Server-side tagging
Also called server-side GTM, sGTM, server container.
Running marketing and analytics tags on a server you control, which then forwards data to each vendor.
In a normal setup, the browser loads each vendor's tag and sends data to each vendor directly. With server-side tagging, the browser sends events to one endpoint you run, usually on your own subdomain, and a server container decides what to forward to GA4, Google Ads, Meta and others. Google Tag Manager's server-side containers are the best-known version (Google).
What it changes: fewer scripts in the page, one place to remove fields before they leave, and requests to your own domain rather than to a dozen vendors. What it does not change: you still need consent where the law asks for it, and data you forward is still shared.
It is related to, but not the same as, server-side tracking: sending events like orders from your backend. Google also advises against running a server-side and a standalone browser setup for the same GA4 property on one page (Google). See server-side vs client-side tracking.
All 58 terms ยท Spotted a mistake? Email hello@sporetag.com.