GetServerSide Setup Guide

This guide is the full reference for setting up server-side GTM/GA4. It covers scanning and classifying your existing setup, validating the server-side path safely, switching production, and keeping it healthy over time.

The setup uses a temporary property for validation — your production property stays untouched until you're ready to switch. After go-live, the temporary property is retired and you have one maintained server-side setup.

Start with the architecture article for the full design rationale

This guide is the implementation reference. If you want the higher-level explanation of why this setup uses one web container, one server container, Cloud Run, and a temporary property, start there.

Then come back here for the full setup path.

The setup path

The phases below cover the full setup from prerequisites through ongoing health checks. The assistant automates the scanning, validation, and health check portions.

P

Platform Setup

  • Confirm GA4 admin access and existing production property
  • Confirm GTM access and existing web container
  • Prepare a GCP project with billing and required APIs
  • Pair the desktop app and authenticate Google
A

Connect and Classify

  • Select your GTM and GA4 accounts
  • Scan the live web GTM container and GA4 metadata
  • Review the readiness report: what moves, what needs review, what stays
B

Validation

  • Select your GCP project and deploy a server container on Cloud Run
  • Create a temporary test GA4 property
  • Configure server-side tags and a forwarding route
  • Run validation checks: event arrival, parameters, volume, routing
  • Resolve issues or accept known differences
C

Go Live

  • Update the production Google tag to route through the server container
  • Verify the change and clean up the temporary forwarding route
  • Confirm critical events are healthy in production
  • Capture an immutable post-cutover baseline
D

Health Checks

  • Check routing liveness and sGTM confirmation
  • Detect web and server container drift
  • Verify critical events are still arriving
  • Re-scan if a container version changes

Want automated scanning, validation, and health checks?

Get the assistant