WordPress plugin

    The server-side tracking plugin for WordPress and WooCommerce

    Our own plugin connects WordPress to your server-side container in a couple of minutes. First-party container loading, Consent Mode v2 and the complete GA4 ecommerce event set, including the block-based cart and checkout.

    WordPress
    WooCommerce
    Download pluginv1.0.0
    Download size
    90 KB ZIP
    Requirements
    WordPress 5.9+ · PHP 7.2+
    Licence
    Free, GPL-2.0

    Not in the WordPress.org directory yet. Download the ZIP and upload it from your WordPress admin.

    tracking.hippov1.0.0
    Container
    First-party loader
    Consent Mode
    Defaults active
    Ecommerce
    10 events on
    Webhooks
    Delivering
    Container

    Connect this site to your server-side container and choose how the tag loads.

    Server container URL
    https://gtm.yourshop.com
    Web container ID
    GTM-XXXXXXX
    First-party loader
    Load gtm.js through the container domain
    Cookie keeper
    Re-issue analytics cookies from the server
    Consent Mode v2
    ad_storagead_user_dataanalytics_storage+4
    What you get

    Everything the WordPress plugin does

    Everything the plugin does is a switch on one screen. Nothing is sent anywhere until you enter your container URL.

    Container

    Loads the GTM web container from your own domain instead of googletagmanager.com, so ad blockers and tracking prevention no longer recognise it. Placement, GTM environments and a custom loader path are all configurable.

    Consent

    Publishes Google Consent Mode v2 defaults for all seven signals before the container loads: globally, for the EEA and UK, or for a region list you choose. It warns you if your consent banner already sets them.

    Data Layer

    Pushes page type, post and author details, site search, language and login state on every request, plus hashed customer data for Enhanced Conversions and Customer Match.

    Ecommerce

    The complete GA4 funnel for WooCommerce, with item brand, variant, the real category hierarchy, discounts and list attribution carried from the listing through to the cart.

    Webhooks

    Sends purchase, refund and order-paid events straight from your server on a background job, so conversions arrive even when the browser blocks every script. Failures retry with backoff.

    Free and open source

    GPL-2.0, no account needed to install it, and no upsells in the admin. You only pay for the container that receives the data.

    Download pluginv1.0.0
    WooCommerce

    WooCommerce server-side tracking, out of the box

    Switch WooCommerce on and every standard GA4 ecommerce event is tracked, with the item detail Google Ads and Meta need to match products in your catalogue.

    view_item_list
    select_item
    view_item
    add_to_cart
    remove_from_cart
    view_cart
    begin_checkout
    add_shipping_info
    add_payment_info
    purchase

    Works with the classic templates and the Cart and Checkout blocks: page events come from the cart itself rather than template hooks, and add-to-cart is detected through the WooCommerce data store.

    Why WooCommerce stores need server-side tagging

    Purchases that survive ad blockers

    The order webhook leaves your server, not the browser. A blocked script no longer means a missing conversion, and each order is deduplicated so it is only ever counted once.

    Enhanced Conversions without leaking data

    Email, phone and name are normalised and SHA-256 hashed in PHP before they ever reach the page, so no plain-text customer detail is exposed in the browser.

    Attribution that holds up on Safari

    The cookie keeper re-issues analytics cookies from your server, so Safari's seven-day cap on script-set cookies stops truncating returning visitors.

    Item data your ad platforms can use

    Brand, variant, the real category hierarchy and per-item discounts are sent, and item IDs can be matched to the SKUs in your Merchant Center or Meta catalogue.

    Common questions

    Does it work with the Cart and Checkout blocks?
    Yes. Cart and checkout events are derived from the cart itself rather than from classic template hooks, and add or remove events come from the block data store, so both front-ends are covered.
    Will it conflict with GTM4WP or another GTM plugin?
    Only one plugin should inject the container, or every event is counted twice. The plugin detects the conflict and warns you; set container placement to "data layer only" here, or disable the container in the other plugin.
    Do I still need a consent banner?
    Yes. The plugin publishes the Consent Mode defaults that tell tags how to behave before a choice is made; your banner is still what asks the visitor and sends the update.
    Is High-Performance Order Storage supported?
    Yes. The plugin declares compatibility with HPOS and with the Cart and Checkout blocks, so WooCommerce will not flag your store as incompatible.

