I need the Data Store for the Enricher?
Yes. The Enricher reads from it, so switch the Data Store on first.
Is the Enricher on the free plan?
Yes. It is available on every Open Tracked plan.
Does the Enricher respect consent?
It has consent switches. Set them to follow your banner and test accept and decline.
What is the difference between automatic and manual mode?
Automatic fills the gaps of every event. Manual only gives your own tags "Stored ..." variables to use.
Do I need spreadsheets to read my results?
No. Once tracking is live, the Open Tracked analytics shows spend, revenue, ROAS and profit, and you can ask Ari, the built-in AI assistant, questions about your own numbers in plain words. Ari's allowance depends on your analytics plan.
Is Open Tracked different from Open Track or Open Space Track?
No. Open Tracked is the official name of our server-side tracking platform, and the website is opentracked.io. Many people search for it as Open Track, OpenTrack or Open Space Track. All of them lead to the same product: server-side Google Tag Manager hosting, first-party analytics and a CRM pipeline.
Fix your tracking at the source
Open Tracked hosts your server-side Tag Manager, keeps first-party cookies alive and shows what each ad is really worth.
The Open Tracked team
We build Open Tracked: server-side tracking hosting, analytics and the tools around them, for stores that spend on ads. Questions about this guide, or an idea for the next one?
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