There are a lot of challenges in the GTM preview interface - many have likely noticed areas that could be improved. Data can often be difficult to read, and navigating the GTM preview can become cumbersome in large containers with numerous active tags. That's where browser extensions help - they make data clearer and navigation easier.
That's why the Stape team made a simple Chrome extension to improve the GTM preview. The whole GTM team uses it, so we know it will help many people.
Stape GTM Helper is a free Chrome extension designed to improve the debugging experience in Google Tag Manager preview mode. The tool provides multiple features for both web and server GTM containers. With this extension, you can easily navigate fired tags, quickly identify failed ones, focus only on the tags you’re testing, and take advantage of other features, which we'll explore in detail below.
Stape GTM Helper will be helpful for anyone configuring data tracking using GTM. It can be used by data tracking specialists, data analysts, freelancers, or agencies that need a convenient tool to simplify the debugging process.
Stape GTM Helper has the following benefits:
If you have multiple entities in your container and would like to test some of them, you can filter out only the necessary ones for convenient debugging.
The feature is available for both web and server GTM containers and can be used in Preview mode.
This feature makes JSON incoming and outgoing requests in the sGTM preview easier to read. It's especially useful for webhooks and checking the data that tags send.
Here's an example of what you get without the extension:
And here's what you get with the extension:
This feature makes queried parameters in URL requests easier to read. It's most useful when viewing incoming and outgoing GA4 requests.
Here's an example of what you get without the extension:
And here's what you get with the Stape GTM Helper:
You can also view the Request URL data in JSON format and copy the data by clicking the corresponding buttons.
This feature adds color coding and the platform's logo for the most popular tags (Meta, GA4, Google Ads, Microsoft, etc.). It works on both web and server preview, making it easier to navigate through triggered tags when there are many in the container.
Here's an example of what you get without the extension:
And here's what you get with the extension:
It helps track tags in Failed status or requests with status 4xx or 5xx. It works in the server and the web preview.
Here's an example of what you get without the extension:
And here's what you get with the extension:
When debugging a Shopify setup, the GTM dataLayer is not visible on the checkout page because Shopify restricts access to the checkout environment. The checkout is isolated and does not allow unrestricted DOM manipulation or script injection, as on other Shopify pages.
But you can manually insert the GTM snippet on the checkout page to run preview mode for this part of your setup. It is easy to do with the Stape GTM Helper Chrome extension:
As a result, you can view in GTM Preview and Debug mode the events that took place on the checkout page:
If you want a quick review of your website’s tracking health and recommendations on how to improve it, use Scanner. It checks the website page you are reviewing and returns a report on how to improve both web and server-side tracking. The report is generated with Website Tracking Checker by Stape.
How to use Scanner inside GTM Helper:
You can view the previous reports in the Scan history section of the extension.
When using Google Consent Mode in a server preview, the consent status can only be checked by examining the parameters of the incoming request. This complicates debugging, particularly if you suspect that some tags aren’t firing correctly due to consent issues.
The free Stape GTM extension for Chrome addresses this by adding the four main consent statuses to the server preview. It works by checking the 'gcs' parameter in GA4 requests. The extension shows the consent type and its status (Granted or Denied).
Here's an example of what you get with the extension:
Enable Bulk select in the extension.
After activating the tool, click on any entity inside the container. Then hold Shift to select multiple entities at once. This lets you choose several GTM entities in one go, instead of clicking each checkbox manually.
The free Stape GTM Helper includes an Entities filter, a Request URL format, and a JSON format. The Entities filter allows you to filter certain tags for easier debugging. The URL format enhances the readability of queried parameters in URL requests, while the JSON formatter makes incoming and outgoing JSON requests easier to read. Combined with color-coded tag statuses and types, these features simplify debugging and improve the overall experience when working with sGTM.
Get the free Stape extension from the Chrome Web Store today to make your workflow more straightforward and more efficient. You don't even have to create a Stape account to use the Stape GTM Helper. We'd love to hear your ideas and challenges that the Stape extension can help solve. Feel free to share your suggestions on our Feature Request page.
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