Connecting ad platforms server-side

Google Ads and GA4

• Conversion tracking via the server with the Conversion Linker, which stores the click ID, and one conversion tag per goal.

• Enhanced Conversions: A hashed email address, phone number and address from the purchase help Google attribute conversions to the right ad even when cookies are missing. Consent is a prerequisite.

• Remarketing via the server, so that audiences are filled even when browser tags are blocked.

• Offline conversions: For B2B stores and merchants who work with quotes, deals closed later can be reported back from the CRM to Google Ads.

Meta (Facebook and Instagram)

Meta has recommended running the pixel in the browser alongside the Conversions API on the server for years. To prevent purchases from being counted twice, both routes need the same event ID and the same event name. Meta rates the quality of the user data it receives with the Event Match Quality score. A low score means Meta cannot match many conversions to a person. With a hashed email, phone number, IP address and browser ID from the server, the score can be improved noticeably.

Microsoft, LinkedIn, TikTok and others

• Microsoft Advertising: A Conversions API alongside the UET tag, relevant for stores running Bing campaigns. As of November 2026, it is still in beta and is enabled per ad account. For remarketing, Microsoft also requires a pixel in the browser to match visitor IDs.

• LinkedIn: A Conversions API for B2B stores that target decision-makers on LinkedIn.

• TikTok, Pinterest, Snapchat: Each has its own server interface, with deduplication via an event ID.

• OpenAI: For ads in ChatGPT, a pixel and a Conversions API have been available since May 2026; both routes are deduplicated using a shared event ID. As of November 2026, ads in ChatGPT cannot yet be booked in every country.

For all of them: a platform that only receives browser data sees less in Safari and among ad-blocker users than a platform with a server connection.

Why do some pixels keep running in the browser?

For remarketing audiences and click attribution, some platforms need cookies and click IDs that only exist in the browser. A well-designed hybrid setup therefore keeps individual pixels running in the browser and also sends the conversions via the server. Deduplication ensures that each conversion is only counted once. A setup that shows pixels in the browser is therefore not automatically "only half server-side".

How many platforms should you connect?

As many as you actually use, and no more. Every connected platform generates requests on the server, needs its own maintenance when APIs change and must be named in the privacy policy. Before connecting a platform, be clear about what its data will be used for.

Can conversion values do even more?

If you report contribution margin or profit to the platforms instead of revenue, the algorithms optimize for profit rather than revenue. The server container is the right place for this: values can be enriched from a data source there without purchase prices becoming visible in the browser.