Tracking you can trust, so every ad decision rests on real numbers
GA4, Google Tag Manager, Consent Mode, server-side tagging and conversion APIs for Google, Meta, TikTok and Microsoft, tested end to end and documented. Audit or set-up from €490.
Tag Manager, web container
Reads the event and the consent state, then decides which tags may fire. Advanced mode: Google tags load and send cookieless pings when consent is denied.
- event
generate_lead - fires
GA4, Google Ads - blocked
Meta, TikTok, Microsoft - sends to
your server container (one request)
generate_lead with "Analytics only": 1 platforms get the full event, 1 get a cookieless ping, 3 are held back, sent via your server container.
Simplified model of a typical set-up, for illustration. Exact behaviour depends on your consent banner, tag settings and each platform's current rules.
One event name, five platforms
Most tracking problems start with naming. I write one plan: the GA4 event, the exact trigger, its parameters and what each ad platform receives. Then every tag is built from that table.
page_viewEvery page, after the consent updatepage_location, page_referrerRemarketing audiencePageViewPageviewpage_viewgenerate_leadForm success state, not the button clicklead_source, value, currencyLead conversionLeadSubmitFormsubmit_lead_formemail_clickClick on a mailto linklink_urlSecondary conversionContactContactcontactview_itemProduct page loadcurrency, value, items[]Dynamic remarketingViewContentViewContentview_itemadd_to_cartAdd-to-cart success responsecurrency, value, items[]Secondary conversionAddToCartAddToCartadd_to_cartbegin_checkoutFirst checkout stepcurrency, value, items[]Not sentInitiateCheckoutInitiateCheckoutbegin_checkoutpurchaseOrder confirmation, once per transaction_idtransaction_id, value, tax, shipping, currency, items[]Purchase conversion with enhanced conversionsPurchaseCompletePaymentpurchase (revenue_value)Purchase deduplication: the browser pixel and the server API send the same event_id, so Meta and TikTok count the order once.
The tracking audit checklist
Twelve checks I run on every audit, each marked pass or fail with the evidence. Look at the sample, or switch to your own site and mark what you know.
3 not checked yet.
Biggest gap to fix first: accept and Reject have equal weight on the banner.
Get a tracking audit that starts from this listWhen I would not recommend server-side tracking
A server container costs money every month and needs looking after. Sometimes a clean browser set-up is the right answer.
- 01You spend less than a few hundred euros a month on ads. Fix GA4, consent and the conversion actions first; that is where most of the error sits.
- 02Your conversions are phone calls or walk-ins. Call tracking or offline conversion imports will tell you more than another tag.
- 03Nobody will own the container after launch. I document everything, but someone has to renew, update and watch it, or it quietly breaks.
Platforms and GA4 disagree? Start with a fixed-price audit and a written list of what to fix.
Get a tracking auditFrom audit to numbers you can trust
Every change is tested with real events in preview and debug views before it goes live, and nothing is switched off without a note.
- 1
Audit
Read-only access to GA4, GTM and the ad accounts. Every tag, trigger and conversion checked.
- 2
Plan
The event naming table above, written for your site and agreed with you.
- 3
Build
Consent Mode v2, GTM containers, conversion actions and, where it pays, a server container.
- 4
Test
Real test leads or orders through Tag Assistant, DebugView and each platform's event tools.
- 5
Hand over
A short document: what fires, when, why, and who owns each account. You keep all access.
Audit, set-up or server-side
Prices in euros, excluding VAT 25.5 %. Server hosting is billed to your own cloud or hosting account, never marked up.
Tracking audit
A written pass or fail on every check, with the fix and its effort.
- GA4, GTM and consent reviewed
- Google, Meta, TikTok and Microsoft conversions checked
- Event naming table of what exists
- Prioritised fix list
Set-up
Clean browser tracking built from a written plan.
- Consent Mode v2 with your banner
- GA4 key events and ecommerce
- Enhanced conversions
- Pixels with click IDs captured after consent
Server-side
A server container on your own subdomain, feeding the conversion APIs.
- Server GTM on a first-party subdomain
- Meta, TikTok and Microsoft conversion APIs
- Deduplication with event_id
- Monitoring and a runbook
If the audit finds nothing worth fixing, you get the report and a short call, and you owe nothing more.
Questions about tracking
Why do my ad platforms and GA4 disagree?
Because they count differently. Each ad platform credits conversions to its own clicks and views, with its own attribution window, while GA4 uses its own model across all channels. Consent choices, blockers, duplicate tags and time zones widen the gap. An audit separates the expected differences from real errors.
Do I need server-side tracking?
Not always. It helps when ad spend is meaningful, when browser blockers and short cookie lifetimes lose conversions, or when you want control over what each platform receives. Small accounts usually gain more from fixing consent, events and conversion actions first. The audit tells you which case you are in.
Is this GDPR-friendly?
It is built to respect consent: Consent Mode v2 defaults to denied, tags wait for the visitor's choice, and hashed data is only sent when consent allows. A server container also lets you trim what leaves your site. Check your own obligations with your privacy adviser; see the cookie policy for this site's approach.
Get a tracking audit
Your email and website are enough to start. You get a written scope and fixed price within one working day, then I ask for read-only access.
Prefer email? Write to [email protected]
Pikselipolku is an independent studio and is not affiliated with Google, Meta, TikTok or Microsoft.