What is Google Tag Manager?

GTM is a free tool that lets you manage tracking codes ('tags') on your website without editing the code directly. Instead of pasting scripts into your website's HTML, you add them through GTM's interface. One snippet on your site, all tags managed centrally.

What's the difference between GTM and Google Analytics?

Google Analytics is where you see data (reports, traffic, conversions). GTM is the tool that puts the tracking code on your website. Think of GTM as the delivery mechanism and GA4 as the destination. You usually need both.

What are the permission levels in GTM?

At the Account level: Administrator (manages users and account settings) and User (can access containers assigned to them). At the Container level: Publish (can push changes live), Approve (can approve but not publish), Edit (can make changes but not publish), and Read (view-only).

Which permission should I give my agency?

Container-level 'Publish' access. This lets them create, edit, and push tracking tags live. If you want to review changes before they go live, give them 'Edit' and keep 'Publish' for yourself.

Can my agency break my website through GTM?

Technically, a badly configured tag could slow your site down or cause issues. That's rare with professional agencies. If you're worried, give 'Edit' access instead of 'Publish', so you can review their changes before they go live.

Do I need to give GTM access if I've already given GA4 access?

Yes, if they need to set up or modify tracking. GA4 access lets them see data. GTM access lets them manage how data gets collected. Most agencies need both.

What's the difference between Account and Container in GTM?

An Account is the top level (your business). A Container holds all the tags for one website. Most businesses have one account with one container. Larger companies might have multiple containers for different websites or apps.

How do I remove a user from GTM?

Go to Admin → User Management (at Account or Container level). Find the user, click the three dots, and hit Remove. Instant.

Can someone with Read access see my tag configurations?

Yes. They can see all tags, triggers, and variables, but they can't change anything. Good for audits or oversight.

What if my agency already has their own GTM container on my site?

This is the same problem as letting them own your ad accounts. Ask them to transfer the container to your GTM account, or set up a new one under your account and migrate the tags. Your container, their access.

Does GTM access require a Google account?

Yes. The person needs a Google account (Gmail, Google Workspace, or any email linked to Google). Same as GA4.

Can I have multiple GTM containers on one website?

You can, but you shouldn't unless there's a very specific reason. Multiple containers can cause conflicts, duplicate tracking, and make debugging harder. One container per site is best practice.

What happens if someone publishes a broken tag?

GTM has a version history. You can instantly roll back to any previous version. So even if something goes wrong, the fix is about 30 seconds away.

Should I use GTM or just paste tags directly into my website code?

GTM, every time. Direct code means you need a developer for every tag change. GTM means marketers can manage tags without touching code, and you have version control, previewing, and rollback built in.

How do I know if GTM is already installed on my site?

Right-click on your website, click 'View Page Source', and search for 'googletagmanager.com'. If you find it, GTM is installed. You can also use the Google Tag Assistant browser extension.

How long until access is live?

Instant. Add them and they can access the container immediately. No invitation to accept.

Platform Tutorial•5 min read•Updated April 2026

How to Add a User to Google Tag Manager (2026)

Your agency or developer needs access to your Google Tag Manager. GTM is the nerve centre of your website's tracking. Every pixel, every analytics tag, every conversion event runs through here. So getting the permissions right matters.

The good news: this takes about two minutes. Here's exactly what to click and which permission level to choose.

Written by James Green — I configure GTM containers across dozens of B2B client sites. This is based on real setups, not Google's documentation.

🚩 You MUST Own Your GTM Container

Your GTM container controls what tracking code runs on your website. If your agency or developer set it up under their Google account, you don't own it. And that's a problem.

If Someone Else Owns Your GTM Container

✗ They control what tracking runs on YOUR website
✗ They leave, and all your tag configurations, conversion events, and triggers go with them
✗ A new agency has to rebuild everything from scratch
✗ You can't audit what scripts are running on your site
✗ They could inject tracking or scripts you don't know about

What You Should Insist On

✓ You create the GTM account and container under your Google account
✓ You are the Account Administrator
✓ Your agency gets Publish access at the Container level
✓ You can see every tag, trigger, and variable they configure
✓ Version history means you can roll back any change in seconds

If your container is currently under someone else's account, ask them to transfer it. It takes a few minutes. If they refuse, you know where you stand.

Why Grant GTM Access?

GTM is where your tracking lives. Your GA4 tag, your LinkedIn Insight Tag, your Meta Pixel, your Google Ads conversion tag. If your agency is running paid campaigns, they need to set up and verify these tags. Without GTM access, they're asking you to copy and paste code snippets into your website every time something needs to change. That's slow, error-prone, and unnecessary.

Central Control

Every tracking tag in one place. No code scattered across your site.

Version History

Every change is logged. Roll back in seconds if something goes wrong.

Preview Mode

Test tags before publishing. No guessing, no broken tracking on live.

Want to understand how GTM fits into your B2B tracking? Our complete GTM B2B tracking guide covers the full setup with GA4, LinkedIn, and Meta tags all configured properly.

