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, the new Tag Manager was released in beta almost simultaneously with the announcement. Now, the testing phase is nearly complete, and Google will start the "forceful" migration of all Tag Manager accounts from the old (GTM V1) to the new (GTM V2) version starting in April 2015. Users logging into the Google Tag Manager after April 1 will only be able to access the revised version.

This means web analysts need to familiarize themselves with GTM V2 as the new version works slightly differently. Web analysts can't avoid making adjustments after the migration. The option to manually migrate accounts from GTM V1 to GTM V2 is not yet available. We suspect this will also be the case from April 1.

Insights into the New Interface

The first noticeable change is the redesign of the interface. Google integrated its Material Design into the Tag Manager. Many colors are integrated, automatically drawing attention to the central information. The overview of recent activities has also moved to the homepage. Users can now more quickly see which user made which change and when. The options to add a new tag and a note are now much more prominent.

For those accustomed to the old interface, it takes some time to get used to the new one. However, once you understand the system, the operation proves to be much more intuitive and straightforward.

How Tracking Works with the New Google Tag Manager

As part of the redesign, Google is also making name changes. The five elements account, container, tags, rules, and macros are retained but partially renamed: rules become triggers, and macros become variables.

A major advantage of the new version is the streamlining of workflow steps. Google Tag Manager version 2 is designed for optimal workflow. Users with little or no knowledge in the field of web analytics are guided step-by-step through the tag creation process. Also, unlike before, where two tags were needed (one for capturing the desired data from the website in the Tag Manager and the other for forwarding the data from the Tag Manager to Google Analytics), now only a single tag is needed that combines both steps. With the revision of the Tag Manager, Google also allows the use of 3rd-party cookies outside the Google universe.

As previously mentioned, the event tracking in its current form has been discontinued. The auto-event listener tags are 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 choose the desired event in the new Google Tag Manager, then select the trigger type, and in the third step, define the triggering rule. This may initially sound more complex, but it appears quite logical in application.

Creating a variable is also quite simple. On one hand, Google provides a large selection of thematically ordered variables. Choosing is as simple as checking a box. If this selection isn't enough and you need another 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 need not get used to anything new here.

To give a first conclusion: the new Google Tag Manager is enjoyable and speeds up the tag setup.

What Can We Do for You?

If you wish, we will accompany you through the entire web analysis process – from tracking concepts through the setup of individual tags to the design of reports. Are you already using Google Tag Manager and want to switch to the new version? Then don't hesitate to contact us.