{"id":37342,"date":"2022-08-11T12:55:02","date_gmt":"2022-08-11T12:55:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.arimetrics.com\/glosario-digital\/server-side-tracking"},"modified":"2026-09-30T18:47:51","modified_gmt":"2026-09-30T18:47:51","slug":"server-side-tracking","status":"publish","type":"encyclopedia","link":"https:\/\/www.arimetrics.com\/en\/digital-glossary\/server-side-tracking","title":{"rendered":"Server-Side Tracking"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Server-SideDefinition:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Server-side tracking<\/strong> is a tracking<\/a> method in which a server environment receives data from a website, application or another system, processes it and sends the defined information to one or more measurement platforms.<\/p>\n

The server acts as an intermediary environment<\/strong> between sources and destinations. It may be managed by the organisation, hosted in the cloud or provided as a service. The term does not require all collection to originate in the backend: many events are first detected in the browser or an app.<\/p>\n\n

How server-side tracking works<\/h2>\n

The architecture introduces an intermediate flow<\/strong> before data reaches the final platforms. A common implementation follows these steps:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Event generation:<\/strong> A website, app, sales system or backend service records an action or change of state.<\/li>\n
  2. Server delivery:<\/strong> The source transmits the event to a first-party endpoint or a server environment configured to receive it.<\/li>\n
  3. Validation:<\/strong> The server checks the structure, types, required fields and applicable rules.<\/li>\n
  4. Transformation:<\/strong> It may normalise names, remove fields, add authorised data or adapt the format for each destination.<\/li>\n
  5. Distribution:<\/strong> The event is sent to the selected platforms and the processing result is recorded.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Sources may include a web tag that reads a data layer<\/a>, an application SDK, an API<\/a>, a CRM or an operation generated entirely in the backend. This variety allows different sources<\/strong> to use a common specification.<\/p>\n

    Relationship with client-side tracking<\/h2>\n

    In client-side tracking<\/a>, the browser or application usually communicates directly with the measurement provider. In server-side tracking, communication first passes through a control point<\/strong> that processes and routes the data.<\/p>\n

    The two methods can work together. The client detects interactions that exist only in the interface and sends them to the server; the backend contributes transactional events or states from its own systems. Identifiers and deduplication rules<\/strong> are then applied to prevent the same action from being recorded more than once.<\/p>\n

    A server implementation does not necessarily replace every browser script. Detecting clicks, scrolling or consent states may still depend on the client. The difference concerns how information is routed<\/strong> and controlled before reaching its destinations.<\/p>\n

    Data control<\/h2>\n

    Processing events in an intermediary environment makes it possible to apply rules before sharing them. Common capabilities include:<\/p>\n