What is server-side tracking?

Server-side tracking sends measurement events from your server to analytics and ad platforms, instead of from JavaScript running in the visitor's browser. The browser talks to your domain; your server talks to Google, Meta, and the rest.

Because the data leaves from your infrastructure, it is far more resilient to ad blockers, tracking-prevention features, and third-party cookie loss than traditional pixels. It also gives you control over exactly what gets shared with each platform.

The trade-off is setup complexity — it needs real engineering rather than a copy-paste snippet — which is why it's usually implemented as a managed service.