Server-Side GTM (sGTM)
What is a server container?
Google Tag Manager comes in two versions: the classic web container, which runs as JavaScript in the browser, and a server container, which runs on a server. The server container receives a stream of events from the website, processes and enriches them, and forwards them to platforms such as GA4, Meta, and Google Ads.
Client-side vs. server-side tagging
- Client-side: Each platform’s script loads in the browser and sends data on its own. Easy to get started with, but vulnerable to ad blockers, cookie restrictions, and slower page loads
- Server-side: The browser sends a single consolidated stream of events to the server, which distributes them further. Fewer scripts in the browser, full control over which data is shared, and a significantly more robust data foundation
First-party domain
A key feature of sGTM is that the server container is set up on a subdomain under your own store, e.g., a.dinwebshop.dk. This ensures that all communication is first-party: The tracking script is loaded from your own domain, and cookies set from there last longer in browsers like Safari than if they came from a third-party domain.
sGTM in Shoporama
Shoporama’s server-side tracking is based on the server-side GTM principle. You enable it under Webshop → Tracking, select a tracking subdomain, and create two DNS records. Shoporama provides a shared, pre-configured tag setup, so you don’t need to create a GTM account or maintain a container yourself. See the full setup in the article on server-side tracking in Shoporama.
We know online marketing in Shoporama
We've been working with online marketing ourselves for decades. As the only shop system in the country, we have spoken multiple times at conferences such as Marketingcamp, SEOday, Shopcamp, Digital Marketing, E-commerce Manager, Ecommerce Day, Web Analytics Wednesday and many more.