⏱️ Time: about 1-2 hours (depends on complexity) | Level: Intermediate
Migration plan
Moving to server-side tracking is safe — you don't have to remove anything, you only add a new layer. We recommend a parallel migration approach:
Phase 1: Preparation (day 1)
- Sign up and create an sGTM container
- Set up DNS (a CNAME to your subdomain)
- Wait for DNS propagation and the SSL certificate
Phase 2: Parallel run (days 2-7)
- In the web GTM add a transport_url — data starts being sent through sGTM too
- Client-side and server-side run at the same time
- Compare the data — server-side should show more conversions
💡 Tip: During the parallel run some conversions will be duplicated. That's OK — it's used for validation.
Phase 3: Server-side as primary (day 8+)
- Disable the client-side tags that are now redundant (GA4 direct, Meta Pixel, Google Ads tag)
- Keep only: the GTM snippet (for data collection) + the CMP (consent)
- All communication with the platforms runs through the sGTM server
Phase 4: Optimization (day 14+)
- Activate the anti-adblock custom loader (optional)
- Add Enhanced Conversions
- Monitor data quality and match rates