Reverse Proxy

In March 2023 Apple released Safari 16.3+ version. The effect of the new version was that in specific cases the lifespan of first-party cookies became limited to just 7 days. For businesses relying on cookies for web tracking, this creates significant issues, especially when Safari restricts cookie persistence due to technical configurations such as CNAME resolution or IP address mismatches.

JENTIS developed a solution to maintain the persistence of first-party cookies, even in the face of restrictions embedded in the browser (like Safari). A reverse proxy is a server positioned between the client (user) and the main web server. It intercepts client requests, forwards them to the correct web server, and then returns the server’s response to the client. This solution is often used to enhance performance, security, and load balancing. In this case, it plays a critical role in cookie management for tracking and data integrity.

JENTIS’ reverse proxy solution addresses these challenges by ensuring that the tracking server and the main website server appear as a unified entity to Safari. Here’s how it works:

1. User Request & Tracking Code: When a user visits your webpage, JENTIS’ tracking code is loaded from a subdomain (e.g., hash.example.com).

2. Event Tracking: As the user interacts with the site, tracking events are triggered and sent to the reverse proxy hosted on your domain (e.g., example.com/hash).

3. Data Forwarding: The reverse proxy forwards the tracking data to JENTIS’ servers while maintaining the appearance that the requests are coming from your main domain, not an external host.

4. Cookie Management: By utilizing the reverse proxy, JENTIS can set cookies that bypass Safari’s 7-day limit, ensuring that first-party cookies remain persistent for the full intended duration.

By integrating a reverse proxy hosted on the same domain as your content, you can ensure that tracking remains uninterrupted, and data integrity is preserved, despite browser-specific limitations. For businesses that depend on accurate and long-term web tracking, JENTIS’ reverse proxy is an essential tool in ensuring compliance with Safari’s Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP) restrictions while keeping your tracking efforts robust and effective.

More information can also be found in the JENTIS Blog post on Reverse Proxy Solution.