Phase 2: GTM Setup (Weeks 2-3)

This section is where GTM gets configured. We'll keep it marketer-friendly—your dev/analytics team will handle the actual implementation.

6.1 Initialize EdgeTag

Your IT team creates the foundational tag that loads EdgeTag on every page.

What this does: Activates EdgeTag on your website so conversion tracking can begin.

Key thing to know: This tag must fire first, before any other EdgeTag tags. It's the foundation.

Estimated time: 30 minutes setup + 30 minutes testing

For Your Dev/Analytics Team

Here's what needs to happen:

1. Create a "EdgeTag - Init" tag in GTM
2. Configure it to fire on all pages
3. Set tag sequencing so it fires before all other EdgeTag tags
4. Add your EdgeTag endpoint URL
5. Test in GTM Preview mode

Your role as a marketer: Confirm the EdgeTag endpoint URL is correct. Ask your EdgeTag contact for your unique EdgeTag URL, then verify it in the init tag before testing starts.

6.2 Set Up Conversion Event Tracking

Using your conversion roadmap from Phase 1, create GTM tags for each event.

Purchase Event (Most Important)

This tag fires when a customer completes a purchase.

What it captures:

• Order ID
• Total revenue
• Products purchased (name, category, price)
• Currency
• Customer email

Why it matters: This is your primary optimization signal. Ad platforms use this to:

• Optimize campaign budgets to higher-converting audiences
• Calculate ROAS
• Build lookalike audiences from your best customers

For Your Dev/Analytics Team:

Create a "EdgeTag - Purchase" tag that pulls purchase data from your order confirmation page and sends it to EdgeTag. Test with a real test purchase or staging environment.

Add to Cart Event

Fires when a product is added to cart.

Why it matters: Early funnel signal. Helps platforms optimize before you have complete purchase data.

Product View Event

Fires when a user views a product page.

Why it matters: Intent signal. "This customer looked at our premium product" = good targeting audience.

Checkout Event

Fires when checkout process begins.

Why it matters: Measures abandonment, helps identify users likely to purchase soon.

Marketing insight: If checkout abandonment is high, you have a funnel leak. Use this data to test checkout changes like fewer form fields or stronger trust signals.

6.3 Set Up Customer Data Capture

Your team creates tags to send customer information to EdgeTag whenever someone signs up, logs in, or completes checkout.

What Your Team Will Set Up

Checkout Data Tag — Captures:

• Email
• Name
• Phone
• Address (city, state, country)

Fires when: User reaches checkout page

Why: Ad platforms match this data to their user databases. More accurate targeting = lower CAC.

Form/Signup Data Tag — Captures:

• Email
• Name
• Phone (if collected)

Fires when: Form is submitted

Why: Captures identified users earlier in the funnel. This improves audience matching before checkout.

Normalize before sending:

• Lowercase and trim email
• Format phone in E.164 when available
• Trim whitespace from names and standardize country and state values

How to validate:

1. Submit a real or test form in GTM Preview mode
2. Confirm the form tag fires and expected fields are present
3. Check Real Time Logger for the same user data
4. If needed, confirm the event reaches platform diagnostics or test views after processing