git add, git commit, git push — a full deploy cycle for a tracking change
deploy
4
Wait for Netlify
Build triggers. Wait before you can verify anything.
waiting
5
Verify in GA4 Realtime
If it's wrong, repeat from step 1.
repeat if broken
overhead per change
5 steps
Every tracking change is a deploy. Every deploy is a context switch. Compounds every time requirements change.
With GTM
GTM as the container
one snippet, all tags in the UI
Scenario: add a conversion event
1
Open GTM
Log in at tagmanager.google.com. No VSCode. No repo.
no code
2
Create a new tag
Define the event, trigger, and parameters in the UI
UI only
3
Preview and verify
GTM's preview mode lets you test before publishing
test first
4
Publish the container
One click in GTM. No git. No Netlify. Live immediately.
no deploy
overhead per change
4 steps
No code changes. No PRs. No deploys. Every tracking decision stays in the UI. The codebase stays clean.
The thirty-minute GTM setup is a one-time cost. Every tracking change afterward is a UI action, not a deploy.
That delta compounds every time the requirements change — and they always change.