Client-side tags are JavaScript code snippets that execute directly in a user’s web browser when they visit a website. They are the traditional method for implementing analytics, advertising, remarketing, and other third-party services.
When a page loads, client-side tags fire within the browser environment, collecting data such as page views, clicks, form submissions, and device information, then sending it directly from the browser to third-party servers. Google Tag Manager’s web container is the most common tool for managing client-side tags across a website.
Client-side tags present two significant challenges. First, performance: each tag adds JavaScript that the browser must download, parse, and execute, increasing page load times and consuming visitor bandwidth.
Sites with dozens of tags can experience measurable slowdowns that affect user experience and search rankings. Second, privacy: because tags execute in the user’s browser, they can access cookies, browser fingerprinting data, and user interactions, often sending this information to third-party servers outside the organisation’s control, creating data leakage risks.
Server-side tagging addresses both challenges by moving tag execution from the browser to a server container. Instead of loading multiple third-party scripts, the browser sends data to a single first-party endpoint, and the server container distributes it to analytics and advertising platforms.
Seers.ai supports both client-side and server-side tagging environments, ensuring consent signals are enforced regardless of where tags execute. For organisations using Google Consent Mode v2, Seers’ CMP automatically communicates consent status to both client-side and server-side tag configurations.
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