Where Did the GA4 Configuration Tag Go?
The whole premise of Google Tag Manager is to make tracking easier for people with no technical background. The Google Tag is another leap towards making this process even more seamless.
Tracking Before the Google Tag
Before, we had to set up multiple configuration tags for each platform. For example, you would have two tags for configuring Google Analytics 4 (GA4), and another for Google Ads. Your GA4 measurement ID has an alias, G-XXX and Google Ads have an alias that starts with AW-XXX. You had to add each one of these IDs into their designated tags.
Tracking after the Google Tag
With Google Tag, you can manage all of your Google products with one tag.
This can be done by combining multiple Google products into one Google tag. This tag will configure tracking for all the platforms at once, using the same settings.
Destination and Destination ID
G-XXX) or a Google Ads account (AW-XXX). We can combine multiple destination IDs into one Google Tag. Alternatively, you can just keep both tags separate if you are not comfortable combining them.
What Is the Google Tag ID?
GT-XXX. This tag can send data to multiple destinations. By default, you will have a Google Tag per destination, but you can combine all your destination IDs into one Tag ID. Overview of Google Tag Template
If you don’t use Google Ads and are only interested in setting up one GA4 measurement ID, the tag configuration is pretty much the same.
While the configuration process is still relatively the same, the Google tag is definitely more versatile. Not only can you add multiple Google products, but let’s say you have multiple GA4 properties to track multiple domains. You can use the same Destination ID for all of them.
In the absence of Google Tag, you would’ve needed some workaround like a lookup table to avoid wasting time setting up a configuration tag for each property.
Using tag ID instead of destination ID
G-XXX), the Google Tag ID can help you save time by sending data to all associated products to your Google account. Think of it like this: you have multiple configuration tags that basically do the same thing. Why not combine them?
You can add a new destination via GTM, GA4, and even Google Ads interface.
Configuration settings
The configuration setting allows you to have the same parameter for all your Google Tags. Generic parameters like page category or language can be used in both Google Ads and Google Analytics 4 to provide more context on how users navigate on your website.
Configuration settings are for sharing settings across Google tags and shouldn’t be confused with event settings.
Tip: Before adding parameters of your own, refer to Google’s documentation on recommended parameters.
Event settings
The event settings, on the other hand, manage which parameters you want to share with events. This feature is mainly for GA4 properties.
Let’s say you have customers in multiple countries. Instead of recreating the parameter “country” each time you want to send an event to GA4, you can add it to the event settings, and all your GA4 event tags will have access to this parameter.
Tip: Google has a list of recommended shared events as well.
Combining Google Tags: Yes or NO?
Keeping tags separate may be the wiser thing to do. When combine your tags, they will share the same settings, and you may not want to send some stuff to Google Ads for instance.
What happens when you combine multiple Google tags?
Let’s say you are sending data to multiple Google Analytics 4 properties via Google Tag Manager. What will happen if you combine the measurement IDs into one tag? Is it even recommended?
When you combine multiple GA4 measurement IDs into one Destination ID, they will share the same settings. This is fine as long as you are not trying to do something different for test purposes in your second property.
Final Words
The Google Tag is yet another step for Google to make tracking easier and less time-consuming.
Undoubtably, the best thing about the new interface is the ability to share settings with your events. This removes the hassle of typing manually the events and risking making typing errors.
The question of combining your Google Tag or leaving them separate is not an easy one to answer. It is best to keep them separate if you are going to make changes later in one of the tags while keeping the other intact. Keep them separate for now, you can always combine them!
FAQs
What is the Google Tag?
A new tag template that allows you to combine multiple destination tags like GA4 and Google Ads into one tag. All Google tags start with the alias GT-XXX.
What are shared event settings?
Shared event settings can be used when you want to have the same variables, such as page_category and page_language, in your events. Instead of recreating these variables each time, you can set up a new event.
What are configuration settings?
Similar to event settings, configuration settings can be used to share variables like page_category across Google tags. For example, if you have a Google Tag that sends data to GA4 and another to Google Ads, you can share variables between these two.
Can i use one Google Tag for two GA4 properties?
Yes, you can, as long as you want the two properties to share the same settings.
