October 8, 2016

Ultimate list of 90+ Google Tag Manager Resources

Lately, I was checking my Evernote account and remembered I had bookmarked a lot of various Google Tag Manager resources – including my favorite blog posts, people to follow, recipes, etc. That folder is constantly updated and becomes really useful when I forget how something should be implemented. Today I am sharing that entire folder with you (+ a few additional updates). These resources (and people behind them) helped me a lot with their awesome content. Learning Google Tag Manager today is much easier for a non-developer (like me), compared to 2013 (Current UI is better than v1; in 2013 there was too little information/tutorials). Currently, there are tons of Google Tag Manager resources that beginners can use to achieve their success. And that amount is growing exponentially (which is awesome)!

So I compiled everything that was useful for me, categorized and sorted those resources. This blog post is designed for beginners (with a few advanced tips and resources). I hope you’ll find this useful!

By the way, if you know any other useful Google Tag Manager resources which are not mentioned here, post a comment or contact me in any other way (find out more at the end of this post).

What is Google Tag Manager and why should you use?

Let’s start at the very beginning. If you don’t know what GTM is and whether you need it (the default answer is of course, you do!), check out the links below.

#1. 11 reasons to start using Google Tag Manager
#2. Google Tag Manager tutorial for beginners (+ Free Ebook)
#3. Google Support – Google Tag Manager by Google

Are you now convinced that GTM should be included in your stack of Digital Analytics tools? I bet you are. Let’s continue.

Enroll in Google Tag Manager Fundamentals course

Main concepts, naming conventions, installing Google Tag Manager

Disclaimer – on September 28, 2016, Google announced that official recommendation for placement of Google Tag Manager’s Container snippet has changed. Previously it was recommended (by Google) to place the entire code right after the <body> tag. Now that opinion has shifted: a part of the code should be placed in <head> and the noscript part should be placed in <body>. The following two blog posts discuss the impact of placing the code in <head>. Nonetheless, if you inject the code right after <body> tag, Google Tag Manager will still work.

#5. How To Install Google Tag Manager by Analytics Mania
#6. Google Tag Manager Structure by Aukera
#7. Naming conventions and setup tips by Google
#8. Google Tag Manager Naming Strategies to Organize Your Container by Lunametrics
#9. Google Tag Manager Best Practices by Analytics Mania
#10. Tag Manager Workspaces by Simo Ahava
#11. Google Tag Manager Updates: Workspaces and User Interface by Lunametrics

Tags, Triggers and Variables

#12. Tags, Triggers, Variables by Google

VARIABLES
#13. Use constant string user-defined variables by Google
#14. Variables by Google
#15. Variable Guide For Google Tag Manager by Simo Ahava
#16. Custom JavaScript Variable within Google Tag Manager (ClientID, Document Title etc) by Measureschool
#17. 7 Must-Have Google Tag Manager Custom Variables by Analytics Mania
#18. Google Tag Manager Custom JavaScript Variable examples by Aleksandrs Pasters

TRIGGERS
#19. Beginner’s guide to Triggers by Lunametrics
#20. Trigger guide for Google Tag Manager by Simo Ahava
#21. Triggers to Test Using Google Tag Manager by Clix

TAGS
#22. Tag Setup Guides by Google
#23. Custom tagsTags, Triggers, Variables by Google

Measurement plan, tag plan

#24. Measurement plan by Fresh egg
#25. Tag template + VIDEO by Measureschool

Do you want to test your current Google Tag Manager knowledge (+ learn a bit more with practical tasks)? Then check out #26. Google Tag Manager Fundamentals course.

Thriving for more knowledge? Continue reading.

Data Layer

#27. What is dataLayer in Google Tag Manager? by Analytics Mania.
#28. Google Tag Manager Data Layer explained like never before by Optimize Smart
#29. Instantiating & Using The Google Tag Manager dataLayer – Data Layer Best Practices by Lunametrics
#30. The Data Layer by Lunametrics
#31. 3 Ways To Pull Data from Data Layer with Google Tag Manager by Analytics Mania
#32. The Google Tag Manager dataLayer explained by Cardinal Path

Google Tag manager + Google Analytics

#33. What Is Google Tag Manager? (And How Does It Work With Google Analytics?) by Lunametrics
#34. Google Analytics vs Google Tag Manager: What’s the Difference? by Analytics Mania
#35. Safely Migrating To Google Tag Manager by Lunametrics
#36. Cross Domain Tracking with Google Tag Manager by Lunametrics
#37. Enhanced Link Attribution using Google Analytics & GTM by Rick R Duncan
#38. Advanced – Google Tag Manager event tracking using data attribute elements by David Vallejo
#39. Advanced – Setting Google Analytics Fields In GTM by Simo Ahava

Google Tag Manager + Google Adwords

#40. Setting Up Conversion Tracking in AdWords by Megalytic
#41. Install Adwords Remarketing Tag by Webanalytics
#42. Advanced – Setting up Dynamic Remarketing via Google Tag Manager by Optimize Smart
#43. AdWords Call Conversion Tracking with Google Tag Manager by Lunametrics

Google Tag Manager plays well with others too

#44. Inspectlet + Google Tag Manager: Complete Guide by me
#45. Mixpanel + Google Tag Manager by Measureschool
#46. Complete Guide: Google Tag Manager + Facebook by Analytics Mania
#47. Supported Tag Templates by Google. The list of supported tag templates is constantly growing, so if you represent a vendor and want to be included among other default tag templates, fill in this Tag Vendor Interest form.

Still hungry for more Google Tag Manager Resources? If yes, continue reading. If no – I suggest bookmarking this list for the future.

