In a world where ad blockers and privacy tools are constantly evolving, missing data in Google Analytics 4 becomes more and more common. Regular client-side tracking doesn't cut it anymore, while server-side is too complicated to switch to.
That's exactly why Google introduced a new feature — Google Tag Gateway — also known as First-Party Tags.
It's a complete game-changer for those using web-based tracking. All because it offers improved tracking accuracy with absolutely no change to your current tag setup.
In this guide you'll learn exactly what is Google Tag Gataway, how it works and why you need it. We'll also cover how to set it up using different methods and do it according to the best practices.
Note: if you're using Magento, we offer a ready-made solution for implementing this First-Party Tags with our .
What is Google Tag Gateway?
Google Tag Gateway is a first-party tracking method that allows you to serve Google tags — like GA4 and Google Ads — through your own domain rather than Google's.
This makes the request look like it's coming from your own website, basically like a first-party request. So, it bypasses most tracking blockers and browser restrictions focused on third-party ones.
As a result, you get more control over how data is collected and handled. All without the complexity of managing a separate GTM server container or rewriting your current settings.
How Does Google Tag Gateway Work?
Considering what we've already learned about Google Tag Gataway, let's see how it works step by step.
- You create a serving path (subfolder) within your website e.g. yourwebsite.com/tracking to store GA4 and GTM data.
- When someone visits your page, the browser tries to load the Google Tag.
- Your CDN forwards the request to Google's servers through your serving path yourwebsite.com/tracking.
In simple words, Google Tag Gateway uses your CDN to load the Google tag. But from the user's point of view, the tag is served from your website.
As simple as that, you get accurate data without Google Tag being flagged or blogged as a third-party script.
Why Use a Google Tag Gateway?
Till your Google tags are considered third-party, they are blocked before even tracking the page views. You lose visibility into users' behaviour or get stuck debugging GA4 because of inaccurate reports.
Google Tag Gateway offers a workaround. It's a small shift with big results — better data accuracy, greater compliance control, fewer blocked requests.
So, here's why you have to adopt it:
- Bypass Adblockers: tags routed through your domain are less likely to be blocked.
- Improve privacy compliance: your tags are treated like website-native, which increases trust.
- Improve tracking accuracy: more events reach Google Ads and Google Analytics.
- Enhance website performance: the time it takes for tags to load and fire significantly reduces.
- Simplify server-side tagging: you get server-like tracking without the complex server-side setup.
Google Tag Gateway vs Server-Side Tracking
At this point, it might seem like Google Tag Gateway is nothing but a simpler version of the server-side tagging. And it's true.
However, while both methods aim at improving data tracking, they fix completely different problems. At different levels.
Google Tag Gateway act like a lightweight proxy layer that makes Google tags appear as coming from your domain. It's easy to set up, and manage and offers a quick solution to bypassing adblockers.
Server-side tagging (e.g. server-side GTM) requires a dedicated server container that processes the tag data before sending it to Google and other platforms.
It offers full control over what data is sent to the tracking channels and also bypasses privacy tools and restrictions.
If you're managing sensitive data at scale or want deeper customization, server-side is a better option.
However, if you want more accurate data tracking without all the server-side fuss, start with Google Tag Gateway. That's what we'll do next.
How to Set Up Google Tag Gateway for Advertisers?
Setting up Google Tag Gateway is easy, as we've already specified. However, your website must be connected to a CDN before you start.
If it's in place, you can configure Google Tag Gateway via GTM, GA4 or Google Ads. The setup is completely the same for all three.
Pro tip: if you already have GTM container set up with all GA4, Google Ads and other tags, you don't have to configure the gateway tag for all three separately. Just configure it for GTM and you're good to go.
Via Google Tag Manager (GTM)
First, navigate to your GTM account and switch to the Admin tab to find the Google Tag Gateway option. It should say Not set up.
Then, view the channels Google Tag Gateway will be applied to, see how it works, and press continue.
Here, you need to specify the measurement path where the GTM container will route the requests and sign in to your Cloudflare account to connect it to GTM.
Note: make sure the tracking path you specify here doesn't conflict with any existing paths on your website.
Click Complete setup to finish, and you're all set. Now navigate to your website and check the Network tab through the browser Dev tools.
You should find the tracking path you've just specified. This means that Google Tag Gateway is set up properly.
Via Google Analytics 4
Go to your GA4 property > Admin (gear icon) > Data streams > your data stream > Configure tag settings.
Once there, switch to the Admin tab and find the Google Tag Gateway option.
From now on, the setup is completely the same as via GTM. You have to specify the tracking path and connect Cloudflare to your GA4.
Via Google Ads
Navigate to your Google Ads account > Tools > Data manager and click Manage next to your Google Tag.
Then switch to Admin and go through the same steps to set up Google Tag Gateway as before.
Via Magefan GTM Extension
If you use our Google Tag Manager Extension, all you need to do is set up GTM for Magento and enable a corresponding option in the Web Container section. That's it.
Note: the Google Tag Gateway option will still be marked as Not set up in your GTM account (Admin tab). That's because we didn't set it up via Cloudflare. But it still works once you enable it in your Magento admin.
Google Tag Gateway Best Practices
As straightforward as this setup is, even the smallest mistake can break the tracking, mitigating all your efforts. So, here are some tips to ensure a seamless and effective implementation.
- Use a dedicated subpath — avoid paths used by your CMS, apps, theme or other paths used on your website.
- Test tag delivery before publishing — check if Google Tag Manager is working properly before publishing the tags. Use tools like Google Tag Assistant or Chrome Dev tools we've mentioned before.
- Don't use conflicting scripts — from both Google and your gateway.
e.g. configuring Google Tag Gateway for both GTM and GA4, even though your GTM container already has GA4 connected.
Should You Use Google Tag Gateway?
Google Tag Gateway is a great option if you want to improve data accuracy and make your reports "cleaner". But whether you should use it to not really depends.
For websites on Magento, Shopify or WooCommerce, missing purchase leads to misallocated budget or lost insights. This makes Google Tag Gateway essential for eCommerce and ad-driven sites.
However, if your audience is mostly internal or private and you don't have any tracking tags running, you might not need it.
In any case, when comparing server-side tracking and client-side tracking with Google Tag Gateway you get almost the same benefits.
The only difference is that the latter is a low-effort, high-reward way to improve data tracking. The choice is yours.
