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# Running ads with no server-side tracking

Source: https://opsblu.com/docs/recipes/ads-without-server-side-tracking/

**Goal.** Find businesses that are spending on Google or Meta ads but have no server-side conversion tracking, so you can pitch measurement before you pitch media.

**For:** PPC and paid-media agencies (https://opsblu.com/for/ppc-agencies)

**MCP tools used:** `territory_stats`, `search_businesses`, `get_business`

**Cost.** Typical city × category yields 20–40 matches. 30 records ≈ 90 credits ≈ $0.90. Opening only the ones with an email on record is usually ≈ 60% of that.

## REST walkthrough

### 1. Size it across a whole state (free)

```bash
curl "https://opsblu.com/v1/stats?state=washington&category=law-firms"

# → "tracking": {"ads": 412, "server_side": 91, "ads_no_tracking": 321, "analytics": 1180, "consent_tool": 940}
```

### 2. Search with the two filters that matter

```bash
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer ob_live_YOUR_KEY" \
  "https://opsblu.com/v1/businesses?state=washington&city=seattle&category=law-firms&has_ads=true&server_side=false&has_email=true"

# every item carries signals.ads_no_tracking = true
```

### 3. Open one record to see what they run

The full record lists ad platforms, pixels, analytics tools and consent tooling, which is the whole first paragraph of your outreach email.

```bash
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer ob_live_YOUR_KEY" https://opsblu.com/v1/businesses/ob_sea_law_0042

# → "marketing": {"analytics":["GA4"],"ads_platforms":["Google Ads","Meta Ads"],"pixels":["Google Ads Tag","Meta Pixel"],
#                 "server_side_tracking": false, "consent_tool": ""}
#   "credits_used": 3, "balance_remaining": 1247
```

## Agent prompt

Paste into Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor with the OpsBlu MCP server connected (`https://opsblu.com/mcp`).

```text
Using OpsBlu, find law firms in Seattle, Washington that run ads (has_ads=true) without server-side tracking (server_side=false) and have an email on record. Show me the count and the first 15 names with their ad platforms. Then open the 5 that run both Google Ads and Meta Ads and draft a two-sentence outreach email for each that names the specific pixels they have and what they are missing.
```


## Gotchas

- Point them at the fix as well as the problem: TagFrog installs server-side GA4/Ads/Meta tracking with consent on Shopify and WordPress, and agency keys are free (bluefroganalytics.com/tagfrog).
- A business can run ads without any pixel at all; check `pixels` on the full record before you claim they have "broken" tracking.

More recipes: https://opsblu.com/docs/recipes/ · API reference: https://opsblu.com/docs/api · MCP setup: https://opsblu.com/docs/mcp · Pricing: https://opsblu.com/pricing