Overview

Follow this guide to learn more about common Google tag warnings and how to troubleshoot them!

Understanding the Tag Quality Warning:

When using Elevar for tracking on Shopify, you may see warnings inside Google Tag Manager (GTM), the Google Tag interface, GA4 Admin, or Google Ads/GA4 Data Manager. These alerts commonly appear even when tracking is correctly implemented.

Most of these warnings are generated because Google’s validation tools expect a native Google setup, such as the Google & YouTube Shopify app or Google’s standard data layer, rather than Elevar’s server-side and custom data layer implementation. This mismatch often leads to false positives or messages that can safely be ignored.

Why Google Tag Warnings Appear:

Google’s tagging and diagnostics system is built around its own recommended installation patterns. When Google detects a configuration outside that expected pattern, such as tags deployed via GTM, server-side events, or a third-party data layer, it flags the setup as “inconsistent,” even if it is working properly.

In practice, Elevar uses custom event names, server-side delivery, and a structured data layer designed for complete and accurate tracking. Because this does not look like Google’s default setup, Google scanners sometimes misinterpret the implementation. For this reason, warnings are extremely common and often do not reflect a real problem.

Common Warnings and What They Mean

“Pages Not Tagged”

• Reason: Google may not detect the events it expects to see on every page. This is a false positive triggered when Elevar’s data layer uses event names or formatting that differ from Google’s standard enhanced measurement events.
• Action Required: None.

“Unsupported Tag Implementation Detected”

• Reason: This warning appears when Google detects that a tag is installed via GTM, a custom pixel, or a non-native integration (like Elevar).
• Action Required: None, this is expected with Elevar.

“Duplicate Tag Implementation Possible”

• Reason: Google may suspect duplicates if it sees traces of old scripts or mismatched loading behavior, even when only Elevar is firing tracking events.
• Possible Causes:
  • Legacy GA or Ads scripts left in the theme
  • The Google & YouTube app was installed previously
  • GTM is loading before Google expects
• Action Required: Review your theme and GTM for old code, but if Elevar is the only active source, this warning can be ignored.

“Google Tag Gateway Not Enabled”

• Reasons: This appears because the Google & YouTube Shopify app is not being used for tracking.
• Action Required: None, Elevar replaces the gateway.

“Events Not Received” or “Some Events Missing”

• Reason: Google may report that not all expected events are being received. This happens because Elevar sends events through a custom schema and server-side pipeline that Google’s scanner doesn’t fully interpret.
• Action Required: Verify events in the Elevar dashboard. If they appear there, tracking is functioning correctly.

Required Setup When Using Elevar

Some warnings are normal, but one configuration is required for optimal performance: a single Google Tag must exist inside GTM.

Google Tag (Configuration Tag):

Elevar recommends having one GTM-based Google Tag so Google can properly identify your Measurement ID or Conversion ID. This helps reduce false warnings and improves attribution consistency.

Why Different Stores Show Different Warnings

Even when two stores use the same Elevar setup, Google may show warnings for one and not the other. This inconsistency comes from a mix of platform behavior, detection timing, and historical site configurations.

Common reasons include:

• A store previously used the Google & YouTube app
• A theme contains older tracking code
• Script order and load timing differ between stores
• Additional apps inject marketing tags
• Legacy GTM workspaces contain inactive but detectable tags

How to Troubleshooting Google Tag Warnings

Use this quick list when addressing a tag warning in GTM:

Verify Elevar Tracking:

• Check browser events
• Check server-side events

Review for Legacy Tracking:

• Theme files (old GA, Ads, or pixel scripts)
• The Google & YouTube Shopify app
• Duplicate GTM containers or scripts
• Old tags in GTM workspaces

Validate via Tag Assistant:

• Confirm the Google Tag fires once
• Confirm no legacy tags fire alongside Elevar’s events