Exporting a container in Google Tag Supervisor can have many functions. From backing up Google Tag Supervisor variations to creating and distributing repositories of helpful container snapshots, the container export is without doubt one of the most helpful non-tagging-related instruments that the GTM person interface presents.
Nevertheless, one huge misgiving within the characteristic (till now) has been that exporting only a subset of the container model or workspace has been unattainable. It’s at all times the whole container or nothing. If you happen to wished to take away components of the export earlier than importing it to a different container, you needed to do JSON surgical procedure to the contents, eradicating all of the pointless or delicate gadgets earlier than sharing the export file.
Properly, Google Tag Supervisor has now launched partial export performance into the container export characteristic.
Partial export permits you to choose solely the gadgets you need. It additionally warns you in case you are about to export gadgets with out all of the references included, providing a simple Add All possibility so as to add all of the dependencies in a single go.
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The way it works
Click on over to Admin within the container, and choose Export Container from the listing of choices underneath the container.
Within the first overlay that seems, you may select a workspace or a model to export the knowledge from.
At present, there’s no strategy to mix-and-match – you may solely choose gadgets from a single workspace or container model.
Within the subsequent overlay (the precise export view), you may have the next choices at your disposal.
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You possibly can choose or deselect single gadgets one after the other.
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You possibly can choose or deselect all gadgets in a single go.
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You possibly can select to Retain folder construction. If gadgets are in folders, then the respective folders are exported as nicely, and the hyperlinks between gadgets and their folders are retained.
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You possibly can search by means of the gadgets for higher accessibility.
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You possibly can open particulars for all gadgets (other than built-in variables).
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You possibly can preview what the export JSON would seem like with the present choices.
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You possibly can export (obtain) the JSON compiled out of your choices.
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You possibly can add all of the lacking dependencies in a single go.
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You possibly can add lacking dependencies merchandise by merchandise.
To function the device is lifeless easy. Simply choose the merchandise(s) that you simply need to embrace within the export, after which click on both Preview JSON or Export. The primary helps you to check out the JSON earlier than downloading it, the second downloads it instantly.
Dependency graph
If you happen to attempt to Preview or Export the JSON, and you’ve chosen gadgets which have dependencies (e.g. linked triggers, variable references, tags in a sequence), and you haven’t chosen all of the dependencies, you’ll see the next warning:
If you happen to select Export (or Preview if that was your authentic motion), you’ll proceed with the motion whatever the lacking references.
If you choose Cancel, a brand new warning about lacking references seems within the overlay, and also you’ll additionally see a brand new column within the desk, which helps you to type gadgets by the lacking dependency warning.
Be aware that the dependency graph is simply proven for gadgets you tried to export or preview, not for all gadgets within the model or workspace. You have to truly choose gadgets and attempt to preview or export them to set off the warning and show the lacking references.
If you happen to click on the warning triangle within the respective column of the desk for an merchandise with lacking references, a popup will open that exhibits you what these references are and allows you to choose all of them in a single go.
It is a fairly neat strategy to just be sure you don’t unintentionally export a subset of the container however find yourself lacking lots of the bits and items required to make the chosen gadgets work.
Abstract
So far as quality-of-life enhancements go, that is fairly good.
Selective export of a Google Tag Supervisor container is important for a lot of workflows on the market, because it permits you to do issues like preserve the staging and dwell atmosphere in sync, compile a repository of your favourite mixtures, and ensure that no delicate info is unintentionally shared when exporting and importing container JSONs.
There are a few options that could be helpful down the road, comparable to having the ability to mix-and-match throughout container variations and workspaces, and having the ability to assessment dependencies earlier than operating the export.
However because it stands, I feel it’s a helpful characteristic that ought to make many Google Tag Supervisor customers very blissful certainly.