How to Set up Your Google Tag Manager | Truelogic
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How to Set up Your Google Tag Manager

By now you’ve probably heard of Google Analytics, but have you heard of Google Tag Manager? An often forgotten cousin of Analytics, Google Tag Manager is an equally useful (and completely free) tool that most people fail to fully utilize. In a nutshell, GTM allows you to manage your tags (which are snippets of code or tracking pixels) on your website or app without having to modify the code.

There are three main components in Google Tag Manager:

  1. Tags: snippets of code or tracking pixels. Tags tell GTM what to do. Some examples of tags include Google Analytics Universal tracking code, Facebook pixels, and Hotjar code.
  2. Triggers: the signal which alerts GTM when or how to fire a tag you just set up.
  3. Variables: Any additional information you may need to feed GTM to make the tag and trigger work
Tags Triggers Variables

How to Install Google Tag Manager

  1. Create an account. Creating a new account on GTM also creates a new container by default, but you can add more containers within each account as you go along. We’ll discuss more about this further down.
  2. Install the container in your website or app.
    • To install it in your website, just follow the steps provided by GTM on how to add container snippets and remove any existing tags.
    • To install it in your app, use the Firebase SDK for Android of iOS.
  3. Add and publish your tags.

What is a container?

As the name implies, a container “holds” all of the tags for your website. When you first create an account with GTM, you’ll be given a container as well which you will need to add to your website or app.

Creating a new account and container

  1. In your Tag Manager account, click on Accounts > Create account.
  2. Enter the account name. Optional: indicate whether you’d like this information shared with Google and other users.
  3. Click Continue.
  4. Create a container name. Remember to make it as descriptive as possible so that you know exactly what it is when you see it. Then, select the type of content: Web, AMP, Android, or iOS. If you’re setting up a mobile container, remember to select whether you’re using the Firebase SDK or another form of SDK.
  5. Don’t forget to review the Terms of Service. Once you’re done and you agree with all of them, select the box beside it.

When your new container first loads, you will be prompted with the web container installation code snippet, or to get started with Tag Manager as part of the SDK for your chosen mobile platform. You can install your code snippets now, or click OK to clear this dialog. You can always set up your container first and install the container snippet or SDK later.

Installing your container

Now this can get a little tricky. If you haven’t had a lot of experience coding, you might need some assistance from your web developer with this one.

How to Install the Container

  1. Open Tag Manager and click “Workspace.”
  2. Near the top of the window, you’ll find your container ID. It will look something like “GTM-XXXXXX.”
  3. Click on your container ID to launch the Install Tag Manager box.
  4. Copy and paste the code into your website. Follow the prompts given to you by the Install Manager box, or install the corresponding mobile SDK.

How to Add, Update, and Publish Tags

With your container in place, you can now add new tags.

  1. Click on “Tags” in the navigation menu.
    • To add a tag: click “New.” Select the type of tag you want to add as well as the specific triggers for it.
    • To edit a tag: Click a tag in your list and make the necessary changes on the “Edit Tag” page. Some of the changes you can make, for instance, include updating the triggers for when the tag should fire.
    • To delete a tag: Click a tag in your list. On the “Edit Tag” page, click on the three dots (which means menu) in the upper right-hand side of your screen. Then, choose “Delete.”
  2. Head on to Preview Mode to make sure everything is working the way you want it to. On the web, you can use the debug option to check if the triggers are firing off when you browse the site.
  3. When everything is running smoothly, click “Submit” to publish your changes. Fill up the fields for Version Name and Version description, then click “Publish.”

Managing your Account

Your Google Tag Manager account contains a lot of sensitive information that you will want to keep private. Before you even set it up, you’ll need to think about who will be managing it in the long run, what roles each member of the team holds, etc.


Having a set strategy in place ensures that if someone leaves your company and their account credentials are cancelled, you will still have access to your Tag Manager account. This is why some companies have assigner administrator roles to multiple users. You can also think about creating a dedicated Google account just for your Google Tag Manager credentials.

How to Add Users to an Account

  1. Sign in to Google Tag Manager
  2. Click on Admin.
  3. Under the Account column, click User Management.
  4. Look for the Account permissions list, click +, then click “Add users.”
  5. Enter all the Google email address of every person you want to add. Set Account Permissions.
  6. Select the “Notify new users by email” if you want Google to alert them about the change.
  7. Select the permission you want.
  8. Optional: Set Container Permission for each container you would like the user to have access to.
  9. Click “Invite.” Google will then send each user an email about how to use the container.

HOW TO EDIT USERS

To modify the permissions:

  1. Sign in to Google Tag Manager
  2. Click on Admin.
  3. Under the Account column, click User Management.
  4. Using the search box, find the name of the user whose permission you want to modify.
  5. Select the user name, then modify accordingly.
  6. If you want to modify individual container permissions, click on the pencil and select the desired options. Click “Save.”
  7. If you want to delete a user from a container, click “Remove.”

Click “Save.”

How to Integrate Google Analytics with Google Tag Manager

Google is an ingenious creator and have devised the Tag Manager and Analytics in such a way that they complement each other. To reap the most out of their benefits, its best to use both at the same time. Here’s how to set up your Google Analytics tag in GTM.

  1. You can start either from the Workspace Overview screen then click “New Tag,” or from anywhere in your container > Tags > New. This will cause a new tag definition screen to automatically pop up.
  2. Click “Tag Configuration” and select “Universal Analytics.”
  3. Select the desired Track Type. (Helpful tip: Page View lets you measure which pages your visitors go to. Events measure interactions such as button clicks or filling up contact forms.)
  4. Select or create a new Google Analytics Settings Variable:
    • If you’re using an old one:
      1. Select the variable from the menu. The Google Analytics ID as well as all the other necessary settings from that variable will automatically be applied to your tag.
  • If you’re setting up a new Google Analytics Settings Variable:
      1. Select “New Variable”
      2. Under Variable Configuration, enter your Google Analytics ID.
      3. Cookie Domain: If you have no other GA tags encoded on your site through analytics.js or through GTM, set this value to “auto.” If you do, check that the value is consistent.
      4. Should you require additional and custom settings, you can do so under “More Settings.” Some things you can change include setting custom fields, custom dimensions, custom metrics, content groups, and more.
      5. Click “Save.”
      6. You will be asked to rename the variable. You can either use the default setting, but we suggest renaming it to something more descriptive so you know exactly what it is when you see it. Then click “Save” to complete the setup.

5. Click “Triggering” to select which particular trigger will make the tag fire. There are existing triggers you can choose from or you can opt to define your own by clicking the + icon.

Some of the many benefits of using Google Tag Manager include:

  • Faster implementation of tags
  • Improves site speed
  • Easy-to-use
  • Google Analytics integration
  • Tests tags before they go live

If you haven’t started using Google Tag Manager yet, you’re wasting valuable time. Google Tag Manager helps you determine exactly what your visitors like (or don’t like) about your website, how to increase traffic and leads, boost your website’s speed, and consolidates all your tags into one neat container. What are you waiting for, then?

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