Recovery: Google Tag Manager
The site moved to a new platform and your tags stopped working.
Moving from one platform to another, such as WordPress to Shopify or an old CMS to a new one, changes how pages load and what data is available on each page. We audit the container against the new platform to see exactly what broke.
- Container audit before any change
- Written cause before we touch a tag
- No cost to see the scope
Evidence, then action
How we find what the move broke
The evidence we pull first
We check whether the container snippet is present on every template of the new platform, run preview mode against the live site, and compare the dataLayer variables the old triggers expect against what the new platform actually provides.
The triage order
First we confirm the container loads at all on every page type, since a migration can move the homepage and forget a template like checkout or booking. Next we check whether triggers built around the old platform's dataLayer names still match. Then we check for a duplicate container left over from the old site.
What usually fixes it
Adding the container to any template that was missed, rewriting triggers to read the new platform's dataLayer or URL structure, and removing a leftover duplicate container that was double firing tags restores most setups within a short window.
What we cannot promise
We cannot promise every feature from the old platform has an equivalent on the new one, since some tracking depended on specific access the old system gave that the new platform does not. We can promise to tell you plainly when that is the case.
The decision tree we run
If tags worked before the migration and stopped right after
we check whether the container snippet actually made it into the new platform's template, since some migrations require the snippet to be re added manually per template.
If some conversions still count and others do not
we check whether the missing ones depended on custom dataLayer variables, since a new platform often uses different variable names for the same information.
If tags appear to fire twice in preview mode
we check for a duplicate container ID left in the new platform's built in integration alongside one added manually, since some platforms include a native field that gets filled in on top of an existing setup.
If a specific page type such as checkout never fires anything
we check whether that template even loads the container, since some platforms load a stripped down template for checkout or booking pages by default.
How the engagement runs
01
Container and platform audit
We compare the old container's triggers against the new platform's actual page structure and dataLayer, template by template.
02
A written list of what broke
You get a plain list of which tags and triggers no longer match, before we change the live container.
03
Rebuild, then verify per template
We rebuild the broken triggers and test a real conversion on every template that matters before calling it done.
GTM after a migration questions
Different platforms structure their pages differently, use different variable names in the dataLayer, and sometimes load templates in a different order. A trigger built around the old platform's specific structure often has nothing to match against on the new one, even though the container itself moved over fine. The migration checklist that most teams follow covers content and design, but rarely lists tracking as something that needs its own review.
It is common enough that we always plan for a re audit as part of any migration. It is not universal, some migrations preserve enough of the structure that little breaks, but assuming tracking survived without checking is the mistake that causes the most missed data.
Yes. We test each conversion action against the live site in preview mode and give you a plain list of which ones fire correctly and which ones do not, rather than a general statement that something is broken.
Yes, we need to see how the new platform's pages are actually built, since the fix usually involves understanding what data the platform makes available, not only what is inside the tag manager container. A short call with whoever built the new site, or the platform's own documentation, usually answers most of what we need to know.
The audit and written list are part of a free proposal within one business day. The actual fix is scoped in that same proposal based on how many templates and conversions need rebuilding.
Get your tags working on the new platform
Send us access to GTM and the new site. We will find exactly what the migration broke and send a written scope within one business day.