In this guide
- You need a web container, a server container, a host for the server, a tagging subdomain and a connection between them.
- Hosting is the main choice: run it on Google Cloud yourself or use a managed host such as Open Tracked.
- Test every step in Preview before you publish, and compare platform numbers with store orders for a week.
This is the practical companion to how server-side tracking works. It takes you from an empty account to a working set-up, and says what decision you make at each step. It assumes you already use Google Tag Manager on your website. If you do not, set up a web container first. The numbers in each section are for a typical small store, and your own may differ.
Step 1: create the server container
In Tag Manager, create a new container and choose "Server" as the target platform. Give it a name that includes the site, for example "yourstore.com - server". The container has an ID and a configuration string. You will use them when you set up hosting, so keep them handy.
Connected in minutes
Add your domain, install the pixel, connect your ad platforms and watch the first events land.
Step 2: choose a host
| Option | Effort | Cost for a small store |
|---|---|---|
| Google Cloud, automatic provisioning | Medium: create a project, billing, and keep it running | About $90 to $135 a month for two or three instances |
| Google Cloud, manual | High: you control everything | Similar, plus your time |
| Managed host such as Open Tracked | Low: add a subdomain and verify it | A plan fee; a free plan to start |
If you are not sure, start with a managed host. You can export your containers and move later. See how much a server GTM costs and Open Tracked as an alternative to Google Cloud.
Step 3: add the tagging subdomain
Choose a neutral subdomain of your own site, such as data.yourstore.com. Add it in your host, create the DNS record the host shows and wait for it to verify. Open https://data.yourstore.com/healthy to check that the server answers. Details in DNS configuration.
Watch events arrive, live
A sample feed. In Open Tracked you see the same stream for your own store.
Step 4: connect the web container
In your web container, open the Google tag (or the GA4 configuration tag) and set the server container URL to your tagging subdomain. Now GA4 and other events from the page go to your server first. If you use the Open Tracked Custom Loader, add its snippet to the page head so the container script also loads from your domain.
Step 5: add clients and tags
A new server container has a GA4 client. Add tags for the platforms you use: GA4, Meta Conversions API, Google Ads, TikTok and others, each with a trigger on the right events. Starting from the container files in the Open Tracked Setup Wizard saves most of this work.
Step 6: add matching data and cookies
Turn on the power-ups that help: Cookie Keeper and the Data Store, the Enricher, Visitor Location and Device Info. All are on every Open Tracked plan. See every power-up explained.
Step 7: consent
Make sure your consent banner sets the signals and that tags check them. A server does not remove the rules. See Consent Mode v2.
Step 8: test and publish
- Open both Previews and place a test order.
- In the server Preview, check the request, the client, the event data and each tag's outgoing request.
- Use each platform's test tool: Meta Test Events, Google Ads conversion status, GA4 DebugView.
- Share an event ID between browser and server events.
- Publish the web and server containers.
- Compare platform counts with store orders daily for a week.
What usually goes wrong
Runs on your domain, anywhere
Your tracking runs on your own domain, so a visit from any country is handled the same way.
Frequently asked questions
How do I set up server-side tracking in Google Tag Manager?
Create a server container, choose a host, add a tagging subdomain, connect your web container to it, add tags and test in Preview.
Do I need Google Cloud?
No. A managed host such as Open Tracked runs the server for you.
How long does it take?
A few hours for the technical part with a managed host and ready container files, plus a week of checks.
What should I test?
A purchase, in server Preview and in each platform's test tool.
Can I change host later?
Yes. Export the containers and change the DNS record.
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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