Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about Google Tag Manager
What is Google Tag Manager?
Google Tag Manager (also known as GTM) is a free tag management solution provided by Google. Through this 'online tool', you can deploy and manage various marketing and analytics tags on a website or mobile app.
What is a tag in Google Tag Manager?
A tag is a bunch of JavaScript code which is used to collect measurement and marketing data from your website/mobile app and then send that data to 3rd party services. The third-party service could be: Google Analytics, Google Adwords, Twitter, Facebook, Comscore etc.
What is the advantage of using Google Tag Manager?
When you use Google Tag Manager (GTM) to add tags on a website, you get more control over: 1) When the tag should fire. 2) When the tag should not fire. 3) Where the tag should fire. 4) Where the tag should not fire and What the tag should do, when it get fired (executed). GTM removes the need for editing the website code over and over again just for adding, removing or editing tags.
What is a container tag?
GTM removes the need for editing the website code over and over again just for adding, removing or editing tags. Instead, one code is placed on every page on the website, which is the GTM container code/tag. This container code literally acts as a container, as it can store and deploy several marketing and analytics tags. If you treat Google Tag Manager tool like a car, then its engine is the container tag and its skin (look and feel) and controls are the user interface. The container tag provides all the functionality needed for GTM tool, to run and deploy tags on your website.
What is GTM Container ID?
The part of the GTM container tag code which reads 'GTM-TXAAA', it is called the container ID. This ID is used to uniquely identify each GTM container tag.
What is a Google Tag Manager Account?
https://tagmanager.google.com/ is your GTM account.
What is a Google Account?
This is a google account: https://accounts.google.com/SignUp If you do not have a Google account then you can create one by using this link: https://accounts.google.com/SignUp Note: If you use Gmail then you already have a google account.
What is a trigger in Google Tag Manager?
A trigger is a condition that must evaluate to either true or false at run time. In GTM, triggers are an integral part of a tag creation process. So you can not create a tag without first creating the corresponding trigger. There are two methods for creating a trigger in GTM. One is while you are creating a new tag and one is through the triggers menu. There are two categories of triggers in GTM: a) Firing triggers (commonly known as triggers) b) Blocking triggers.
What is a variable in Google Tag Manager?
A variable is a storage location in the computer memory. In the context of GTM, a variable is a function that is called from within another tag, trigger or variable. In GTM a variable is denoted by using the following syntax:{{Variable Name}} . There are two types of variables in GTM: Built-in variables and user-defined variables.
What are Folders in Google Tag Manager?
Through folders, you can organize tags, triggers and variables by project name, team name etc. For example, you can group all of the tags, triggers and variables related to 'video tracking' by creating a folder called 'video tracking' and then adding all of the related tags, triggers and variables to it.
What is data layer in Google Tag Manager?
In the context of GTM, a data layer is a JavaScript array which is used to collect and store data from a website and then send that data to the GTM container tag. Google recommends to use data layers, for retrieving run time information. Your web developer can set up a data layer for you. This data layer contains all the information you want to send to the container tag.In order to get the most out of GTM, you need to understand and use data layers.
Is Google Tag Manager easy to use for a non-coder?
Yes but only to a very limited extent.If you want to considerably modify the way, a tag is fired or should behave, or if you want to implement advanced tracking like scroll tracking, ecommerce tracking or enhanced ecommerce tracking then you need to have adequate knowledge of: HTML, DOM, and JavaScript. If you can not traverse a DOM, you won't be able to get the best out of GTM. Many non-coders start using GTM on Google's recommendation but then they quickly get lost during the tags' setup and configuration. Once they can't figure out, what is going wrong, they have no choice but to delegate the set up to a third party GTM expert/agency.
Is Google Tag Manager easy to use for a coder?
Yes but only to an extent. Though coders/developers have adequate knowledge of: HTML, DOM, and JavaScript, they are still not familiar with the Google Analytics Developers environment. This makes it difficult for them to capture GA data with or without GTM.
How do I become a GTM expert?
In order to become a GTM expert, you would need to develop very good knowledge of: a) HTML, DOM and JavaScript b) Google Analytics Developers environment. c) DOM Scraping d) At least working knowledge of regular expressions e) Working knowledge of a server-side language (like PHP) is a bonus.
Will Google Tag Manager make me independent from the IT/Web developer?
Yes but only to an extent. Even when you have got adequate knowledge of HTML, DOM, and JavaScript, you would still need the help of the client's web developers/IT. This is because, if you are not familiar with the server-side language used by your client and/or the client's development environment or database, then you will need the help of client's IT/web developer, to add server-side code to your data layers or to query their database for you. Without adding sever side code to GTM data layers, you can't implement many of the sophisticated trackings like 'enhanced ecommerce tracking' in GA. The best practice is, to always involve your web developer / IT (no matter how confident you feel about your tags setup) during tag planning and deployment, as they understand their development environment better than you.
