Setup Assistant: what it is, how to set up, and its benefits
Uliana Lesiv
AuthorIn this article, we'll explore Setup Assistant, a tool developed by Stape. You'll learn how it works, who can benefit from it, and the key advantages it provides.
What is the Setup Assistant?
The Setup Assistant is a tool developed by Stape that simplifies data tracking configuration. It generates pre-made Google Tag Manager (GTM) container templates based on the tech stack and platforms you select. Once generated, these templates can be automatically imported into your web and server GTM containers.
How it works
In short, the process is as follows:
- Complete a quick questionnaire: choose your CMS platform from the list and business type.
- Select the destinations you'd like to track.
- Add IDs and access tokens for the platforms you've chosen.
- Choose whether to import templates automatically or manually.
That's all it takes to start tracking right away!
Who can benefit from Setup Assistant by Stape?
The Setup Assistant is a valuable tool for anyone who wants to save time and get a customized template for their web and server GTM containers.
It is useful for marketers and business owners needing a data tracking configuration for a single website, as well as for agencies or freelancers aiming to optimize their workflow.
Whether your website is custom-built or created on a CMS platform, Setup Assistant has you covered.
Here's a list of supported CMS options:
- Shopify
- WordPress
- Magento 2
- BigCommerce
- Wix
- PrestaShop
- Salla
As for the most popular advertising platforms, our Setup Assistant supports:
- Google Analytics 4
- Google Ads
- Facebook (Meta)
- Microsoft Ads (Bing)
- LinkedIn
- Snapchat
- TikTok
- Pinterest
- Awin
- Reddit
- Klaviyo
Advantages of Setup Assistant
| Benefit | What do I get? |
| Fast launch | Skip hours of manual work — your GTM setup is ready in minutes so you can focus on growth instead of configuration. |
| Flexible tracking | Select the platforms and destinations you need and get custom GTM templates that match your business setup. |
| Expert-built configuration | Setup Assistant applies proven best practices from Stape experts. |
| User-friendly | Designed for marketers and business owners, no technical skills are required to get started. |
| Free of charge | Enjoy all these benefits at no additional cost. |
How to configure Setup Assistant
Where to find the Setup Assistant?
If you don’t have a sGTM container in your Stape account, you can create one with Setup Assistant.
To do it, go to the sGTM tab in your account → click “Create sGTM container” → select the option “With Setup Assistant”.
On the text screen, you need to specify the typical configurations related to sGTM container creation:
- Container name – give your container a name (for convenience, we recommend using the same name you gave to the server container in GTM).
- Container configuration – paste the Container Config data that you copied from the Install Google Tag Manager pop-up. If you didn’t create a container yet, Setup Assistant will walk you through the process, so at this point you can skip this field.
- Server location – for best performance, choose the server location that’s closest to where most of your clients are. See the list of available server locations here. Also, you can opt for the Global multi-zone server location option if you have traffic from different regions. It will automatically route incoming requests to the nearest available zone based on the user’s IP address.
Then click Create Container.
If you already have the sGTM container on Stape, click on the Setup Assistant icon next to your “Container settings”.
To find it, go to your Stape account → within the sGTM section, click on the required container → locate the Setup Assistant icon next to “Container settings”.
Step 1. Set up basics
1.1 Paste your domain in the format https://youdomain.com and click Scan domain.
On this step, the CMS platform and current tracking setup are detected.
If you skipped scanning, please expand the collapsed element below by clicking on it for further guidelines.
Skip scanning
Choose the type of your business:
- E-commerce – if you have an online store and sell physical or digital products.
- Lead generation & other – if you use the website to collect leads, bookings, or calls.
Click “Next”.
Follow the instructions starting from step 1.3 of this guide.
1.2 Choose your setup scenario.
At the moment, only the option “Start from scratch” is available. In future releases, we plan to add an option “Migrate existing setup”.
Click “Next”.
Step 2. Configure containers
2.1 Select the way you want to import templates into web and server GTM containers.
The Setup Assistant provides two options:
- Automatically (via Google auth) – choose this option to let the Setup Assistant import the required templates directly into your web and server GTM containers. This is the recommended option if you have access to the Google account with the necessary container permissions (Editor permission at least) and want to complete the setup faster.
- Manually – choose this option if you prefer to import the templates yourself or can’t use Google authentication. You’ll download the templates and import them into the corresponding GTM containers manually (we show how to do it below).
👉If you stick with Manual setup, go directly to step 2.4.
