How to Use Server-Side Tracking to Bypass Ad Blockers in 2025

Digital advertising in 2025 faces ongoing challenges as ad blockers grow more advanced. Many users activate these tools to reduce intrusive ads and limit data collection by marketing scripts.

Although this makes browsing cleaner for consumers, it restricts the insights advertisers rely on for ad attribution and conversion tracking.

One method to bypass ad blockers is server-side tracking, which collects information away from the browser.

Below is an updated explanation of server-side tracking, why it matters in 2025, and how MarvelPixel—a platform that integrates server-side and first-party tracking—helps improve data quality.

Ad blockers and their effect on today’s advertisers

Ad blockers operate by stopping scripts or requests from known ad servers or tracking platforms. Users appreciate fewer ads and reduced data collection, but advertisers lose visibility into user activity and marketing outcomes.

In 2025, widespread adoption of ad blockers especially affects data-oriented marketers who want a thorough view of page visits, conversions, and audience engagement.

Main hurdles marketers encounter

When browsers run ad blockers, advertisers may see:

1. Data gaps
   Traditional client-side tracking approaches can be deactivated, leaving page visits, clicks, or signups unreported.

   
   

2. Unclear attribution
   Missing records of conversions mean marketing teams can’t determine which campaign deserves credit or how to refine spending.

   
   

3. Fewer insights
   Limited analytics make it challenging to make confident decisions regarding creative messages, budgets, or audience targeting.
   
   Server-side tracking offers an alternative approach to consistent data collection.

Defining server-side tracking

Server-side tracking sends information from your own server, rather than relying on scripts embedded in the browser. Typically, a visit or click triggers a pixel or code snippet in the browser that relays details to analytics tools.

Ad blockers detect and disable these browser-based scripts. Under a server-side system, any user action—be it a click or a purchase—travels to your server, which then updates your ad tracker. No browser request is involved, so blocking tools remain irrelevant to this data flow.

Server-side vs. client-side methods

Client-side tracking
This method relies on the user’s browser to execute JavaScript code (e.g., standard analytics scripts). An ad blocker can stop these scripts from running, thereby concealing interactions.

Server-side tracking
Metrics or events are recorded on the advertiser’s server, bypassing the user’s browser. Since no JavaScript runs on the client side, ad blockers cannot disrupt the measurement process.

Advantages for advertisers in 2025 in using server side technologies

1. Comprehensive data
   By removing browser-based blocks, server-side tracking preserves details about signups, sales, and page activity for more consistent analytics.

   
   

2. Clearer ad attribution
   Teams can see which channels, creatives, or target groups triggered a conversion. Budgets and strategy shifts become more effective with concrete records.

   
   

3. MarvelPixel’s role
   MarvelPixel integrates with channel tracking solutions complementing Meta CAPI and Google Ads offline conversions, ensuring more accurate data. Advertisers can also blend client-side events with first-party data, which boosts reliability.

Why server-side tracking matters now

With ad blockers becoming widespread, relying solely on client-side tracking can understate campaign success. Server-side tracking offers an effective way to keep measuring leads, sales, and page views without relying on vulnerable scripts.

Adopting it ensures that data-driven marketing remains feasible even as users adopt new tools to limit or hide their online activities.

Marketers who incorporate approaches like MarvelPixel—along with server-side flows—retain a robust understanding of which campaigns deliver genuine results, enabling adjustments that reflect real user actions.

This combined data-driven method can lead to improved conversions and better-informed strategies despite the growth of ad blockers.

Try MarvelPixel for Free

Want a more reliable approach to data collection amid rising ad blocker usage? MarvelPixel blends server-side tracking with first-party data strategies, helping you gather essential campaign insights and refine your ad decisions.

Get started with a free trial and see how MarvelPixel can fortify your marketing performance.