January 20265 min read

Tags

All tag types and configuration options in Google Tag Manager.

Tags Overview

Tags are the core output of GTM—they're the code snippets that send data to analytics platforms, advertising networks, and other third-party tools.

Tag Anatomy

code

Every tag has:
├── Tag Type (GA4, Google Ads, Custom HTML, etc.)
├── Configuration (what data to send)
├── Triggering (when to fire)
├── Exception Triggers (when NOT to fire)
├── Tag Sequencing (fire before/after other tags)
└── Firing Options (once per page, unlimited, etc.)

Tag Categories

| Category | Examples | |----------|----------| | Analytics | GA4, Adobe Analytics, Mixpanel | | Advertising | Google Ads, Meta Pixel, LinkedIn | | Remarketing | Google Ads Remarketing, Criteo | | Personalization | Optimizely, VWO, Google Optimize | | Utilities | Custom HTML, Custom Image |

GA4 Tags

GA4 Configuration Tag

The foundation tag—must fire on all pages:

code

Tag Type: Google Tag
Configuration:
├── Tag ID: G-XXXXXXXXXX (your Measurement ID)
├── Configuration Settings
│   ├── send_page_view: true (or false for SPAs)
│   ├── debug_mode: true (for testing)
│   └── user_properties: (optional)
└── Trigger: All Pages

GA4 Event Tag

For tracking specific actions:

code

Tag Type: Google Analytics: GA4 Event
Configuration:
├── Measurement ID: G-XXXXXXXXXX
├── Event Name: add_to_cart (use recommended names)
├── Event Parameters:
│   ├── items: {{DLV - ecommerce.items}}
│   ├── value: {{DLV - ecommerce.value}}
│   └── currency: USD
└── Trigger: Add to Cart Click

Recommended Event Names

| Event | Use Case | |-------|----------| | generate_lead | Form submissions | | sign_up | Account creation | | login | User authentication | | add_to_cart | E-commerce cart | | begin_checkout | Checkout start | | purchase | Transaction complete | | search | Site search | | view_item | Product page view |

Google Ads Tags

Conversion Tracking Tag

code

Tag Type: Google Ads Conversion Tracking
Configuration:
├── Conversion ID: AW-XXXXXXXXX
├── Conversion Label: AbCdEfGhIjKlMn
├── Conversion Value: {{DLV - transaction.value}}
├── Currency Code: USD
├── Order ID: {{DLV - transaction.id}}
└── Trigger: Purchase Confirmation Page

Remarketing Tag

code

Tag Type: Google Ads Remarketing
Configuration:
├── Conversion ID: AW-XXXXXXXXX
├── Custom Parameters:
│   ├── ecomm_prodid: {{Product ID}}
│   ├── ecomm_pagetype: {{Page Type}}
│   └── ecomm_totalvalue: {{Cart Value}}
└── Trigger: All Pages

Enhanced Conversions

code

For better conversion measurement:
├── Collect user-provided data (email, phone)
├── Hash automatically before sending
├── Improves cross-device attribution
├── Works with iOS privacy restrictions

Setup:
Tag → Conversion Tracking → Include user-provided data

Meta Pixel Tags

Base Pixel Code

code

Tag Type: Custom HTML
HTML:
<script>
  !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)
  {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?
  n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};
  if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';
  n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;
  t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];
  s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window, document,'script',
  'https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js');
  fbq('init', 'YOUR_PIXEL_ID');
  fbq('track', 'PageView');
</script>
Trigger: All Pages

Meta Event Tags

code

Tag Type: Custom HTML
For Lead event:
<script>
  fbq('track', 'Lead', {
    content_name: {{Form Name}},
    content_category: {{Page Category}}
  });
</script>
Trigger: Form Submission - Thank You

Standard Meta Events

| Event | Parameters | |-------|------------| | Lead | content_name, content_category | | CompleteRegistration | content_name, status | | AddToCart | content_ids, content_type, value, currency | | InitiateCheckout | content_ids, value, currency, num_items | | Purchase | content_ids, value, currency, content_type | | ViewContent | content_ids, content_type, value |

Custom HTML Tags

When to Use Custom HTML

code

Use Custom HTML for:
├── Third-party tools without GTM templates
├── Custom tracking code
├── A/B testing scripts
├── Chat widgets
├── Survey tools
├── Heatmap tools (Hotjar, Clarity)

Best Practices for Custom HTML

code

<!-- Always wrap in script tags -->
<script>
  // Your code here

  // Use try-catch to prevent errors breaking other tags
  try {
    // Custom tracking logic
  } catch(e) {
    console.error('GTM Custom Tag Error:', e);
  }
</script>

Document.write Warning

code

⚠️ Tags using document.write() require:
Tag → Advanced Settings →
  "Support document.write" = enabled

Note: Can impact page performance

Best Practices

Naming Conventions

code

Format: [Platform] - [Type] - [Description]

Examples:
├── GA4 - Config - All Pages
├── GA4 - Event - Purchase
├── GAds - Conversion - Lead Form
├── GAds - Remarketing - All Pages
├── Meta - Base Pixel
├── Meta - Event - Add to Cart
├── LinkedIn - Insight Tag

Tag Sequencing

code

For tags that depend on others:
Tag Settings → Tag Sequencing

Example:
GA4 Event → "Setup Tag: GA4 Config"
(Ensures config loads before events)

Firing Options

| Option | Use Case | |--------|----------| | Once per page | Config tags, base pixels | | Once per event | Most event tags | | Unlimited | Real-time tracking needs |

Common Mistakes to Avoid

code

❌ Firing tags on wrong pages
❌ Hardcoding values that should be variables
❌ Not testing in Preview mode
❌ Forgetting tag sequencing dependencies
❌ Using document.write without enabling support
❌ Not using try-catch in Custom HTML

Pro Tip: Use GTM's built-in tag templates whenever possible—they're more reliable and easier to configure than Custom HTML equivalents.