If you chose Automatic setup via Google auth, follow the next steps.
2.2 Select the account that has access to the GTM container you need to do tracking configurations for (you need to have at least Editor permission).
Provide all the permissions required for Setup Assistant to add the templates into GTM containers by clicking “Allow”.
2.3 Configure your web and server GTM setup.
Select creating a new web/server GTM container or use an existing one.
- New web/server GTM container – choose this option if you don’t have a web or server GTM container for this setup yet. The Setup Assistant will guide you through creating the required container.
- Existing container – choose this option if you already have a web and/or server GTM container you want to use for the setup. Select the container and workspace you want to configure from your existing GTM containers.
When clicking on the fields, you can see a detailed guide on how to find the required values on the right part of the screen.
2.4 If you use the website for lead generation, you will be asked to add some extra values. Please click on the collapsed element below to see the detailed instructions on how to get the data required for completing the setup on this step.
Lead generation fields
On this step with the lead generation website, you need to specify the thank-you URL (a place where the user lands after submitting an email, scheduling a meeting, or doing some other target action).
Note:
At least one field must be filled to proceed.
To find your thank-you page URL, do the following:
- Ask the lead generation specialist for the URLs where users land on a thank-you page after a form submission or call.
- Use the full URL format, e.g., https://yourdomain.com/thank-you-page.
Each URL becomes a trigger for your tags, letting you count leads from form submissions and scheduled calls.
🤔No thank-you page? Please ask your developers to create a separate thank-you page.
2.5 Select the platforms you need to configure server-side tracking for.
Based on the list of platforms you’ve selected, Setup Assistant will generate the templates (tags, triggers, variables, clients) to track the users’ interactions with the website.
2.6 Specify the IDs for the platforms you’ve selected.
These values are required for the Setup Assistant to connect your GTM tracking setup with third-party platforms and send data about user interactions to the correct destinations.
You can safely add these values through the Setup Assistant. Stape uses secure cloud infrastructure and security controls to protect customer data and restrict unauthorized access.
For more information about how Stape protects customer data, see the Stape GDPR Statement.
We have prepared detailed guides for you on how to find the values for each platform. They are also available within the Setup Assistant interface on the right part of the screen when you click on the field.
To see the guidelines within this documentation, click on the corresponding platform name below:
Awin
- Awin Merchant ID - to get the ID, log in to your Awin account → click on Account → Overview → below your account name, you will see the ID.
- Awin Commission Group Code - to get the Commission Group Code, you need to log into your Advertiser account → navigate to Commission → Commission Manager → Commission Groups tab of the Commission Manager → in the column Commission Group Code, you will find the codes for all of your groups.
- Awin API Key - follow this link → log in → click Show my API Token → copy OAuth2 Token.
Klaviyo
- To create the Klaviyo Private Key, click on the organization name in the bottom left corner → click Settings → API keys → click Create Private API Key → name the key → choose the scope: Read-only, Full, or Custom → click Create.
How to find Pixel ID?
- Log in to Reddit Ads Manager → open the menu in the top-left corner → select Events Manager → copy the Pixel ID shown at the top of the Events Overview page.
How to find CAPI Token?
- Log in to Reddit Ads Manager → Events Manager → select Conversions API in the left sidebar → click Generate Access Token → name your token, click Generate, and copy the code (Note: it will only be displayed once).
The configuration will slightly differ based on the type you’ve chosen (eCommerce or lead generation). Here, we show how to set up both.
How to find Insight Tag ID?
- Log in to LinkedIn Campaign Manager → go to Analyze → Signals Manager → Insight Tag → select I will use a tag manager to reveal and copy your numeric Partner ID / Insight Tag ID.
How to find API Token?
- Log in to LinkedIn Campaign Manager → go to Analyze → Signals Manager → Google Tag Manager → scroll and click Generate token.
How to find Conversion IDs?
- Log in to LinkedIn Campaign Manager → go to Measurement → Conversion tracking → click the specific conversion action name to locate and copy its numeric Conversion ID from conversion URL.
Here is an example of the fields configuration for the eCommerce type:
Here is an example of the fields configuration for lead generation type:
Snapchat
- Pixel ID - to get it, log in to Snapchat Business Manager → Assets → Pixels on the left-side menu → select the required pixel if you have several → copy Pixel ID.
- API token - to find Conversions API Tokens, go to Business Details → Conversions API Tokens. Here you will find all API tokens; you can copy the existing or create a new one.
