Server-Side Conversion Tracking

Browser pixels lose a large and unpredictable share of conversions to iOS tracking prevention, ad blockers, cookie lifetime limits and cross-domain hops. Server-side reporting fixes the reporting, which is what the ad platform's bidding model learns from. This skill covers the model, the setup order and how to verify it.

When to use

• Ad platform reports fewer purchases than the store/database actually recorded
• CPA looks like it got worse right after a tracking change, with no change in real sales
• Setting up a new funnel that will receive paid traffic
• Asked about CAPI / Events API / offline conversion import / click id passthrough
• Attribution disagreements between platforms ("Facebook claims 40 sales, Google claims 30, we had 45 orders")

The model, in the order it must be built

Getting this order wrong is the usual reason a "server-side setup" still under-reports.