Server-Side Tracking
Tracking method where conversion data is sent from the advertiser's server rather than the user's browser, bypassing client-side restrictions.
What Server-Side Tracking means
Server-side tracking sends conversion and event data from the advertiser's server directly to ad platform servers, bypassing browser-based limitations like ad blockers, cookie restrictions, and Intelligent Tracking Prevention. Implementations include Meta's Conversions API (CAPI), Google's Enhanced Conversions, TikTok's Events API, and LinkedIn's Conversions API. Server-side tracking provides more reliable data than browser pixels alone and is increasingly essential for accurate conversion measurement. However, from a compliance perspective, server-side tracking does not exempt advertisers from privacy obligations — consent must still be obtained before processing personal data, data minimization principles apply, and privacy policies must disclose server-side data sharing. The advantage is that consent can be more reliably enforced server-side, as the advertiser controls what data is sent based on the user's consent status.
Related terms
CAPI
Conversions API — a server-side tracking method that sends conversion data directly from the advertiser's server to the ad platform.
Pixel
A piece of code installed on a website that tracks user actions and sends data back to an ad platform for measurement and optimization.
Enhanced Conversions
Google's privacy-safe conversion measurement that uses hashed first-party data to improve conversion tracking accuracy.
Consent
A user's explicit or implied permission for data collection, processing, or advertising targeting, required by privacy regulations.