In this guide
- Server-side tagging means running a Google Tag Manager server container on a server you control, instead of loading vendor tags in the browser.
- It adds clients and event data to the familiar tags, triggers and variables.
- You need hosting, a tagging subdomain and a connection from your web container.
Tag Manager started as a way to load vendor scripts in the browser without editing the site. Server-side tagging keeps the idea and moves the work to a server. This page defines the terms, compares the two containers and explains the choices you make. It is the reference for the other pages in this section: what server-side tracking is, how it works step by step, clients, tags, triggers and variables and the setup guide.
Web container vs server container
| Web container | Server container | |
|---|---|---|
| Runs | In the visitor's browser | On a server you control |
| Receives | Page events and clicks | HTTP requests from your site, backends and other systems |
| Sends to vendors | From the browser | From the server |
| New parts | Tags, triggers, variables | Plus clients and transformations |
| Cookies | Written by scripts | Can be set in HTTP responses |
| Hosting | Google serves the script | You or a host run the server |
Check your tracking in one pass
This is an example. Run the check on your own site to see where yours stands.
The parts
- Clients receive requests and turn them into event data.
- Event data is the cleaned event that tags and triggers read.
- Tags send data to vendors.
- Triggers decide when tags fire.
- Variables read values from events and requests.
- Transformations change event data before tags see it.
Hosting options
| Option | Effort | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Google Cloud, automatic set-up | Medium | About $90 to $135 a month for two or three instances |
| Google Cloud, manual | High | Similar plus your time |
| A managed host | Low | A plan sized by monthly requests. Open Tracked has a free plan to start |
See how much a server GTM costs and sGTM hosting compared.
3 things to remember
Scroll and the points stack up.
Server-side tagging means running a Google Tag Manager server container on a server you control, instead of loading vendor tags in
It adds clients and event data to the familiar tags, triggers and variables.
You need hosting, a tagging subdomain and a connection from your web container.
What it is good for
Recovering lost events
Browser losses to blockers and Safari are reduced when events go through your own subdomain. See avoiding blocking.
What it does not do
- It does not remove consent rules.
- It does not fix a broken data layer.
- It is not a CDP or a CRM.
- It does not run itself: tokens expire and sites change.
When it is worth it
If you advertise on Meta, TikTok or Google and your platform numbers are lower than your store, if a large share of your visitors use Safari or blockers, or if you want control over what vendors receive, it is worth testing. If you have no paid traffic and little traffic, it can wait.
Orders from your store, back to the ad that earned them
Your store sends the order once. Open Tracked passes it on to each ad platform, cleaned and deduplicated.
Frequently asked questions
What is server-side tagging?
Running a Google Tag Manager server container on a server you control, so tags send data to vendors from the server instead of the browser.
What is the difference between server-side tagging and tracking?
In practice they mean the same. Tagging is the Google term, tracking is the broader name.
What do I need to start?
A server container, hosting, a tagging subdomain and a web container that sends events to it.
How much does it cost?
From free on a managed host to about $135 a month for self-hosting on Google Cloud.
Is it hard to set up?
With a managed host and ready container files, a standard store takes hours.
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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