Server-Side Tracking vs. Pixel Monitoring - Which is Better?
A number of e-commerce services are turning to server-side monitoring as a means to boost their data collection processes. While it requires much more technical knowledge than normal GTM and might present added costs, it can lead to greater accuracy and more trustworthy information


Pixel monitoring utilizes a piece of code to register conversions on your website. It's very easy to establish and much less susceptible to ad blockers.

1. More exact information
The standard technique of tracking conversions on a site, using pixels, is having trouble with transforming web browser privacy policies. This suggests that the information being sent to Google Ads, Facebook Manager and various other platforms is less exact than it needs to be.

Server-side tracking is a more secure alternative that assists to bypass these restrictions, as it's loaded from your very own domain and treated as first-party code, suggesting it's much less likely to be influenced by advertisement blockers or other security actions. This supplies much more accurate data and a much more total photo of individual journeys across channels.

In addition, this type of monitoring permits services to track conversions outside of the internet site, such as call and in-store brows through, which can be tough for pixel-based tracking. This adaptability provides online marketers extra ownership over the data they send out, and makes it simpler to follow different information legislations. It's also a great deal less at risk to scams, as it's more difficult for deceitful actors to adjust the system by altering the postback link.

2. Better control over information.
Server-side tracking permits businesses to accumulate and enrich information before sending it to third-party analytics/advertising systems. This improves information completeness and precision, which can help marketing professionals make more educated marketing decisions.

Typical pixel tracking relies upon JavaScript tracking codes that are put in internet site visitors' internet browsers. These tracking codes are frequently obstructed by ad blockers, which can lead to information collection interruptions demand-side platforms (DSPs) and unreliable outcomes. Server-side tracking makes it possible for businesses to bypass these restrictions and give accurate, regular data that is less prone to interference.

This kind of monitoring also enables organizations to track conversions that take place outside of the website, like phone calls and in-store purchases. This is necessary since new personal privacy plans such as Apple's Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP) restrict the service life of cookie-based tracking pixels to 7 days. This is a crucial reason that S2S is extra dependable for businesses looking for to adapt to these adjustments.

3. Less prone to scams
Server-side tracking makes it possible for services to manipulate data payloads prior to it reaches third party endpoints, enhancing protection and personal privacy. This is especially essential as various internet browsers and systems increasingly change how they manage cookies. For example, in iOS 14, Safari will just provide first-party cookie information and will certainly not permit pixel-based tracking. Using server-side tracking, you can bypass these restrictions and remain to track conversions that occurred beyond your internet site.

In addition, server-side tracking enables you to capture individual data directly on your own servers. This gets rid of reliance on 3rd parties, which can be vulnerable to violations and personal privacy offenses.

A server-side radar is a collection of guidelines that informs your internet site's web server what occasions to videotape. This information is after that sent out to analytics devices like Google Analytics and Facebook Organization. It's additionally made use of to cause event-based advertisements, such as retargeting. On the other hand, pixel monitoring is a different approach that utilizes a little item of code on your web page to gather data from users.

4. Simpler to execute
Server-side tracking is a data collection procedure that takes place on the internet site's very own web server, bypassing web browser limitations. This means that data accumulated by the website/app is first sent out to the web server where it's processed and after that forwarded to analytics tools like Google Analytics or Facebook Pixel.

The advantage of this strategy is that it minimizes the range of data management and gives companies extra control over transmission, making it normally a lot more reliable. Consequently, it's less vulnerable to information difficulties caused by things like a busted link or an active ad blocker being mounted.

With OWOX BI's Server-Side Monitoring, your service can collect real-time conversion data in the same way that you would with pixels or a cookie, but this is then passed straight to your advertising and marketing tools on the web server. This enables you to have more exact information and helps ensure conformity with privacy regulations such as GDPR. In addition, it likewise avoids the monitoring restrictions imposed by internet browsers and advertisement blockers.