What is Google Tag Manager (GTM)
Google Tag Manager (GTM) is a tag management system developed by Google. It simplifies managing and deploying various tags on a website or mobile app.
Tags are snippets of code used to collect data and send it to third-party tools, such as analytics platforms, remarketing services, or advertising networks.
Usually, adding tags to a website involves directly editing the site's code, which could be time-consuming and require technical expertise.
With Google Tag Manager, marketers, and website owners can manage tags without modifying the underlying codebase. Instead, GTM provides a user-friendly web interface that allows you to create, update, and deploy tags easily.
Key features:
- Tags: These are snippets of code provided by third-party services. They're added to GTM and collect and send data to those services. Examples include Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, or AdWords Conversion tags.
- Triggers: Triggers determine when and where tags should be fired on a website. They specify the conditions a tag activates, such as page views, clicks, form submissions, or specific URLs.
- Variables: Variables capture and store information that is shared between tags and triggers. They allow you to extract data from your website or app, such as page URLs, user interactions, or custom data layers.
How does it work?
Google Tag Manager works by injecting a single container snippet into the HTML code of your website or mobile app. This container snippet is a small JavaScript code that loads the GTM framework when a user loads a page or app.
Once the snippet is loaded, it retrieves the configuration information from the GTM server. This configuration includes the tags, triggers, and variables you set up in the GTM web interface.
When a user interacts with your website or app, triggers are evaluated based on predefined rules and conditions. If a trigger's requirements are met, it will fire and activate the associated tags.
By managing tags, triggers, and variables within the GTM web interface, you can easily make changes and updates without touching the underlying code of your website.
It provides a convenient and flexible way to deploy and manage various tracking and analytics tools without relying on developers for every modification.