For general GTM concepts, see Google Tag Manager Overview
Overview
Magnolia CMS uses Freemarker templates. Add GTM via a Light Module (YAML-based, no Java required) or by editing your theme's base template.
Prerequisites
- A Google Tag Manager account with a Web container created at tagmanager.google.com
- Admin access to your Magnolia CMS site
- Your GTM Container ID (format:
GTM-XXXXXXX)
Installation
Where to Add GTM Code
Light Modules approach: Create light-modules/your-module/templates/pages/gtm.yaml with an area for the GTM snippet. Or edit your base Freemarker template (templates/pages/base.ftl) to include the GTM snippets in <head> and <body>.
GTM Head Snippet
Add this in the <head> section:
<!-- Google Tag Manager -->
<script>(function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':
new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],
j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src=
'https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);
})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-XXXXXXX');</script>
<!-- End Google Tag Manager -->
GTM Body Snippet
Add this immediately after the opening <body> tag:
<!-- Google Tag Manager (noscript) -->
<noscript><iframe src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-XXXXXXX"
height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript>
<!-- End Google Tag Manager (noscript) -->
Replace GTM-XXXXXXX with your actual Container ID in both snippets.
Magnolia CMS-Specific Considerations
Magnolia's Light Modules allow YAML+Freemarker additions without Java deployments. This is the preferred approach for GTM — create a decorator template that injects GTM into every page without modifying core templates.
Template System
Magnolia CMS uses Freemarker (FTL) templates and Light Modules (YAML). When editing templates directly, note that the GTM JavaScript snippet (inside <script> tags) will not conflict with the template engine's syntax.
Verification
After installation, verify GTM is working:
- GTM Preview Mode — In GTM, click Preview, enter your site URL, and verify the container loads.
- Browser Console — Open DevTools (F12) and run
console.log(window.google_tag_manager). You should see an object (notundefined). - Network Tab — Filter for
googletagmanager.comand verifygtm.jsloads with a 200 response. - Data Layer Check — Run
console.log(window.dataLayer)to verify the data layer array exists.
Next Steps
- Data Layer Setup — pass page and user data to GTM
- GA4 Event Tracking — configure GA4 via GTM
- Meta Pixel Setup — add Meta Pixel through GTM
- Troubleshooting — debug tracking issues