You're Being Sold a Dream. But Here's the Reality.


The latest buzz from CDPs and tag managers — Tealium, Segment, RudderStack, etc. — is this:

“Client-side tracking is dead. Move to server-side and solve everything from ad blocker loss to data privacy!”

Sounds great, right? Unfortunately, it’s not the full story.

The Problem: It's Still Dependent on the Browser


Server-side tracking can’t collect what never exists.

Most platforms still require data to be sent from the browser — using JS tags or embedded libraries. If a user blocks:

  • gtm.js, utag.js, or Segment’s analytics.js
  • Third-party cookies or trackers
  • Any non-consented scripts…

Then guess what?
No data ever reaches your server. Nothing to enrich. Nothing to convert.


What They're Not Telling You

  • server side tracking gimmick What They Promise: "Avoid ad blockers!"

    What Really Happens: Ad blockers often block the JS that collects the event in the first place

  • server side tracking gimmick What They Promise: "Full control of data!"

    What Really Happens: Only if your server gets the data — and that still depends on the client

  • server side tracking gimmick What They Promise: "Better accuracy!"

    What Really Happens: Not when 20–40% of users never fire the base event

  • server side tracking gimmick What They Promise: "Improved compliance!"

    What Really Happens: Only when paired with correct consent logic and edge-based filtering



The Better Approach: You Own the Pipeline


Instead of handing your data over to a black-box CDP that sells you on “server-side,”
build a framework that actually works:

  • Minimal JS beacon to capture the event
  • A backend you control that stores, enriches, and forwards it
  • Full transparency, full control, full ownership


What Real Server-Side Looks Like

  • Doesn't rely on third-party libraries being loaded
  • Captures first-party events directly from your own domain
  • Buffers, enriches, and dispatches after session completion
  • Works with your schema, not a vendor’s locked-down format
  • Lets you own privacy, security, and compliance — natively


TL;DR


Moving from pixels to server-side tracking isn’t bad — but believing it solves your tracking loss problem without changing how you capture data? That’s just marketing.

If you want a real solution — one that works, scales, and doesn't depend on buzzwords — check out our framework or get in touch.

Stop drinking the Kool-Aid. Start owning your data.