The discussion explores whether Google Tag Manager (GTM) is necessary for Shopify stores, given that native apps (Google & YouTube, Meta/Facebook) already handle tracking for GA4, ecommerce data, and pixels.
Primary use case identified:
GTM is mainly used for custom event tracking across Google Analytics, Meta Pixel, and other platforms—particularly useful when native apps can’t handle high-frequency conversions from Google Ads.
Implementation approach:
GTM code should be placed in the theme code for general tracking
A custom pixel with a custom data layer is required for checkout, thank you, and order status pages (due to Shopify’s sandboxing restrictions that prevent DOM interaction tracking)
The custom pixel should check page type and initialize GTM only on relevant checkout/post-purchase pages
Specific question addressed:
Regarding deprecated checkout scripts for Google Ads conversion tracking: The Google & YouTube app typically handles this automatically, making additional scripts unnecessary. However, if the app struggles with frequent conversions, implementing GTM with a custom data layer on custom pixels becomes the recommended solution.
Summarized with AI on November 1.
AI used: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929.
Since the google and youtube app aready handles GA4 connection including eccomerce data, and google ads also (not sure does it track conversions?)
Facebook Meta app and pixel already does its thing in the app also. We seem to have no need to add any scripts?
What is a concrete use case?
If there is a clear use case, what is the best way to connect to GTM. It seems that in order to run scripts post purchase and on checkout and order thank you apge we need to connect thought a cusotm pixel. Hoever due to the sandboxing, any scripts the run on thoese pages cannot see user DOM interactions so we creat cutom GA4 events to track user actions like custom button clicks etc.
Therefore it seems to me that we need to have hte GTM code block in our theme code, and then in the cutom pixel, have acheck to see if we are on a checkout /thank you/or order dtatsus page and only if we are then initial the GTM custom pixel.
In particular I have this script in the additional scripts section of the checkout admin which is being depracated
{% if first_time_accessed %}
{% endif %}
Quesiton 1: Do I still need to do this or does the google and youtube app already handle conversion tracking?
Question 2: If the answer is that google and youtube app does not handle google ads conversion tracking, and I need to have this script somewhere, is google tag manager using the custom the best way?
If you connect google and youtube app with your shopify store no need to put any extra script for google ads tracking.
Sometimes google and youtube app cannot handle the frequent conversions from google ads. in that case you would need to consider google tag manager by creating a custom datalayer on custom pixel.
Definitely GTM is the best way to configure google ads tracking.
