In this guide
- A configuration settings variable holds options for the Google tag. An event settings variable holds parameters for event tags.
- Define them once and reuse them, so changes happen in one place.
- Watch for precedence: a value set in a tag overrides the variable, and later settings override earlier ones.
Tag Manager lets you put settings for the Google tag and for event tags into variables. It is a small feature that pays off in larger containers: instead of ten tags with ten copies of the same parameter, one variable. This page explains what each type is for, how to use it and where mistakes happen. See the Google tag and GA4 event tracking.
The two types
| Variable | Holds | Used by |
|---|---|---|
| Google tag: Configuration settings | Options for the Google tag such as send page view, cookie domain, server container URL, user properties | The Google tag |
| Google tag: Event settings | Parameters to add to events, such as currency, content group, user type | Event tags and the Google tag |
3 things to remember
Scroll and the points stack up.
A configuration settings variable holds options for the Google tag. An event settings variable holds parameters for event tags.
Define them once and reuse them, so changes happen in one place.
Watch for precedence: a value set in a tag overrides the variable, and later settings override earlier ones.
When to use them
- A parameter should be on every event: use event settings.
- Several tags share the same cookie or server URL options: use configuration settings.
- You want to change a value once and have it apply everywhere.
How to set one up
Create the variable
Variables, New, choose Google tag: Event settings or Configuration settings.
Add rows
Parameter name and value, for example currency and a constant.
Use it in the Google tag or event tag
In the tag's settings field, select the variable.
Test in Preview
Check that parameters appear on the events.
Runs on your domain, anywhere
Your tracking runs on your own domain, so a visit from any country is handled the same way.
Precedence
When a parameter is set in several places, the most specific wins. A value set directly in an event tag overrides the same parameter from an event settings variable. Parameters in a configuration variable apply to events sent by that Google tag unless overridden. When something looks wrong, open the event in Preview and read the parameters it actually carried.
Useful settings
01Server container URL
Put it in a configuration variable so all Google tags send to your tagging server. See GA4 in a server container.
User properties
Static traits such as customer type, with no personal data.
Currency and content group
Parameters that every e-commerce event needs.
Debug mode
Controlled by a variable so you can switch it by environment.
Mistakes
Ask Ari instead of digging through reports
Ari reads your tracking and ad data and answers in plain words.
Frequently asked questions
What is an event settings variable?
A variable that holds parameters to add to Google tag events, reusable across tags.
What is a configuration settings variable?
A variable that holds options for the Google tag, such as cookie settings and the server container URL.
Which value wins if two are set?
The more specific one, usually the value in the event tag.
Can I put the server container URL in a variable?
Yes, in a configuration settings variable.
Should I use these in a small container?
They are most useful when several tags share settings.
Do I need spreadsheets to read my results?
No. Once tracking is live, the Open Tracked analytics shows spend, revenue, ROAS and profit, and you can ask Ari, the built-in AI assistant, questions about your own numbers in plain words. Ari's allowance depends on your analytics plan.
Is Open Tracked different from Open Track or Open Space Track?
No. Open Tracked is the official name of our server-side tracking platform, and the website is opentracked.io. Many people search for it as Open Track, OpenTrack or Open Space Track. All of them lead to the same product: server-side Google Tag Manager hosting, first-party analytics and a CRM pipeline.
Fix your tracking at the source
Open Tracked hosts your server-side Tag Manager, keeps first-party cookies alive and shows what each ad is really worth.
The Open Tracked team
We build Open Tracked: server-side tracking hosting, analytics and the tools around them, for stores that spend on ads. Questions about this guide, or an idea for the next one?
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