This is a question I get asked a lot: should I use my Tag Management System’s Extensions (or Plugins, or Tag Templates, depending on which TMS), or should I just copy-and-paste tags as custom code? The true consultant answer is: it depends.
- Extensions do have some inherent weight. In GTM, adding a single AdWords conversion event using the Tag Template can add 10-20KB to the weight of my container. Extensions can be heavier than a simple code deployment, but lighter than a messy code deployment.
- Extensions are less flexible. If you have conditions around your tags, such as “in the US, add these variables to our Doubleclick conversion event, but in the UK, leave those out”, that can be really hard to implement using an extension, but fairly simple in code.
- Extensions are less likely to cause JS errors. They get load order correct (eg, Launch’s Target extension ensures the Target script has loaded before it add params, which it does before it fires an mbox). They’re more likely to stay updated, which means they’ll work best in current browsers and be more compliant with regulations.
The main thing I want folks to think about is what they’d be willing to give up in order to avoid code. A lot of companies set forth with the goal of having a code-free implementation, thinking that that is the best practice worth achieving. But in many cases, that goal isn’t worth the cost. Vendors/agencies often send their tag requests AS CODE, intended to be copied-and-pasted:
So someone is going to have to interpret that code into the friendly UI of the extension, which does introduce room for error… perhaps more error than merely copying-and-pasting.
I know code can be scary if you don’t have a lot of technical resources working on your implementation. Do what you think you can sustain. But don’t assume that code-free is the ideal you must fight to achieve.