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Google Tag Manager Announces New UI & API


October 15, 2014

One of my favorite Google products, Tag Manager, is getting an awesome facelift today. This is definitely the most significant update to the product since its launch two years ago. All of the same great features you’ve come to know and love are still there, but the User Interface is getting a major overhaul and, at long last, we’ll have programmatic access with an API!

A New Look and Better Usability

Google Tag Manager gets a New UI and an API

Avid users of Google Analytics will see some clear themes repeated in the new UI. Access to account information, container drafts, version, and admin have moved to a top navigation. If you manage multiple GTM accounts and containers, you’ll instantly see why this is such an improvement. I’m really excited by this revision because it allows me to do any configuration or management task fluidly, and with fewer clicks. When you initially land in your container, you are presented with a dashboard of current status including: recent changes (a must for active websites), container version information, and jump off points for editing.

Overall, the style of the tool has changed from long forms on a page to easy-to-use workflows made up of individual components. The experience is more like building blocks than an overwhelming web form.

Updated User Interface for GTM

 

Rules = Triggers and Macros = Variables

Probably one of the simplest, but most profound changes, is that Rules and Macros have been renamed. I like the new names because I think they communicate the function of these components more clearly.

Updated Naming for Rules, Macros and Tags 

But, more has changed than just the name. Triggers and Variables function a bit differently than rules and macros in some cool ways.

Rules changed to Triggers

Perhaps the most significant difference between rules and triggers is that a trigger can respond directly to any user interaction, like clicks or form submits, without a separate Event Listener tag. Rather than adding an event listener tag, then adding a rule to evaluate the dataLayer events generated by that tag, just add a trigger and, if needed, filter the trigger to the page or pages you want to measure.

Enhanced Built-In Variables for Easy Use

On the variables side, all of the same data points are available, but it’s easier to add variables. All of the built-in variables are grouped together and can be added with a simple checkbox. Of course, you can still add variables one at a time or (like me) add them dynamically from a popup window while you are creating a tag.

There is a lot to be excited about with the new UI, but the icing on the cake for me is access to container import / export tools.

Import/Export Container Options

In the admin section of your container you’ll find pages that allow you to download all of your configuration or to import configurations from another container. This makes it easy to test new configurations in a sandbox container and, when you are ready, upload your changes and merge them with your primary container for final testing and publishing.

Automate Everything

While I’m excited about how the new UI will improve the user experience in GTM, I’m even more excited by the announcement of the GTM API. A slick user experience is great, but it’s hard to beat an API that allows advanced access to report and configure a container. For active marketing departments who need robust analytics on new websites or microsites quickly, you can now create enterprise-class Google Analytics implementations with Google Tag Manager, literally, at the push of a button.

Google Tag Manager was already a powerful tool for measuring and optimizing your digital properties, but with the announcements today the barriers to awesome analytics have come down even further.

Check it out today at tagmanager.google.com.  And, if you need help with Google Tag Manager, we’re here for you!