Analytics & Attribution
Server-Side Tracking
Quick definition
Tracking implementation where events are sent from your server (not the browser) to ad platforms and analytics tools.
What it actually means
Server-side tracking (often via server-side GTM or a CAPI gateway) replaces browser pixels to recover attribution lost to iOS privacy, ad blockers, and ITP. Setup: a Cloud Run or App Engine container receives events from your store, transforms them, and forwards to Meta CAPI, Google Ads, TikTok Events API, etc. Benefits: 25-40% attribution recovery, better data quality (deduplication, Advanced Matching), centralized control. Cost: $50-$200/mo hosting + 4-12 hours setup for a Shopify store.
Related terms
CAPI (Meta Conversions API)
Server-side event tracking from your store to Meta, replacing browser pixel events lost to iOS privacy changes and ad blockers.
Attribution
The model used to assign credit for a conversion across the marketing touchpoints that influenced it.
Tracking Pixel
A small JavaScript snippet (or 1x1 image) embedded on a page that fires events back to an ad platform or analytics tool.