Setting Up Data Layer and Sending Events to GTM with BigQuery

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In today's data-driven world, tracking user interactions is essential for optimizing digital experiences. By implementing data layer and integrating Google Tag Manager (GTM) with BigQuery, businesses can efficiently collect, structure, and analyze granular event data at scale, unlocking actionable insights for advanced analytics. This guide walks you through setting up a data layer, sending events to GTM, and syncing data with BigQuery.
The datalayer is a JavaScript object that stores and transfers information from your website to GTM. It acts as a central repository where you can push custom data based on user interactions. By defining a data layer, it becomes easier to manage and track events across your website, ensuring consistent data collection and accurate reporting.
A typical datalayer consists of key-value pairs like below:
window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; window.dataLayer.push({ event: 'pageView', eventType: 'buttonClick', eventLabel: 'Home Page', eventAction: 'pageLoad' });
In this example, when a user loads the home page, an event (pageView) will be pushed to the data layer.
To link these variables with GTM, you need to configure the corresponding data layer variables in GTM. Follow the steps below:
  1. Log in to your Google Tag Manager account and select the desired container.
  2. Navigate to Variables tab and click on New.
  3. Choose Variable Configuration and select Data Layer Variable.
  4. Enter the Variable Name as eventType.
  5. Click on Save to create the variable.
GM Custom Variable
Follow the same steps to create variables for eventLabel and eventAction.
Once the data layer variables are set up, you need to create trigger and tag in GTM to fire events based on user interactions. To create a trigger, follow these steps:
  1. Navigate to Triggers tab and click on New.
  2. Choose Trigger Configuration and select Custom Event.
  3. Enter the Event Name as pageView.
  4. Choose the triggers firing for All Custom Events.
  5. Click on Save to create the trigger.
GTM Trigger Configuration
To create a tag, follow the steps below:
  1. Navigate to Tags tab and click on New.
  2. Choose Tag Configuration and select Google Analytics: GA4 Event.
  3. Configure Measurement ID by selecting the appropriate Google Analytics property.
  4. Define Event Name as pageView. Ensure this matches the event name in trigger.
  5. Enter Event Parameters as below:
    • eventType: {{Event Type}}
    • eventLabel: {{Event Label}}
    • eventAction: {{Event Action}}
  6. Choose the Triggering option and select the trigger you created earlier.
  7. Enter the Tag Name as Page View.
  8. Click on Save to create the tag.
GTM Tag Configuration
With the data layer, variables, triggers, and tags configured in GTM, you can now start sending events to GTM. To ensure the setup is working correctly, use GTM Preview Mode to debug and validate the data layer events. Once the preview verification is successful, Submit and Publish the container to make the changes live on your website.
You will also be able to view the data layer events in the Google Analytics which you configured in the tag.

Sending Events to BigQuery

By integrating with BigQuery, you can leverage the power of Google's cloud-based data warehouse to store and analyze event data from your website. This integration enables you to sync GTM data with BigQuery in real-time, providing a scalable solution for advanced analytics and reporting.
To enable linking BigQuery, follow the steps below:
  1. Log in to your Google Analytics account and navigate to the desired property.
  2. Click on Admin and navigate to Property Settings > Product Links > BigQuery Links.
  3. Click on Link and select the BigQuery project you want to link with.
  4. Choose Event Data Export Type as either Daily to Streaming. Streaming option sends data to BigQuery in real time but requires a paid Google Analytics account.
  5. Review the details and click on Submit to link BigQuery with Google Analytics.
Once the setup is complete, you can start querying and analyzing the event data in BigQuery. By running SQL queries, you can generate custom reports, perform advanced analysis, and gain deeper insights into user behavior on your website.
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