Understanding GTM Permissions

GTM has two levels of permissions: Account level and Container level. Most of the time, you're setting Container-level permissions.

Container Permissions (the important ones):

Permission	Best For	What They Can Do
Publish	Agencies, lead developers	Create, edit, and push tags live. Full operational access.
Approve	Senior oversight	Approve changes for publishing but can't publish themselves.
Edit	Junior team members	Create and modify tags but can't publish or approve.
Read	Auditors, oversight	View all tags and settings. Can't change anything.

For most agency setups: Give them Publish at the Container level and User at the Account level. This lets them do their job without being able to manage other users or delete the account.

Step-by-Step: Add a User to Google Tag Manager

1Open GTM and Go to Admin

Go to tagmanager.google.com and make sure you're in the right account and container. Click the Admin tab at the top.

Google Tag Manager interface showing the Admin tab at the top of the page for accessing account and container settings — Click the Admin tab to access user management and container settings.

2Open User Management

Under the Account column (or Container column, depending on which level you want to set), click "User Management". This shows everyone who currently has access.

Google Tag Manager Admin panel showing User Management option for viewing and adding users at account and container level — User Management shows all current users and their permission levels.

3Add User and Set Permissions

Click the blue + icon, then "Add User". Enter their Google account email address. Then set the Container permission level. For agencies: Publish. For people who just need to look: Read.

Click Invite. Access is immediate. No invitation to accept.

Google Tag Manager add user dialog showing email field and container permission options including Publish, Approve, Edit, and Read — Enter their email and set the container permission. Publish is standard for agencies.

Next Step: Configure Your Tags Properly

Access is sorted. Now make sure the right tags are actually in your container. An empty or misconfigured GTM is like having a car with no engine. Looks right from the outside, does nothing useful.

🏷️

Complete GTM B2B Tracking Guide

Set up GA4, LinkedIn Insight Tag, Meta Pixel, and Google Ads tags all inside GTM. The proper way to do it.

Read the full guide

📡

Complete Tracking Pixels Guide

Every pixel and tag you need for B2B advertising. LinkedIn, Meta, Google, all covered in one place.

Read the full guide

Need to grant access to GA4 and Search Console too? Do all three in one go: GA4 access guide | Search Console access guide

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Letting your agency own the GTM container

→ You own the container. They get user access. If they built it under their account, ask for a transfer.

Giving Publish access to someone who shouldn't push changes live

→ If you want oversight, give Edit access and keep Publish for yourself. They make changes, you review and publish.

Forgetting to grant GA4 access alongside GTM

→ GTM manages the tags, GA4 shows the data. Your agency usually needs both. Don't assume one covers the other.

Not knowing what tags are in your container

→ Log into GTM occasionally and look at what's installed. You should know what tracking runs on your own website.

Having multiple GTM containers on one site

→ One container per site. Multiple containers cause duplicate tracking, conflicts, and debugging headaches.

Not using GTM's preview mode before publishing

→ Always preview changes before pushing them live. GTM's debug mode shows exactly what fires on each page.

AI Setup Assistant

Got a specific situation? Copy this prompt into ChatGPT or Claude for tailored help:

Google Tag Manager Access Setup Assistant

You are a Google Tag Manager expert. This prompt is based on the methodology from evergreen-growth.com/articles/add-user-google-tag-manager

I need help adding a user to my Google Tag Manager account.

Please ask me these questions one at a time, then provide customised guidance:

1. Are you the admin/owner of the GTM account?
2. Who are you adding? (agency, developer, team member)
3. Do you have their Google account email address?
4. What do they need to do? (View tags, edit tags, publish changes)
5. Do they also need access to Google Analytics or Google Ads?

After I answer, provide:
- Step-by-step instructions for my situation
- Which permission level to assign at Account and Container level
- Whether they also need GA4 or other platform access
- Best practices for managing GTM access securely
- How to use GTM's version history as a safety net

GTM sorted. Here's what to do next.

Add a user to Google Analytics — Your agency needs GA4 access too. Different platform, same ownership principles.

Add a user to Google Search Console — For SEO tracking. Covers organic search performance and indexing.

Install the LinkedIn Insight Tag — If you're running LinkedIn Ads, this tag goes in your GTM container. Here's the full setup.

Set up the Meta Pixel — Same for Facebook Ads. Install through GTM for a clean, manageable setup.

Add a partner to Meta Business Manager — Running Facebook or Instagram ads? Here's the Meta walkthrough.

Add a user to LinkedIn Campaign Manager — The LinkedIn equivalent for ad account access.

Want your entire tracking stack set up properly from day one?

We configure GTM, GA4, conversion tracking, and all platform tags as part of client onboarding. Clean data, no guesswork, no wasted ad spend on broken tracking. Takes about 15 minutes on your end.

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Campaign breakdowns, creative strategy, and LinkedIn Ads walkthroughs — straight from a practitioner, not a guru.

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