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Technical Architecture Overview

Understanding the technical architecture helps you plan and implement server-side tracking effectively.

System Components​

1. Website (Client-Side)​

  • GTM Web Container
  • Event tracking code
  • Consent management

2. Server-Side GTM​

  • Server container (hosted on Stape/Google Cloud)
  • Event processing
  • Data routing

3. BigQuery​

  • Event data storage
  • Data warehouse
  • Analysis and reporting

4. Platform Integrations​

  • GA4 Measurement Protocol
  • Meta Conversions API
  • LinkedIn Insight Tag
  • Other platforms
  • CookieYes or similar
  • User consent tracking
  • Privacy compliance

Architecture Diagram​

┌─────────────┐
│   Website   │
│  (Client)   │
└──────┬──────┘
       │ Events
       ↓
┌─────────────────────┐
│  Server-Side GTM    │
│  (Your Server)      │
└──────┬──────────────┘
       │
       ├──→ BigQuery (Storage)
       ├──→ GA4 (Analytics)
       ├──→ Meta (Ads)
       └──→ LinkedIn (Ads)

Data Flow Details​

Event Processing Steps​

  1. Event received from website
  2. Validate event data
  3. Check user consent
  4. Enrich with user ID
  5. Anonymize if needed
  6. Store in BigQuery
  7. Forward to platforms

Data Enrichment​

  • User ID (anonymous)
  • Session ID
  • UTM parameters
  • Referrer data
  • Device information
  • Timestamp

Security Considerations​

Data Security​

  • HTTPS for all communications
  • Encrypted data storage
  • Secure API keys
  • Access controls

Privacy Security​

  • Data anonymization
  • Consent management
  • GDPR compliance
  • Data retention policies

Next Step: Follow the Implementation Guide for step-by-step setup instructions.