    WordPress setup in three steps

    No FTP, no code, no developer. Everything happens in your WordPress admin.

    01

    Download the ZIP

    One file, under 100 KB. The plugin is free and GPL-licensed. There is no licence key to enter and no account needed to install it.

    • Works on any WordPress site, with or without WooCommerce
    • Requires WordPress 5.9+ and PHP 7.2+
    • Nothing is sent anywhere until you configure a container
    Download pluginv1.0.0
    WordPress admin
    trackinghippo-server-side-1.0.0.zip
    90 KB ZIP · GPL-2.0-or-later
    02

    Upload it in WordPress

    Go to Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin, choose the ZIP and activate. A Tracking Hippo entry appears in your admin menu.

    • Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin
    • Select the ZIP and press Install Now
    • Activate, then open Tracking Hippo in the menu
    WordPress admin
    Drop the ZIP here
    Install now
    03

    Paste your container URL

    Enter the container domain from your Tracking Hippo dashboard and your GTM web container ID, then press Test connection to confirm it is live.

    • Test connection verifies the container answers
    • Turn on the first-party loader to bypass ad blockers
    • A health panel flags anything still misconfigured
    WordPress admin
    Server container URL
    https://gtm.yourshop.com
    Web container ID
    GTM-XXXXXXX
    Load gtm.js through the container domain

    Client-side vs server-side tracking

    Client-side tracking

    01
    Browser loads third-party scripts

    Every tag is downloaded from an external domain that ad blockers and tracking prevention already know by name.

    02
    Requests are blocked or truncated

    Blockers drop the request outright, and Safari caps script-set cookies at seven days, so returning visitors look new.

    03
    Ad platforms optimise on gaps

    Missing conversions train bidding on incomplete data, and budget drifts towards whatever still reports.

    Server-side tracking

    01
    One first-party request

    The container loads from your own domain, so it looks like the rest of your site rather than a third-party tracker.

    02
    Your server decides what is sent

    Events are validated and enriched in your container, and orders are delivered straight from PHP where no blocker can reach them.

    03
    Cleaner signal, better bidding

    More complete conversion data means the ad platforms optimise on what actually happened.

    Why server-side tracking for WordPress?

    Client-side tracking loses a growing share of every campaign's data. Moving collection to your own server puts it back.

    Bypass ad blockers

    The container is served from your domain, so blocklists built around googletagmanager.com no longer apply and far more events arrive.

    Faster pages

    Tag logic runs on the server instead of the visitor's device, which takes weight off the main thread and out of your Core Web Vitals.

    Privacy you control

    You decide what leaves your server and what stays behind. Data is processed in the EU, and personal fields are hashed before they are sent.

    Longer-lived attribution

    First-party cookies set over HTTP are not subject to the seven-day cap browsers apply to script-set ones, so campaigns keep their credit.

    Everything your WordPress site needs

    First-party container loading
    Custom loader path
    Google Consent Mode v2
    10 GA4 ecommerce events
    Cart and Checkout blocks
    Server-side order webhooks
    Hashed Enhanced Conversions
    Cookie keeper for Safari
    Role and environment exclusion
    HPOS compatible
    Health checks and connection test
    Free and GPL-2.0

    Download it and see

    The plugin is free. Point it at a Tracking Hippo container and you are collecting server-side today, with €10 of trial credit and no card needed.

    Download pluginv1.0.0

    €10 free trial credit · 100% EU-hosted · Pay as you go

    WordPress is a trademark of the WordPress Foundation. WooCommerce is a trademark of Automattic Inc. Google Tag Manager, Google Analytics and Google Ads are trademarks of Google LLC. Tracking Hippo is an independent product and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by any of them.