Introduction to Google Tag Manager (GTM)

Google Tag Manager (GTM) is a free tool that allows you to manage and deploy marketing tags (snippets of code) on your website without modifying the codebase. It simplifies the process of tracking user interactions and integrating third-party services, such as analytics, conversion tracking, and marketing pixels.

 

Key Concepts in GTM

GTM consists of three main components: tags, triggers, and variables. Understanding these components is important for setting up an efficient tagging system on your website or app.

Tags

Tags are small code snippets which are added to a website to collect data and send it to third-party tools like Google Analytics, Google Ads, Facebook Pixel, etc. Tags can be used for:

• Conversion tracking.

• Event tracking (e.g., button clicks, video views).

• Social media integration.

Triggers

 Triggers control when and where a tag is fired. A trigger listens for specific events or conditions (e.g., a page view, button click, or form submission) and executes the tag when those conditions are met.

Examples:

• Page View Trigger: Fires a tag when a user views a specific page.

• Click Trigger: Fires a tag when a user clicks on a specific element.

• Custom Event Trigger: Fires a tag based on specific conditions defined by the user.

Variables

Variables store dynamic data used by tags and triggers. They can capture information such as the page URL, click text, or form input values. GTM includes built-in variables (e.g., Page URL, Click ID) and also allows you to create custom variables.

Examples:

• Page URL: Captures the URL of the current page.

• Click Text: Captures the text of the clicked element.

• Custom JavaScript Variable: Captures complex data using custom JavaScript code.
  
   

Explanation 

• What ? ( a Tag) 
  Google Ads Conversion Tag

• When ? Under what circumstances? ( A Trigger) 
  On a “Thank You” page

• What / when / how exactly ? (A variable) 
  When page URL contains /purchase-successful/

Understanding Tagging in GTM

 Client-Side Tagging

In Client-side tagging, tags are directly loaded on a website or application as a JavaScript code , which is executed in the user's browser. These tags collect data about user interactions, behavior, and other metrics and send this information to analytics, marketing, or advertising platforms. Tools like Google Tag Manager (GTM) facilitate the management of these tags, and developers just have to add the  GTM script in their website, using which other tags are loaded in the website.

Server-Side Tagging

Server-side tagging is a method where tags are executed on a server rather than in the user's browser. Instead of adding multiple third-party scripts directly on your website or application, you pass data through a server you control. Tools like Google Tag Manager Server-Side facilitate the management of these tags in a server environment.