The New Google Tag Manager – What Changes with the Update

In the fall of last year, Google announced that the company was working on a new version of the Tag Manager. On October 15, 2014, almost simultaneously with the announcement, the new Tag Manager was released in its beta version. Now the testing phase is almost complete, and Google will start in April 2015 with the "mandatory" migration of all Tag Manager accounts from the old (GTM V1) to the new (GTM V2) version. Users who log into the Google Tag Manager from April 1 onward will only be able to access the revised version.

This means for web analysts to get familiar with GTM V2, as the new version works in a slightly different way. Web analysts, therefore, cannot avoid making adjustments after the migration. The function to migrate accounts from GTM V1 to GTM V2 manually is currently not available. We suspect this will also be the case starting April 1.

Insights into the New Interface

The first change that stands out is the redesign of the interface. Google has integrated its Material Design into the Tag Manager. Numerous colors are integrated and automatically direct attention to the key information. The overview of the most recent activities has also moved to the homepage. Users can now more quickly see what changes were made by which user and when. The functions to add a new tag and a note are also much more prominent now.

Those accustomed to the old interface will need some time to get comfortable with the new one. However, once you understand the system, the operation proves to be much more intuitive and simpler.

How Tracking Works with the New Google Tag Manager

In the course of the redesign, Google is also making some renaming initiatives. The five elements – account, container, tags, rules, and macros – are maintained, but some will be renamed: rules become triggers and macros become variables.

A major advantage of the new version is the compression of workflows. Google Tag Manager in version 2 is geared towards optimal workflow. Users with little or no knowledge in the field of web analytics are guided through the tag creation step by step. Moreover, it's no longer necessary to create two tags (one for capturing the desired data from the website into the Tag Manager and one for forwarding the data from the Tag Manager to Google Analytics), but now a single tag is created to encompass both steps. With the revision of the Tag Manager, Google also provides the opportunity to select 3rd-party cookies outside the Google universe.

As already mentioned, event tracking in its previous form has been abandoned. The auto-event listener tags have been completely removed. Instead, users can now choose from the following seven event types: page view, click, form, history change, custom, JavaScript error, and timer. To create a new trigger, you first select the desired event in the new Google Tag Manager, then choose the trigger type, and define the trigger rule in the third step. While it may initially seem more complex, it proves quite logical in application.

The creation of a variable is also remarkably simple. On the one hand, Google offers a wide selection of thematically organized variables. To select, it's as easy as checking a box. If this selection isn't sufficient and you need a different variable, it can be created with a few clicks. In GTM V2, the same custom variable types are available as in GTM V1: custom event, custom JavaScript, container version number, data layer variable, debug mode, DOM element, first-party cookie, https referrer URL, JavaScript variable, lookup table, URL, auto-event variable, and random number. Users will not need to adapt to anything new here.

To give a first conclusion: The new Google Tag Manager is enjoyable to use and accelerates tag setup.

What Can We Do for You?

If you wish, we can guide you through the entire web analysis process – from the tracking concept to setting up individual tags and designing reports. Are you already using the Google Tag Manager and want to switch to the new version? Then don't hesitate to contact us.