Click Tracking – Default auto-event listeners

#48. Tracking links by Cucumber
#49. Track buttons with Google Tag Manager v2.0 by Konygin
#50. Matches CSS selector Operator in Triggers by Simo Ahava

REGULAR EXPRESSIONS
In my opinion, basic knowledge of Regular Expressions (Regex or Regexp) is a must-have skill when working with Google Tag Manager (i.e. setting up triggers) or Google Analytics (i.e. settings up custom filters). Make sure you check out the next 4 resources.

#51. Beginner’s Guide to Regular Expression (Regex) by Hongkiat
#52. RegEx guide for Google Analytics and Tag Manager by Aleksandrs Pasters
#53. An Introduction to regular expressions, and the ABCs. It’s an interactive guide with practical tasks.
#54. Regular expressions 101. I use this web-based app to test and validate my regular expressions. Extremely useful.
#55. Regular Expressions Guide for SEO, Google Analytics & Google Tag Manager by Optimize Smart.

Form Tracking – Default Auto-event Listeners

#56. Track Form Engagement With Google Tag Manager by Simo Ahava
#57. Form Field Tracking with Google Tag Manager and an Auto Event Trigger by Measureschool

History, Errors, Timer – Default Auto-event Listeners

#58. Track URL Fragments As Pageviews by Simo Ahava
#59. Tracking single page web apps with Google Tag Manager and Analytics by PMG
#60. Track JavaScript Errors As Events by Simo Ahava
#61. How to Use Timer Triggers in Google Tag Manager [V2] by ClickInsight
#62. The Timer Trigger by Analytics Mania
#63. Adjusting Bounce Rate via Google Tag Manager by Optimize Smart

Custom Auto-event Listeners (Twitter, AJAX, etc.)

#64. Google Tag Manager: Track Social Interactions by Simo Ahava
#65. Google Tag Manager Form Tracking: 5 Ways To Reach Your Goal by Analytics Mania
#66. Youtube video tracking with Google Tag Manager (v2) and Universal Analytics: a step-by-step guide by Cardinal Path
#67. YouTube Tracking In Google Analytics & Google Tag Manager by Lunametrics
#68. Solved: Youtube tracking isn’t working with Google Tag Manager by me. I faced a problem when Cardinal Path’s or Lunametrics’ Youtube tracking solutions didn’t work for me. This blog post describes an alternative solution which might help you.
#69. Tracking Scroll Depth with Google Tag Manager by Advanced Web Ranking
#70. Hover Tracking in Google Tag Manager by Lunametrics
#71. Free AJAX Event Listener for Google Tag Manager by Lunametrics
#72. Vimeo tracking with Google Tag Manager by Cardinal Path

P.S. You can find more Custom Auto-Event Listener in the library of 30+ Free GTM Recipes.

Versions, Deployment, Testing, QA

#73. How to Publish a Single Tag (and not others) in Google Tag Manager by Lunametrics
#74. Better QA With Google Tag Manager Environments by Simo Ahava
#75. Deploying Google Tag Manager on Multiple Website Environments by Lunametrics
#76. Process Control: Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager in Development and Live Environments by E-nor

Tools

#77. 12 Google Tag Manager Extensions for Google Chrome by Analytics Mania
#78. Google Tag Manager Injector: Painless Tagging Chris Berger
#79. GTM DataLayer Sifter: Find The Data You Want Easily by Grue and Bleen
#80. Facebook Pixel Helper reviewed by AdEspresso
#81. A Guide to Google Tag Manager Preview and Debug Mode by Analytics Mania

Google Tag Manager + SEO

#82. Verify your site in Search Console (ex. Webmaster Tools) by Google
#83. Using Google Tag Manager to Dynamically Generate Schema/JSON-LD Tags by Moz
#84. Dynamically Added Meta Data Indexed By Google Crawlers by Simo Ahava
#85. 404 Error Tracking with Google Tag Manager and Google Analytics by Measureschool

Recipes

#86. The Ultimate Library of 30+ Google Tag Manager Recipes (ready-made containers with tags and triggers). Just download them and import to your container.

If you know any other collections of GTM recipes, hit me up! I’ll add it here.

Communities

Join these communities if you want to be the first to hear the GTM news, solve your problems or get some new ideas.
#87. GTM Google+ community
#88. Official Google Tag Manager Forum
#89. Google Tag Manager Community on Facebook (Recommended)
#90. Stack Overflow – Google Tag Manager

People and Blogs to follow

Pro tip: I prefer getting updates/new blog posts straight to my email inbox. Unfortunately not all GTM influencers send newsletters. My solution to that is using Blogtrottr – a free service which regularly checks RSS feeds and sends me an email when a new post is published. I do this with Simo Ahava’s or Krista Seiden’s blogs, for instance.

#91. Simo’s blog post 10 Blogs, 10 Articles, 10 People To Follow is a good place to start looking for GTM/Digital Analytics influencers to follow.
#92. Analytics Mania #shamelessplug
#92.5 Check out any other author whose post(s) are mentioned in this list and you will find what you need.

Complete Guides

#93. Beginner’s guide to Google Tag Manager
#94. Complete guide to Google Tag Manager by iPullRank
#95. “Advanced – “Generic” GTM Developer Guide by Phil Pearce

I wasn’t sure where to put this, so I’ll just leave it here – #96. Google Tag Manager Readiness Checklist: 42 Ways to Prep Your Site by Lunametrics.

Bonus

In case you did not know, there is a neat Google Tag Manager content stream down at Digital Marketing Base. It contains cherry-picked guides/content related to various topics (e.g. Google Analytics, Data Studio, etc.). The dedicated stream of GTM news/posts can be found here.

Do you know more Google Tag Manager Resources?

In case I missed something (which is very possible), let me know in the comments. If I find your suggestion interesting and useful, I’ll add it to this list (topics should not overlap with my current choices).

Ok, so what’s next?