Best Free Google Tag Manager Courses Online

Updated: December 2, 2023. 

Are you just starting with GTM and looking for ways to learn it with a free Google Tag Manager course? I used to be in your situation too – googling for a solution, searching for the best and most accurate tutorials/webinars/courses. Here are my several picks of free Google Tag Manager Courses Online that should help you break the ice.

When I started using Google Tag Manager in early 2013 I struggled with almost everything. There was from little to no information about how to get started and achieve something useful, in addition to that the user interface was clunky and difficult to understand. There were only a few actionable tutorials available for non-developers like me at that time, so all I managed to implement was only a basic Google Analytics Pageview tag. And that’s it.

I was really disappointed because I expected to manage marketing tags (e.g. Google Analytics code snippet) by myself, with no help from developers (as Google promised). But after hours of torture, all I understood was this: With Google Tag Manager you don’t need any help from a developer. You need to become one.

So I quit. I didn’t have time to understand all the technical aspects. And even if I did, there were no sufficient tutorials. A dead-end.

But everything changed in 2015 when the Google Tag Manager V2 was introduced. A totally redefined user interface, much clearer workflow, auto-event listeners, and most importantly, a rapidly growing number of Google Tag Manager online courses (both free and paid) and tutorials.

I gave Google Tag Manager a second chance (and had no regrets since then!)

So to help you better understand the essence of GTM and how to utilize its capabilities, I recommend checking out at least some of the following free Google Tag Manager courses.

Google Tag Manager Fundamentals

Created by: Julius Fedorovicius, Founder of Analytics Mania
Level of difficulty: Beginner, Entry level
Price: Free

Back in 2015, Google launched its own GTM Fundamentals course, however, for unknown reasons they shut it down in 2018 (probably it was considered as an outdated course). Time went by and no official substitute was offered. That’s where I chimed in and created a free Google Tag Manager Fundamentals course for the latest version of GTM.

In this course, you’ll learn the basics of Google Tag Manager, how to properly install it, how to set tags, triggers, variables, how to test and publish your changes. Also, you’ll get some tips on what topics should you learn next.

Even though Google’s Fundamentals course is now live back again, it is still the same outdated course from 2015, therefore, I’d recommend my Fundamentals course instead.

Here’s what’s inside the course:

• 90+ minutes of video material
• 30-question quiz at the end of the course
• Every lesson is enriched with related useful resources
• Course completion certificate

COURSE OVERVIEW:

• Module 1: Accounts, containers, installation. Lessons in this module:
  • Account structure + create your first container – Preview this lesson
  • An overview of the Google Tag Manager interface
  • Installing the container
  • Temporarily inject GTM container into any website
• Module 2: Tags, triggers, variables. Lessons in this module:
  • What are tags, triggers, and variables?
  • Tags. Tracking page views with Google Analytics
  • Implementing custom scripts
  • Triggers. Event tracking with Google Analytics.
  • Variables
• Module 3. Lessons in this module:
  • Preview and debug mode
  • Tag assistant and other browser extensions
  • Publishing the container
• 30-question quiz + tips what to learn next

“Google Tag Manager for Beginners” Youtube tutorial

Created by: Julius Fedorovicius
Level of difficulty: Beginners
Price: Free

In addition to other GTM resources, I have also created a 1-hour Youtube tutorial. There will still be many things that you’ll need to learn even after you complete this video series, but you need to start somewhere, right?

OVERVIEW:

• Google Tag Manager basics
• How to install Google Tag Manager
• Tags, triggers, variables in Google Tag Manager
• How to test your setup with Google Tag Manager
• How to publish your changes with Google Tag Manager

What about A Premium in-depth Google Tag Manager Course for Beginners?

If you are still feeling lost even after watching these tutorials, you should consider taking a premium online course. Although they are not free, carefully crafted learning program should help you break the ice and find that “Aha!” moment.

In August 2018, I’ve launched my Google Tag Manager premium course which is designed for beginners and fresh intermediate GTM users. This course will teach you how to effectively manage your tracking codes and, most importantly, how to actually apply that new knowledge in practice/real-life projects.

Learn more about this Google Tag Manager course 

Conclusion

I know Google Tag Manager might look like a complex juggernaut that is impossible to comprehend. I’ve been there too. But it gets better with a bit of effort and at least a few easy-to-digest tutorials.

My personal recommendation would be starting with Google Tag Manager Fundamentals (No. 1 course in this blog post). It’s interactive.

I remember when I tried it for the first time. After a few hours, I found my “Aha!” moment and was mind-blown with a huge amount of new information, which was very structured and thorough. And that’s how I became a GTM addict.

Even if you feel confident with your GTM knowledge (as a beginner), I still recommend checking other tutorials in this blog post. Chances are you’ll learn something useful too.