Server-side tracking captures and processes the event on your own server instead of in a script running in the browser.
Browser-side: the page loads a script; the script reads the cookie and sends the event
Server-side: the browser requests the page; your server logs the click and renders the pageWhat it fixes
- Ad blockers and script blockers do not prevent a server from logging a request.
- Timing: the click is logged even if the page fails to load fully or the user leaves immediately.
- Reliability: no dependency on a script executing before the user navigates away.
- Data control: the event goes to your infrastructure first, and onward only to destinations you choose.
What it does not fix
- Third-party cookie blocking. If the identifier is set from a domain the user is not visiting, it is still blocked. Server-side is not a synonym for first-party.
- ATT. Cross-app identity is still not available.
- Consent. Server-side tracking does not remove the obligation to have a lawful basis.
Why the combination matters
The two properties are independent, and you need both:
| Browser-side | Server-side | |
|---|---|---|
| First-party domain | blocked by ITP limits (7 days) | the workable configuration |
| Third-party domain | blocked | blocked |
Related terms
- First-party tracking — the other half
- Meta CAPI — server-side events sent to the ad platform
- ITP — the restriction that makes this necessary