In this guide
- Use a key-value store (Firestore, Redis-style) for fast lookups, a warehouse (BigQuery) for event logs and analysis, and SQL for relational data.
- Open Tracked's Data Store is a built-in key-value memory for identifiers, on every plan.
- Each outside database adds latency, cost and privacy questions.
A server container can look up data and write data, which opens many uses: remember visitors, price products, log events, enrich requests. Which database you use depends on the job. This page compares the common choices and says when the built-in store is enough. See the Data Store, use cases for the Data Store and a lightweight customer data layer.
The options
| Option | Type | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Tracked Data Store | Built-in key-value | Remembering hashed identifiers, restoring cookies, enriching events | Small entries (up to 8 KB); retention up to 400 days; not for large data |
| Firestore | Document database (Google Cloud) | Lookups by key, product data, simple profiles | Read and write costs; needs a Google service account |
| BigQuery | Data warehouse | Logging every event for analysis and reporting | Not for low-latency lookups; query costs |
| Redis-style stores (hosted over HTTP) | In-memory key-value | Very fast counters and short-lived keys | Persistence and cost vary |
| SQL databases (Postgres, MySQL) | Relational | Existing business data | Latency from the server, connection handling |
| Google Sheets | Spreadsheet | Small lookups and logs | Rate limits; not for production load |
Connected in minutes
Add your domain, install the pixel, connect your ad platforms and watch the first events land.
Choose by job
Remember a visitor
The Data Store. No extra account, protected by a token.
Look up a product price or margin
Firestore or your own API.
Log every event
BigQuery.
Count something per minute
A Redis-style store.
Connecting from a server container
- Google Cloud services (Firestore, BigQuery) use a service account. With Open Tracked, the Google Service Account power-up (Pro plan) lets you connect a Google service account for this.
- HTTP-based stores can be reached with an HTTP request tag or variable.
- Always keep keys in secure fields, never in the web container.
Works with your stack
Grab a logo and throw it. These are the tools Open Tracked already talks to.
Performance and cost
- Every lookup adds time to the request. Cache values when you can.
- Writing every event to a database can cost more than the hosting. Sample or aggregate if you can.
- Keep the data small and expire what you do not need.
Privacy
Any store that holds identifiers or personal data needs a lawful basis, retention rules and a way to delete. See GDPR and server-side tracking.
A realistic example
A store wants to keep margin per product on the server so it can send profit with each purchase. It first thinks of Firestore, then realises that a simple lookup table inside the container is enough for a few hundred products. It later adds Firestore when the catalogue grows to tens of thousands of items and margins change daily. For remembering returning visitors it needs nothing external, because the Data Store is built in. For analysis it writes purchase events to BigQuery through a service account, and keeps costs low by writing only purchases and leads. The pattern is to start with the simplest store that works, and to add a database only when a real need appears. Every external database is another account, another cost and another thing to secure.
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
Which database should I use with server-side GTM?
Use a key-value store for lookups, BigQuery for event logs and the built-in Data Store for remembering identifiers.
Does Open Tracked have a built-in store?
Yes. The Data Store is on every plan, with 1,000 keys on Free up to 5 million on Enterprise.
How do I connect Firestore or BigQuery?
With a Google service account. Open Tracked's Google Service Account power-up (Pro) lets you connect a Google service account.
Will a database slow my tracking?
Each lookup adds latency. Cache and keep lookups few.
Do I need consent to store data?
Where the law requires it for the identifiers you store.
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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