Here is an example of Snapchat fields configuration:
Google Analytics 4
- Measurement ID - go to Data Streams → click on the Data Stream → copy Measurement ID.
TikTok
How to find Pixel ID?
- Log in to TikTok Ads Manager → go to top menu → Tools → Events Manager → select Data sources and copy the alphanumeric Pixel ID listed under your pixel name.
How to find eAPI Token?
- Log in to TikTok Ads Manager → go to top menu → Tools → Events Manager → select Data sources → click on Pixel ID → go to Settings tab → click Generate token → copy the value
Here is an example of the fields used to configure TikTok server-side tracking:
Facebook (Meta)
- Pixel ID - it can be found in your Meta Events Manager → Data Sources menu → see the string next to the Pixel’s name.
- CAPI Token - to get the value, choose the Pixel → Settings tab → find the Conversions API section → click on the Generate access token. For more details, check Meta’s documentation.
Google Ads & Remarketing
The configuration will differ based on the type you’ve chosen (eCommerce or lead generation). In this section, we show how to set up both, and we will start with the eCommerce fields.
How to find the conversion ID?
- Sign in to your Google Ads Account → click on Goals in the left sidebar, then select Conversions → Summary → click on the name of any conversion action (Conversion ID is unique per Google Ads account) → expand the Data sources by clicking Manage at the bottom and choose Use Google Tag Manager → copy your Conversion ID (a series of numbers, sometimes preceded by AW-).
How to find the conversion label?
- Sign in to your Google Ads Account → click on Goals in the left sidebar, then select Conversions → Summary → click on the name of conversion action you need to track → expand the Data sources by clicking Manage at the bottom and choose Use Google Tag Manager → copy your Conversion label.
Here is an example of Google Ads fields configuration for the eCommerce type:
Here is an example of Google Ads fields configuration for lead generation type:
Microsoft Ads (Bing)
The configuration will slightly differ based on the type you’ve chosen (eCommerce or lead generation). Here, we show how to set up both. We will start with the eCommerce fields.
- Microsoft UET Tag ID - the value can be found in the Microsoft Ads account → Conversions → UET tag → Tag ID.
- Purchase conversion action, Begin Checkout conversion action, AddToCart conversion action - these fields are required for the eCommerce type. Specify the conversion action you’ve chosen when creating the conversion.
Here is an example of Microsoft fields configuration for the eCommerce type:
- Contact, lead & schedule conversion action - the fields for lead generation type. Specify the conversion action you’ve chosen when creating the conversion.
Here is an example of Microsoft fields configuration for lead generation type:
- Tag ID - to find the value, log in to your Pinterest Ads Manager → click on Conversions from the Manage Business section in the menu → on the left side menu, click on Pinterest tag → click on Tag Manager → copy ID.
- Advertiser ID - to find this ID, log in to your Pinterest Ads Manager → click on Business manager from the Manage Business section in the menu → on the left side menu, click on Assets → click on Ad account → copy ID.
- API Token - to find the value, log in to your Pinterest Ads Manager → click on Conversions from the Manage Business section in the menu → on the left side menu, click on Conversions API → click on Set up API → Generate new token.
Here is an example of Pinterest fields configuration:
Once the values are added, click “Next”.
Step 3. Verify subdomain
3.1 Choose your tagging server URL.
The tagging server URL (tracking subdomain) is used to improve data reliability and reduce the impact of ad blockers and browser restrictions on your data. You have two options:
- Tracking subdomain – choose a tracking subdomain managed through Stape. You can select an existing subdomain or create a new one. That’s an easier option to configure. If you already have a custom subdomain on Stape, no further actions are required. If you need a new one, we’ll guide you through the process in the next steps.
- Custom URL – enable the toggle and specify your own tagging server URL you already have or plan to set up for this configuration. That’s a more complex option, since it requires manual configuration of such a custom URL on your end.
3.2 Specify whether you have a consent banner.
You must have one if you target users in European countries under GDPR, or some other regions or states that have data regulations implemented.
Note:
Stape will add a Consent Listener tag to your container; it’ll listen to the consent status and push a custom event “stape_consent_update”, so no need from your end to do any extra configuration. Everything that’s required is having a properly configured cookie banner and enabled Consent Mode v2.
👉If you go with automatic setup, proceed with step 3.4.
👉If you opted for manual setup earlier, follow step 3.3; otherwise, skip it.
3.3 With the manual setup option, you’ll see the screen with a ready-to-download template for web and server GTM containers.
Click “Download .zip”.
