Why client-side tracking is no longer enough
In 2026, 30 to 40% of conversions never reach your ad platforms. The causes are well known: adblockers (used by 40% of French internet users), iOS restrictions (ITP, ATT), and misconfigured cookie banners.
The result? Your Smart Bidding runs on incomplete data. Your displayed ROAS doesn’t reflect reality. And your budget decisions are based on thin air.
Server-side tracking: how it works
The principle is simple: instead of sending data directly from the user’s browser to Google Ads, Meta, TikTok, etc., you route it through your own server.
The typical architecture
- The browser sends events to your subdomain (
tracking.yoursite.com) - Your sGTM server receives these events
- The server redistributes them to platforms (Google Ads, Meta CAPI, TikTok Events API, etc.)
Adblockers don’t block requests to your own domain. iOS restrictions don’t apply to first-party cookies set by your server. Result: you recover lost conversions.
The 3 hosting options
Stape/Addingwell (recommended to start)
- Deploy in a few clicks
- €20-100/month depending on volume
- Monitoring interface included
Google Cloud Platform
- Full control over infrastructure
- Variable costs based on traffic
- Requires DevOps skills
AWS
- Alternative to GCP
- Native integration with Redshift and S3
ROI of server-side tracking
For an advertiser spending €10,000/month on acquisition:
- Recovered conversions: +25 to 35%
- Smart Bidding improvement: -15 to 20% CPA
- Server-side cost: €50-200/month
- ROI: systematically positive from month one