Cookieless Tracking.
Cookieless Tracking describes methods for user tracking and analytics without third-party cookies. Due to the removal of third-party cookies in modern browsers, companies must switch to alternative tracking methods.
Cookieless Tracking — Explained in Detail
Cookieless Tracking refers to tracking and analytics methods that work without third-party cookies. The background: Google Chrome significantly restricted support for third-party cookies in 2025 — after Safari and Firefox had been doing so for years. For digital marketing, this means a fundamental shift: cross-site tracking, retargeting, and conversion attribution become more difficult.
Alternative tracking methods include: first-party cookies (set by your own server, still permitted), server-side tracking (data is processed on your own server instead of in the browser), consent-based tracking (with explicit user consent), Google's Privacy Sandbox (Topics API, Attribution Reporting API), and contextual targeting (advertising based on page content instead of user profiles).
For Swiss companies, this topic is particularly relevant: the Swiss Data Protection Act (revDSG since September 2023) places high requirements on data processing. Server-side tracking with Google Analytics 4 via Google Tag Manager Server-Side is the recommended solution in 2026 — it reduces data losses from ad blockers, improves data quality, and better fulfills data protection requirements than client-side tracking.
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Digital Marketing ConsultingFrequently Asked Questions About Cookieless Tracking
Third-party cookies enable cross-site tracking — they track users across different websites and create detailed profiles. For privacy reasons, browser manufacturers (Apple, Mozilla, Google) have restricted or removed support. Safari has blocked third-party cookies since 2020, Firefox since 2021, Chrome since 2025. The EU GDPR and Swiss revDSG also require explicit consent for tracking.
The most important alternatives: 1) Server-Side Tracking (data processing on your own server). 2) First-Party Cookies (still work, set by your own domain). 3) Google's Privacy Sandbox (Topics API instead of individual profiles). 4) Contextual Targeting (ads based on page content). 5) Consent-based tracking with Consent Management Platforms. 6) Enhanced Conversions (hashed first-party data for Google Ads).
Google Ads is adapting to the cookieless world: Enhanced Conversions use hashed first-party data (email, phone number) for better attribution. Google's Privacy Sandbox provides new APIs for targeting and measurement. Server-Side Tracking improves data quality. For Swiss companies, the combination of Server-Side GTM + Enhanced Conversions + Consent Mode is the recommended setup in 2026.
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