How do you set up Google Tag Manager?

‍Step1: Create an account

Go to tagmanager.google.com and log in with your Google account. Click on "Create Account" and follow the simple steps.

Step 2: Create a container

A container is like a digital environment in which all your tags are kept. Tags are rules that determine what actions are performed based on certain site interactions. After creating your account, click "Create a container. Give your container a name that makes sense, such as the name of your website.

Step 3: Add your container to your website

After you create the container, Google Tag Manager will give you a piece of code. Copy this and paste it into the header of your website. This will allow you to manage parts of your site through Google Tag Manager.

Step 4: Add your first tag

Click on "Tags" in your container and then click on "Add New. Select the type of tag configuration you want to add. If you want to add a Google Analytics event the moment a visitor presses a particular button, then choose a Google Analytics Event tag configuration. If you want to load an HTML script, then choose the HTML tag configuration. As the trigger within the tag, you then choose the interaction with the site on which you want to trigger that tag configuration. So for example, on a particular click, or when someone visits a particular page, or on every page.

Step 5: Publish your container

After you have added and configured all the tags, click "Submit. This is like saving your work. The changes don't become active on your site until you publish the container.

‍

If you have completed the above steps, you now have a Google Tag Manager container set up. Remember, though, that this guide is just the basics. Google Tag Manager offers numerous options to take your website tracking to the next level. For example, you also have the option of setting up server-side tagging via Google Tag Manager. Setting this up is much more complicated than what is explained here, though.

Server-side tagging offers more advanced capabilities, but it often requires more technical knowledge. If you'd like Google Tag Manager with server-side tagging configured for you, don't hesitate to get in touch. Our team of experts is ready to set up a server for you and fully configure your Google Tag Manager containers. This will allow you to start collecting accurate website data and make data-driven decisions again.

If you are not interested in server-side tagging but would like to learn more about Google Tag Manager, what the features are and how to set up tags and triggers, take a look at our help desk or read the following article about tags, triggers and variables within Google Tag Manager.