January 20265 min read

Tags

All tag types and configuration options in Google Tag Manager.

Tags Overview

Tags are the core output of GTM—they're the code snippets that send data to analytics platforms, advertising networks, and other third-party tools.

Tag Anatomy

code

Every tag has:
├── Tag Type (GA4, Google Ads, Custom HTML, etc.)
├── Configuration (what data to send)
├── Triggering (when to fire)
├── Exception Triggers (when NOT to fire)
├── Tag Sequencing (fire before/after other tags)
└── Firing Options (once per page, unlimited, etc.)

Tag Categories

GA4 Tags

GA4 Configuration Tag

The foundation tag—must fire on all pages:

code

Tag Type: Google Tag
Configuration:
├── Tag ID: G-XXXXXXXXXX (your Measurement ID)
├── Configuration Settings
│   ├── send_page_view: true (or false for SPAs)
│   ├── debug_mode: true (for testing)
│   └── user_properties: (optional)
└── Trigger: All Pages

GA4 Event Tag

For tracking specific actions:

code

Tag Type: Google Analytics: GA4 Event
Configuration:
├── Measurement ID: G-XXXXXXXXXX
├── Event Name: add_to_cart (use recommended names)
├── Event Parameters:
│   ├── items: {{DLV - ecommerce.items}}
│   ├── value: {{DLV - ecommerce.value}}
│   └── currency: USD
└── Trigger: Add to Cart Click

Recommended Event Names

Google Ads Tags

Conversion Tracking Tag

code

Tag Type: Google Ads Conversion Tracking
Configuration:
├── Conversion ID: AW-XXXXXXXXX
├── Conversion Label: AbCdEfGhIjKlMn
├── Conversion Value: {{DLV - transaction.value}}
├── Currency Code: USD
├── Order ID: {{DLV - transaction.id}}
└── Trigger: Purchase Confirmation Page

Remarketing Tag

code

Tag Type: Google Ads Remarketing
Configuration:
├── Conversion ID: AW-XXXXXXXXX
├── Custom Parameters:
│   ├── ecomm_prodid: {{Product ID}}
│   ├── ecomm_pagetype: {{Page Type}}
│   └── ecomm_totalvalue: {{Cart Value}}
└── Trigger: All Pages

Enhanced Conversions

code

For better conversion measurement:
├── Collect user-provided data (email, phone)
├── Hash automatically before sending
├── Improves cross-device attribution
├── Works with iOS privacy restrictions

Setup:
Tag → Conversion Tracking → Include user-provided data

Meta Pixel Tags

Base Pixel Code

code

Tag Type: Custom HTML
HTML:
<script>
  !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)
  {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?
  n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};
  if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';
  n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;
  t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];
  s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window, document,'script',
  'https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js');
  fbq('init', 'YOUR_PIXEL_ID');
  fbq('track', 'PageView');
</script>
Trigger: All Pages

Meta Event Tags

code

Tag Type: Custom HTML
For Lead event:
<script>
  fbq('track', 'Lead', {
    content_name: {{Form Name}},
    content_category: {{Page Category}}
  });
</script>
Trigger: Form Submission - Thank You

Standard Meta Events

Custom HTML Tags

When to Use Custom HTML

code

Use Custom HTML for:
├── Third-party tools without GTM templates
├── Custom tracking code
├── A/B testing scripts
├── Chat widgets
├── Survey tools
├── Heatmap tools (Hotjar, Clarity)

Best Practices for Custom HTML

code

<!-- Always wrap in script tags -->
<script>
  // Your code here

  // Use try-catch to prevent errors breaking other tags
  try {
    // Custom tracking logic
  } catch(e) {
    console.error('GTM Custom Tag Error:', e);
  }
</script>

Document.write Warning

code

⚠️ Tags using document.write() require:
Tag → Advanced Settings →
  "Support document.write" = enabled

Note: Can impact page performance

Best Practices

Naming Conventions

code

Format: [Platform] - [Type] - [Description]

Examples:
├── GA4 - Config - All Pages
├── GA4 - Event - Purchase
├── GAds - Conversion - Lead Form
├── GAds - Remarketing - All Pages
├── Meta - Base Pixel
├── Meta - Event - Add to Cart
├── LinkedIn - Insight Tag

Tag Sequencing

code

For tags that depend on others:
Tag Settings → Tag Sequencing

Example:
GA4 Event → "Setup Tag: GA4 Config"
(Ensures config loads before events)

Firing Options

| Option | Use Case | |--------|----------| | Once per page | Config tags, base pixels | | Once per event | Most event tags | | Unlimited | Real-time tracking needs |

Common Mistakes to Avoid

code

❌ Firing tags on wrong pages
❌ Hardcoding values that should be variables
❌ Not testing in Preview mode
❌ Forgetting tag sequencing dependencies
❌ Using document.write without enabling support
❌ Not using try-catch in Custom HTML

Pro Tip: Use GTM's built-in tag templates whenever possible—they're more reliable and easier to configure than Custom HTML equivalents.