How to Integrate Google Tag Manager (GTM) with Captain Compliance

This article provides a high-level overview of how Google Tag Manager (GTM) can be used with Captain Compliance. It is intended to explain available approaches and design patterns, not to define a single required configuration.

There are multiple valid ways to structure a GTM deployment, and the appropriate approach depends on your technical environment, consent model, regional requirements, and internal preferences.

This article serves as a foundational guide and is supported by more specific articles that cover individual configurations in greater detail.

While Captain Compliance supports multiple deployment models, a GTM-based implementation is strongly recommended whenever feasible.

Using GTM allows consent to be enforced proactively at the script and tag level, rather than retroactively blocking cookies after they are set. This results in:

• More predictable and defensible consent enforcement

• Cleaner integration with Google Consent Mode

• Reduced reliance on browser-level auto-blocking behavior

• Improved control over when and how tags execute

By contrast, cookie auto-blocking alone operates after scripts have already executed and is therefore less precise than gating execution at the GTM level.

There is no single “correct” GTM architecture for Captain Compliance.

Different organizations structure GTM containers differently, and Captain Compliance is designed to support that flexibility. The configurations described across Captain Compliance documentation should be viewed as patterns and options, not rigid requirements.

Below are the most common levels of GTM integration, listed from simplest to most advanced.

1. Use GTM to Deploy the Captain Compliance Tag Only

At a minimum, GTM can be used solely to deploy the Captain Compliance CMP tag.

This approach centralizes script management within GTM while leaving most downstream tag behavior unchanged. It provides immediate benefits over hard-coded script injection, but does not yet leverage GTM for consent enforcement.

This is often used as a first step toward a more comprehensive GTM-based consent strategy.

2. Add Basic Consent Logic to Downstream Tags

A more robust approach is to use GTM to apply basic consent logic to individual tags.

In this model:

• Tags are mapped to explicit consent categories in opt-in environments

• Passive or default-allow logic can be applied where appropriate

• Behavior can be configured differently by region, if desired

This allows tags to fire only when the appropriate consent conditions are met, while still keeping the overall GTM configuration relatively straightforward.

Regional consent handling is addressed in a separate article.

3. Advanced: Fire Tags Immediately on Consent and Persist Across Page Loads

An advanced configuration uses data layer variables (DLVs) and custom events to allow tags to:

• Fire immediately when a user clicks “Accept”

• Continue firing on all subsequent page loads once consent is granted

This approach provides the most precise control and best user experience but requires a more advanced GTM setup and comfort working with custom events and GTM debugging tools.

A dedicated article covers this configuration in detail.

Captain Compliance provides resources to simplify GTM deployments, including:

• A GTM JSON import file template

• Helper scripts and tooling to support custom configurations

These tools are designed to accelerate setup and reduce the likelihood of configuration errors.

If a fully manual GTM implementation is not preferred, or if assistance is needed designing an appropriate GTM structure, please contact Captain Compliance for guidance.