Tag status “still running” in GTM: the reasons and solutions

Dealing with the "Still running" status in your Google Tag Manager tags can be frustrating. This issue pops up for many users, and we're here to help you understand why it happens and how to fix it.

In this article, we'll provide easy-to-follow solutions to get your tags working smoothly again. Let's get started and tackle this issue together!

“Still running” status can be set if the tag is downloading its script or waiting for a response from the server. It could be a temporary preview error.

Just wait for a few minutes. The status might resolve on its own as the script completes downloading or the server responds. If the issue persists, consider the following actions:

• ensure your internet connection is stable.
• check the console for any errors or warnings that might indicate what's causing the delay.
• verify that the server is up and running.
• clear browser cache, reopen preview and try again

Recent changes in privacy regulations have made it mandatory for websites to obtain user consent for using cookies and tracking scripts related to advertising or analytics. To assist website owners in complying with these requirements, Google introduced Consent Mode. Implementing this can be challenging for many, which may lead to issues with the tag status.

- Review your configuration

Ensure that the Consent Mode tag is correctly set up according to Google's guidelines. This includes the correct placement of the tag and proper configuration of consent settings. We have detailed blog posts on:

• Google Consent Mode V2
• Consent mode in server Google Tag Manager
• Consent Settings for server GTM tags
• Server-side consent management with sGTM and Cookiebot

- Use the preview and debug mode

Confirm that consent status is correctly being reflected and that tags are firing as expected based on the user's consent. In our blog you can find step-by-step instructions to debugging and monitoring server-side tracking configuration.

Content security policy (CSP) is a security feature that helps prevent various types of attacks by restricting the sources from which certain types of content can be loaded. If the CSP is not configured to allow the necessary scripts, the tag code will be blocked, leading to tracking and data collection issues.

Modify the CSP settings to allow the domains from which the blocked scripts are being loaded. For example, if Google Tag Manager scripts are being blocked, you might need to add https://www.googletagmanager.com to the script-src directive.

There might be more reasons why your tag status shows "still running." Don't hesitate to let us know in the comments if you're experiencing issues beyond what we've covered. It's important to address these problems promptly to ensure the tag won't eventually show a "failed" status.

In this article, we have described three top reasons for the "still running" status, and by addressing these issues, you can improve the functionality of your tags and ensure accurate data collection.