How to install Google Tag Manager in Shopify? Beginner Guide

Doki Nguyen
Jun 14, 2024
3 min read

Google Tag Manager is a tag management tool that helps website owners manage and put many complicated tracking code tags easily on the website without having to ask the developer.

This article will show you how to install Google Tag Manager in Shopify. Why does every Shopify store need to use Google Tag Manager?

Google Tag Manager is a complicated tool for many first time users. However, it is worth the effort because of the following 3 important reasons.

  1. It will help you measure user engagement metrics (click, scroll depth,..) that don’t have in default in Shopify Analytics or Google Analytics. Most importantly, you don’t need to know anything about coding to use Google Tag Manager.
  1. It helps you speed up your site. If you need to use many 3rd party tracking apps like Hotjar, Crazy Egg, managing them only through GTM can save up a lot of website resources when a user is loading. Thus, it makes your site load faster.
  1. Despite Shopify’s Analytic support measuring conversion rate, add to cart, and many more helpful other metrics, it's not intuitive and flexible as using on Google Analytics dashboard.

How to install Google Tag Manager in Shopify?

Preparation

In order to install Google Tag Manager, your website first needs to have installed Google Analytics. If you don’t know how to do it, you can check it here.

Next step, you need to sign up your account with Google Tag Manager in here (incase you don’t have one)

Now, we will walk you through 2 methods for installing Google Tag Manager in Shopify.

Method 1: Add Google Tag Manager via theme code

Step 1: Get Google Tag Manager Snippet code in the admin dashboard.

Go to Admin > Install Google Tag Manager > Copy the code below.

Get Google Tag Manager Code in head

Step 2: In your Shopify Admin, go to Online Store > Themes. In your current themes, click on Actions > Edit code.

Step 3: Go to Layouts > theme.liquid. Then, copy the selected code near the top of <head> tag. Right after <meta> tag is optimal.

Add Google Tag Manager to head tag Shopify

Step 4: Copy the second code snippet in GTM:

Copy second snippet code GTM in body

Into this location - Right after <body> tag

Copy second code snippet into body tag

Hit “Save” and you're done. You have add Google Tag Manager in Shopify Store

Note:

- This method does not add GTM into your checkout page if you are Shopify Basic users

- If you are a Shopify Plus user, you need to redo all of these steps again to the file: checkout.liquid if you want to add GTM to checkout pages.

Read more:

Method 2: Add Google Tag Manager via Google Analytics setting

If you want to add GTM to the checkout page even if you are a Shopify Basic/ Advanced user, this is a method to go.

Step 1: Get Google Tag Manager Snippet code in the admin dashboard.

Go to Admin > Install Google Tag Manager > Copy the code below. (must exclude the <script> </script>

Get Google Tag Manager Code in head no script

Step 2: Go to Online Store > Preferences > In Google Analytics section, click Add Custom Javascript, then add the copied code in the field box.

Add Tag to exiting Google Analytics

Step 3: Go to Online Store > Themes > Actions > Edit Code > Layouts > theme.liquid

Copy the second code snippet in GTM:

Copy second snippet code GTM in body

Into this location - Right after <body> tag

Copy second code snippet into body tag

Hit “save” and you are done.

Verify after setting up

Despite which method you use, you need to verify the tag after setting up. You can easily do that by using Tag Assistant Legacy on Google Chrome.

Once you’ve installed that, open your website and click on the Tag Assistant Legacy icon then enable the tag

Enable Google Tag Assistant

Refresh the page and click on the extension again.

If you see a green tag for Google Tag Manager, then installation was successful.

Verify Google Tag Manager

Final word

Google Tag Manager is a must-have tool if you want to improve your Shopify Business overtime. We hope through this article, you have learned how to add Google Tag Manager on Shopify.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to us through the contact page.

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Doki Nguyen
Content Marketing Specialist
June 25, 2024
6 min read