And import the templates manually into the containers you need:
- Unzip the file you’ve downloaded.
- Go to tagmanager.google.com and open your container (web or server).
- Navigate to the Admin tab at the top of the page.
- Under the Container column, click Import Container.
- Choose the downloaded JSON file, select your workspace, and click Confirm.
3.4 If you opt for creating a new custom domain in the previous steps, link the domain by adding a DNS record to your hosting provider. The steps may differ due to the specific interface and flow of each provider, but basically you need to copy and paste the values we’ve generated for your custom domain.
We have detailed guides on how to add the DNS records for the most popular platforms. Follow the guides below:
Once done, click “Verify”.
Note that verification usually takes 30 min - 24 h in rare cases.
Step 4. Connect platform
4.1 Based on the CMS platform you use for your website, Setup Assistant will suggest the app. The app configuration allows you to add the server container and set up the data layer on the website.
To proceed with app configuration, click “Next”.
4.2 On the next screen, you will be provided with the values that need to be added to your app to complete app configuration.
Follow the instructions below to configure the app based on the platform you use:
If your platform is not on the list, click on the collapse element for guidelines.
- Add the code from Stape Assistant UI to every page of your website. If you already have a web GTM code installed, replace it with this one.
For detailed installation instructions, refer to your GTM code installer’s official documentation.
- Be sure to insert the first code as close to the top of the <head> section as possible.
- Paste the second code immediately after the opening <body> tag.
After you do it, verify that everything works:
- Open any page on your website.
- Right-click → Inspect → open the Network tab.
- Filter requests by your custom subdomain or same-origin path.
- Look for the GTM request URL - it should return a 200 OK status code.
4.3 Once the Setup Assistant has done its part, you will see the success screen.
At this point, you need to go to your web and server GTM containers, debug the setup, and publish the changes if everything works properly.
Note:
If you missed some steps during the configuration (such as verifying the custom subdomain, adding IDs for the platforms you need server-side tracking for, or skipping app configuration), your final screen will differ. Before testing the configuration, please complete skipped steps.
How to test and publish the setup configured with Setup Assistant
Step 1. Run debug for both containers (web and server)
Go to Google Tag Manager and open the web and server containers you configured with the Setup Assistant.
In the web container, click Preview in the top-right corner to open the GTM preview and debugging interface. Repeat the same process for your server container. Keep both preview windows available so you can check how events are sent from the web container and processed by the server container.
Step 2. Trigger events and check the Debug windows
Open your website and perform the actions that should trigger your tracking events, such as viewing a page, submitting a form, or completing a purchase.
Check the Debug window for both containers:
- Verify that the expected events appear.
- Check that the relevant tags are triggered.
- Review the tag details to make sure the requests are sent to the expected platforms.
- Check for errors or tags that failed to fire.
If a tag doesn't fire as expected, review its trigger conditions and configuration before publishing the container.
For more details on debugging and monitoring your server-side tracking setup, refer to our guide.
⚠️Prevent over-reporting from other integrations
Check whether you have any additional plugins or integrations that also send events to the same platforms that are currently configured in GTM. Sending duplicate events can lead to over-reporting. For example, Shopify has Google and Meta apps that may have active integrations for sending events. If any such integrations exist, disable this functionality in the apps.
Similarly, consider what you may already have in your GTM containers or site codebase, and ensure there are no conflicts or double-firing tags.
Step 3. Submit your changes
Once you've verified that the setup works correctly, return to each GTM container and click Submit in the top-right corner.
You need to submit the changes for both the web and server containers.
Step 4. Publish the changes
Enter a descriptive Version name to help you identify the changes later.
Click Publish to make the changes live.
After publishing, you can use your website and the connected platforms' debugging or testing tools to verify that data is being received as expected.
FAQ
Can I use the Setup Assistant for free?
Yes, the Setup Assistant is available to all Stape users starting from our Free plan and above.
How can I configure a same-origin custom domain for my server container using the Setup Assistant?
To set up a same-origin server-side configuration, you should use the full Same Origin Path as the Server Container URL in the Setup Assistant. For example, you would enter https://www.yourdomain.com/sgtm/ as the URL.
You can find more information on the use of the same origin approach in our Helpdesk.
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask them in our Stape Community.
To sum up
Setup Assistant is an excellent choice for anyone looking to simplify their tracking setup. It saves you time and effort by offering pre-configured templates tailored to your platform and business needs. With a user-friendly interface and expert-built configurations, you can set up your tracking in minutes without the need for technical skills.
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