Setup Wizard: what it is, how to set up, and its benefits

In this article, we'll explore Setup Wizard, a tool developed by Stape. You'll learn how it works, who can benefit from it, and the key advantages it provides.

The Setup Wizard 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.

In short, the process is as follows:

1. 1.
   Complete a quick questionnaire: choose your CMS platform from the list and business type.
2. 2.
   Select the destinations you'd like to track.
3. 3.
   Add IDs and access tokens for the platforms you've chosen.
4. 4.
   Choose whether to import templates automatically or manually.

That's all it takes to start tracking right away!

The Setup Wizard 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 Wizard 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 Wizard supports:

• Google Analytics 4
• Google Ads
• Facebook (Meta)
• Microsoft Ads (Bing)
• LinkedIn
• Snapchat
• TikTok
• Pinterest
• Awin
• Reddit
• Klaviyo

If you don’t have a sGTM container in your Stape account, you can create one with Setup Wizard.

To do it, go to the sGTM tab in your account → click “Create sGTM container” → select the option “With Setup Wizard”.

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 – here you can connect to your GTM account, select your container, and the container will be connected automatically. Or you can copy the configuration in GTM and paste it manually. If you didn’t create a container yet, Setup Wizard 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 Wizard 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 Wizard icon next to “Container settings”.

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.

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”.

2.1 Select the way you want to import templates into web and server GTM containers.

The Setup Wizard provides two options:

• Automatically (via Google auth) – choose this option to let the Setup Wizard 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.

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.

2.5 Select the platforms you need to configure server-side tracking for.

Based on the list of platforms you’ve selected, Setup Wizard 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 Wizard 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 Wizard. 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.

Once the values are added, click “Next”.

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.

👉If you go with automatic setup, proceed with step 3.4.

4.1 Based on the CMS platform you use for your website, the Setup Wizard 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:

• How to set up WordPress plugin
• How to set up Shopify app
• How to set up Magento 2 extension
• How to set up BigCommerce app
• How to set up Wix app
• How to set up PrestaShop module
• How to set up Salla app
• How to set up Shopware extension
• How to set up Odoo CMS app
• How to set up a Drupal module

4.3 Once the Setup Wizard 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.

Go to Google Tag Manager and open the web and server containers you configured with the Setup Wizard.

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.

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.

⚠️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.

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.

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.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask them in our Stape Community.

Setup Wizard 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.