Can the use of Google Tag Manager create serious tracking/technical issues on my website?
Yes. If you are deploying all of the marketing and analytics tags via the container tag and the container breaks during a website/code update, then all of your website tracking can stop working immediately. If you deploy a tag which conflicts with the website code, it can very easily break/modify certain website functionality. Similarly, if you leave the tags deployed by GTM, hard-coded on your website or you deploy the same tags through other tag management solutions, then this can inflate your analytics data. So you need to be very confident, what you are doing with GTM. In the wrong hands, GTM can be a dangerous tool.
Can I use the same container tag on multiple websites?
Yes. However, the best practice is, not to do that, as it can create tracking issues.
Can I deploy GTM container tag code through another TMS (Tag Management Solution)?
Yes. But it can prevent GTM from working correctly. The rule of thumb is, not to use multiple TMS.
Are there any tags which can't be deployed via GTM?
Yes. GTM can not be used to deploy: synchronous tags, two-part tags, tags that are associated with in-page structure or tags which are not compatible with GTM: 1) Synchronous tags - these tags block rendering of other web page elements when they are executed. 2) Tags associated with in-page structure - like social sharing widgets 3) Two parts tags - Tags with part of the snippet in the header and the other part in footer. 4) Tags not compatible with GTM - For example 'Facebook JavaScript SDK' tag can not be deployed via GTM.
Do I have to migrate all of my tags to Google Tag Manager?
No. However Google recommends to migrate all the tags which are supported by GTM.
Does GTM work, even if you migrate only a subset of tags to Google Tag Manager?
Yes.
Does GTM collect any data?
No. GTM itself does not collect any data. However, the tags it fires, may collect data.
What is the difference between Google Tag Manager and Google Analytics?
GTM is a tag management tool. Whereas Google Analytics is a website/mobile app tracking tool. Through GTM you can: add, edit, enable, disable or remove any tag, with just few button clicks. That is something, which is not possible with Google Analytics. ‘GTM’ is primarily used to route data from one data source to another (like from your website to Google Analytics or from your website to a data warehouse). It is not a data source in itself. Whereas Google Analytics is a data source in itself.
Can I use Google Tag Manager even when I don't use Google Analytics?
Yes. GTM is a tag management solution and can be used to deploy non-google tags.
How I can deploy non-google tags via GTM?
Through custom HTML tags or 3rd party tag templates.
Does GTM work on mobile websites and mobile apps?
Yes.
Will the use of GTM, slow down my website?
No. Since GTM fire tags asynchronously, it can actually improve the website speed. However, there is one caveat here. If your container tag is very large (contains lot of tags, triggers and variables) then it can negatively affect the website speed. So if you are not using a particular tag, trigger or variable and you have no plan to use it in the future then remove it from the container.
Can I use Google tag manager in parallel with hard-coded tags?
Yes. If complete migration of all of your tags is not possible. However, you need to make sure that you don’t do double tagging i.e. deploy same tag twice, once via GTM and once without GTM.
Will GTM work, if I deploy it, on only a part of my website?
Yes. But then it will work, only on those web pages which contain the container tag.
Which type of tags are most likely to break my website functionality?
Custom HTML tags. Be very careful with them. Use tag templates wherever possible esp. if you are brand new to GTM.
GTM is protocol relative. What does that mean?
It means it will work on both secure (HTTPS) and nonsecure (HTTP) pages alike.
What is Google Tag Manager V2 (or GTM V2)?
It is the second and better version of Google Tag Manager. To access GTM V2, navigate to: https://tagmanager.google.com/
What is a rule in GTM?
GTM trigger was formerly known as rule.
What is a macro in GTM?
GTM variable was formerly known as macro.
What is the use of GTM API?
Through GTM API you can programmatically manage: accounts, containers, permissions, variables, tags and triggers.
How and where to get Google Tag Manager Help?
Before you ask for help from someone, do a quick search on Google to see whether your question has already been answered. There is almost always a high probability that someone faced the same problem before you and got help. If Google search does not help then the next step is to check out the Google Tag Manager Help Center. If you are a developer then take a look at the official GTM Developer Guide. If these resources do not help then post your question on a forum. However, before you post a question, make sure that your question clearly describes the way you encountered the problem. This is required so that your problem can be easily replicated by the people who are ready to help you. If you just state your problem but do not disclose, how you encountered it (preferably step by step) then it would be very difficult for someone to help you. Include screenshots, provide website URLs whenever you can. The more clearly you can describe your problem, the better is the chance that someone will be able to help you. The Official Google Tag Manager Forum and Stack Overflow are other great places to ask any questions related to Google Tag Manager.
Stacydoe.com is the place where you can buy vouchers, coupons for all advertisement needs of online advertising.
ReplyDeleteA very awesome blog post. We are really grateful for your blog post. You will find a lot of approaches after visiting your post. Google Analytics Update
ReplyDelete