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Hybrid destinations show a Tracking Method control with three options: Browser, Server, and Browser + Server. The default is Browser + Server, which is what we recommend for most merchants. Switch it to Server and Upstack stops loading that ad platform’s own tag on your storefront, while server-side forwarding keeps running exactly as before.
This selection does not turn off Upstack tracking. The Upstack Pixel keeps running and keeps capturing every event. Only the ad platform’s own tag stops loading.
Two destinations work differently. AppLovin keeps a single Enable Browser Pixel checkbox — its Conversion API is not in general availability yet. Klaviyo also keeps its existing Enable Browser Pixel checkbox (off by default for Shopify stores, on for non-Shopify ones) rather than the radio. Both are exceptions: every other destination shows the full radio.

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Two different things called a browser pixel

The names are confusingly similar, so it is worth being precise about which one the Tracking Method control affects. On Server, Upstack still captures the event, resolves the identity, enriches it, and delivers it to the platform’s Conversions API. What disappears is the second, browser-based copy of that event.

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When to use Server

Most merchants should keep Browser + Server. Running both gives the platform two chances to see a conversion, and every platform deduplicates on a shared event ID, so you do not double-count. Switch to Server when one of these applies:
  • You already load the tag yourself, through Google Tag Manager, your theme, or another app. Two copies of the same tag on one page can double-fire events and confuse the platform’s own deduplication.
  • You want fewer third-party scripts on the storefront for page-speed or privacy reasons, and you are willing to rely on server-side delivery alone.
  • You are consolidating on server-side and want a clean, single-source signal per platform.
Switch to Browser only if you need the platform’s own tag but do not want server-side events for that destination.

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What you give up

This depends on the platform, because each one uses its browser tag for something slightly different. Meta loses nothing on matching. The Upstack Pixel writes the _fbp and _fbc cookies itself, so Meta still receives both identifiers on every server-side event. Expect Events Manager to report zero browser events and possibly flag a deduplication notice. That is the expected result, not a problem. TikTok, Snapchat, Pinterest, and Reddit lose the platform’s own cookie — _ttp, _scid, _epik, and _rdt_uuid respectively. Server events still carry hashed email, hashed phone, IP address, user agent, and the click ID from the ad, which is the strongest match signal available. Match rates may dip slightly compared to running both. Outbrain, Taboola, and NewsBreak lose nothing. All three attribute conversions using the click ID captured from the ad URL, which Upstack stores and sends server-side. Their browser tags add no matching signal.

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Switching back to Browser + Server

Set the Tracking Method back and save. Storefronts pick up the change within about 15 minutes, once the cached pixel configuration expires. This is the same refresh window as any other destination setting. The AppLovin and Klaviyo checkboxes work the same way: check the box, save, and the change lands within about 15 minutes.

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FAQ

No. The Upstack Pixel is unaffected and keeps capturing everything. Your dashboards, attribution, and every other destination continue to work normally. Only the one ad platform’s own browser tag stops loading.
The destination stops sending anything to that platform. Upstack still captures and reports the events internally, but nothing reaches the ad platform. This is allowed on purpose, so you can pause a destination without deleting it, but it is easy to do by accident. If a platform stops receiving conversions, check the Tracking Method selection first.
You should not. Server-side delivery is the more reliable of the two paths, because it is not affected by ad blockers, Safari ITP, or cookie restrictions. What you lose is redundancy. If server-side delivery breaks for any reason, there is no browser tag left to catch the event.
Yes, for most platforms. The Conversions API needs it to know which pixel or dataset the event belongs to. Google Ads and Pinterest are the exceptions: their pixel fields are only used by the browser tag, so they become optional once you switch to Server.

Server-Side Tracking

Why server-side collection outperforms browser pixels.

Conversion API Forwarding

How Upstack delivers events to each ad platform.