How to implement Google Tag Manager on a Drupal site

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Implementing Google Tag Manager (GTM) on a Drupal site can be a bit complex, but it’s a powerful tool that allows you to manage your website’s tracking and analytics without requiring extensive coding knowledge. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through the step-by-step process of implementing GTM on your Drupal site.

Prerequisites

Before we begin, make sure you have:

  1. A Google Tag Manager account (create one if you don’t have one already)
  2. A Drupal 7 or 8 site
  3. Basic understanding of HTML and CSS
  4. Familiarity with your website’s structure and content

 1. Set up Google Tag Manager

  1. Log in to your Google Tag Manager account and create a new container. This will be the central hub for all your tags.
  2. Choose the “Web” option and enter your website’s domain name.
  3. Set up the container by following the instructions on the screen.

 2. Install the Google Tag Manager module for Drupal

  1. Download the Google Tag Manager module from the official Drupal.org repository or from the module’s GitHub repository.
  2. Install the module using the following steps:
    • Go to your Drupal site’s admin dashboard and navigate to Extensions > Modules.
    • Click “Install new module” and select the downloaded zip file.
    • Follow the installation prompts to complete the installation process.

3. Configure the Google Tag Manager module

  1. After installing the module, go to Configuration > Google Tag Manager.
  2. Enable the module by clicking on the “Enable” button.
  3. Enter your Google Tag Manager container ID in the “Container ID” field.
  4. Set up the tag manager URL by entering https://[your-site-domain]/gtm (replace [your-site-domain] with your actual domain name).

 4. Create a data layer

A data layer is a JavaScript object that contains information about your website, such as page views, clicks, and form submissions. You’ll need to create a data layer to pass data to GTM.

  1. Create a new file called dataLayer.js in your theme directory (e.g., sites/all/themes/your-theme/dataLayer.js).
  2. Add the code to the file:window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; Lwindow.dataLayer.push({ ‘event’: ‘pageview’,  ‘pagePath’: window.location.pathname,  ‘pageTitle’: document.title,});

This code creates a basic data layer with three properties: event, pagePath, and pageTitle.

 5. Configure tags in Google Tag Manager

  1. Log in to your Google Tag Manager account and navigate to your container.
  2. Click on “Triggers” and create a new trigger by clicking on “New” > “Trigger”.
  3. Select “Just Links” as the trigger type and set up the trigger to fire on click events.
  4. Create another trigger for form submissions by selecting “Form Submit” as the trigger type.
  5. Configure other triggers as needed (e.g., page views, scroll events).

6. Create a tag in Google manager

Tags are code snippets that execute on specific triggers. You’ll need to create tags for tracking events, such as page views, form submissions, and clicks.

  1. Click on “Tags” and create a new tag by clicking on “New” > “Tag”.
  2. Select “Universal Analytics” as the tag type and configure it to track page views.
  3. Create other tags for form submissions, clicks, and other events as needed.

 7. Deploy your container

Once you’ve set up your triggers and tags, it’s time to deploy your container.

  1. Click on “Publish” in the top-right corner of your Google Tag Manager account.
  2. Select “Deploy” to deploy your container to production.

 8. Verify tracking

Verify that your tags are firing correctly by checking your Google Analytics account.

  1. Log in to your Google Analytics account and navigate to Behavior > Events.
  2. Check for events triggered by your GTM container.

Troubleshooting tips

  1. Make sure you’ve entered the correct container ID in the Google Tag Manager module configuration.
  2. Check that your data layer is correctly configured and firing events.
  3. Verify that your triggers are set up correctly and firing on expected events.
  4. Check for JavaScript errors in your browser console.

Best practices

  1. Use a consistent naming convention for your triggers and tags.
  2. Organize your triggers and tags using folders and categories.
  3. Use conditionals to target specific pages or users with specific triggers.
  4. Monitor your tag performance using Google Tag Manager’s built-in reporting features.

By following these steps, you should be able to successfully implement Google Tag Manager on your Drupal site. Remember to regularly review and update your tags to ensure they remain accurate and effective in tracking user behavior on your website.

 

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