Exploring the Benefits of Server Side Tagging for Improved Cookie Management

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

In the ever-evolving world of digital marketing, marketers and web developers are constantly searching for new and innovative ways to manage and optimise their websites and campaigns. One such technique gaining momentum is server-side tagging. 

In this article, we will explore server-side tagging, its benefits, and how it can help improve cookie management and privacy compliance. We will also delve into the differences between server-side and client-side tagging to understand why server-side tagging is emerging as the preferred choice for many. 

Introduction

With the rise of data-driven marketing and personalisation, website tagging has become essential for collecting and tracking user data. Tags, or code snippets, are embedded into a website’s source code to enable tracking, analytics, and other marketing tools. Traditionally, these tags are implemented on the client side, meaning the user’s browser executes them. However, as websites have become more complex, client-side tagging has led to performance issues and privacy concerns, prompting the development of an alternative approach: server-side tagging.

Server-side tagging is a method of implementing tags that shifts the execution of these tags away from the user’s browser and onto the web server. This offers several advantages over client-side tagging, such as improved performance, better control over data, and enhanced privacy compliance. As more organisations recognise these benefits, server-side tagging is becoming increasingly popular for managing web tags.

What is Server Side Tagging?

To fully grasp the concept of server-side tagging, it is essential to understand the difference between server-side and client-side actions. In client-side tagging, the browser executes the tag code, which means the user’s device must download, parse, and run the code. This can lead to slower page load times and increased latency, negatively impacting the user experience and conversion rates.

On the other hand, server-side tagging moves the tag execution to the web server, so the user’s device only receives the result of the executed tag. This significantly reduces the amount of code that needs to be downloaded and executed by the user’s browser, leading to improved performance and streamlined data collection.

In essence, server-side tagging is a method for managing and deploying tags on a website that offers improved control, performance, and privacy compared to traditional client-side tagging.

Benefits of Server-Side Tagging

There are numerous advantages to adopting server-side tagging, some of which include:

1. Enhanced Performance: The user’s browser is spared the burden of processing the tag code by executing tags on the server. This can lead to faster page load times and improved user experience, crucial for retaining users and increasing conversion rates.
2. Greater Control Over Data: Server-side tagging allows for better control over data collected and shared with third parties. By processing tags on the server, it is easier to filter, modify, or block the data sent to different marketing and analytics tools. This level of control is not possible with client-side tagging, where the data is directly transmitted from the user’s device to third-party tools.
3. Improved Privacy Compliance: With increasing user privacy and data protection scrutiny, server-side tagging can help organisations comply with privacy regulations. Server-side tagging allows for better management of user consent and the ability to more easily anonymise or pseudonymise data before sharing it with third parties.

Improving Cookie Management

Cookies are small files stored on a user’s device that help websites track user behaviour and preferences. While essential for many website functions, they can also raise privacy concerns and contribute to page load issues. Server-side tagging provides a more efficient and privacy-conscious approach to managing cookies.

With server-side tagging, cookies can be set and read directly on the server rather than relying on the user’s browser to process and store them. This can lead to reduced latency and improved performance, as the browser is no longer responsible for managing cookie data. Additionally, server-side tagging can help organisations better comply with cookie regulations, such as the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), by enabling more granular control over cookie management and user consent.

Differences between Server Side Tagging and Client Side Tagging

While server-side tagging offers several advantages over client-side tagging, it is essential to understand the key differences between the two methods to determine which is best suited for a particular use case.

1. Execution Environment: In client-side tagging, the tags are executed by the user’s browser, whereas in server-side tagging, the tags are executed on the web server. This fundamental difference significantly impacts performance, data control, and privacy compliance.
2. Performance: Server-side tagging typically results in better performance, as the user’s browser is not responsible for downloading and executing the tag code. Additionally, server-side tagging can reduce the HTTP requests needed, improving page load times.
3. Data Control: With server-side tagging, managing and controlling the data being collected and shared with third parties is easier. This level of control is not possible with client-side tagging, where data is transmitted directly from the user’s device to third-party tools.
4. Privacy Compliance: Server-side tagging can help organisations comply with privacy regulations by enabling more efficient management of user consent and data sharing. Additionally, server-side tagging allows for easier anonymisation or pseudonymisation of data before sharing it with third parties.

How Server-Side Tagging Can Help with Privacy Compliance

As privacy regulations continue to evolve, organisations must adapt to ensure they are compliant and transparent in their data collection and processing practices. Server-side tagging can play a crucial role in helping organisations achieve compliance with various privacy laws and regulations.

Server-side tagging enables organisations to better manage user consent by allowing them to implement consent management platforms (CMPs) more easily and ensure that data is only collected and shared with third parties when the user has provided consent. Additionally, server-side tagging can facilitate the anonymisation or pseudonymisation of data before sharing it with third parties, mitigating potential privacy risks.

By providing greater control over data collection and processing, server-side tagging empowers organisations to comply more effectively with privacy regulations and maintain user trust.

Conclusion

Server-side tagging is a powerful and increasingly popular tool for managing web tags and optimising website performance, data control, and privacy compliance. As organisations continue to search for ways to improve their digital marketing efforts while adhering to privacy regulations, server-side tagging offers a compelling solution that can greatly benefit both users and businesses alike.

By understanding the advantages of server-side tagging and its differences from traditional client-side tagging, organisations can make informed decisions about how to implement best and manage their web tags. Furthermore, as the digital landscape continues to evolve, server-side tagging will likely play an increasingly important role in shaping the future of web analytics and marketing optimisation.