Set up website analytics and marketing tracking on your campaign site

What are site analytics?

Tracking allows you to monitor the performance of your campaign site to understand how well it’s working and identify any issues which need to be fixed.

We have recently changed how you set up website tracking. There are now 2 options available to you on the Cookies and Analytics page of the campaigns platform:

  1. Use built-in tracking (Recommended)
  2. Use Google Tag Manager (Advanced)

Please note: Regardless of the option you choose, as a campaign team, you are the data controllers and are therefore responsible for compliance with relevant legislation.

1. Use built-in tracking (Recommended) 

Using the built-in tracking (Recommended) option, you can set up tracking for the most common platforms. When you choose this option, you will see boxes where you can add your pixel IDs. 

You can add pixel IDs for as many of the platforms listed below, follow the steps to find the ID, (Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is the only compulsory ID):

  • Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
    • In your GA4 account, go to the Admin section.
    • Under the Property column, click on Data Streams.
    • Select your website data stream, and you’ll find the Measurement ID, which serves as the Pixel ID.
  • Facebook (optional)
    • Go to Events Manager in your Facebook Ads Manager.
    • Select your Pixel, and you’ll see the Pixel ID displayed under the Pixel name.
  • LinkedIn (optional)
    • In LinkedIn Campaign Manager, go to Account Assets and click on Insight Tag.
    • The ID for your LinkedIn Insight Tag will be shown there.
  • Snapchat (optional)
    • Log in to Snapchat Ads Manager.
    • Go to Events Manager and select Set Up Pixel. Your Pixel ID will be displayed there.
  • X (formerly Twitter) (optional)
    • Go to your Twitter Ads account.
    • Under Tools, select Conversion Tracking and then Create New Pixel. You’ll see the Pixel ID in the setup instructions.
  • TikTok  (optional)
    • Open TikTok Ads Manager and go to Assets.
    • Click on Event and choose Create Pixel. The Pixel ID will be shown during setup.

Set up cookie and privacy pages

  1. After selecting the Recommended option and filling out necessary details, you must fill out the “Privacy Notice” details (this is a new area seen in the left side-bar, just beneath “Analytics Options”), this will automatically create a GOV.UK cookie consent banner and cookie settings page for your campaign, plus a new Privacy Notice.

2. Then go to Appearance > Menus, create a footer menu and add all the auto populated pages: Cookies Settings, Cookie Details, Privacy Notice & Accessibility Notice. Any pre-existing pages that cover similar ground as the above, should be unpublished/deleted manually.

3. Go to your website and confirm that all the pages have been created and its content dynamically generated. 

While we (GDS) maintain these, as the data controller, you are required to review these and decide whether they are fit for your purpose. If you’d like more flexibility or marketing cookies not offered in the Recommended option (e.g Floodlight, Reddit etc), you can use the advanced option of Google Tag Manager.

2. Use Google Tag Manager (Advanced) 

Google Tag Manager lets you have more customised control of your tags. This is useful if you want to track more bespoke behaviours. 

Step 1

If you choose to set up tracking using Google Tag Manager (Advanced), you will need to set that up yourself and be confident in its implementation – See here for guidance

Once you have set up GTM, return back to the Campaign Platform and select that you would like to set up tracking and analytics using Google Tag Manager (Advanced), enter your Google Tag Manager ID and click publish in the top right corner. 

You should have all your desired pixel IDs (Facebook Pixel, LinkedIn Insight or Google Floodlight) and tags set up in your Google Tag Manager container. 

Step 2

To be compliant with relevant legislation, you will need to make sure your campaign site has:

  • An initial cookie consent banner and a way of updating cookie choices: Teams who choose to set up tracking using Google Tag Manager (Advanced) will need to set up a compliant 3rd party Cookie Consent Banner in their Google Tag Manager container. They will also need to make sure that users have a way of updating their cookie choices. GDS supports the use of Cookiebot. Read more about Cookie Consent Banners here: Set up a cookie consent banner and page
  • A Cookie Settings page: Teams who choose to set up tracking using Google Tag Manager (Advanced) will need to have somewhere on the website which allows visitors to update the choices they originally made in the cookie banner. Read more about Cookie Settings pages here: Set up a cookie consent banner and page

Discuss your needs with your organisation’s analytics administrator and data protection team. They will advise you on the best method and approach for your campaign site. If you are working with a marketing agency, we recommend utilising their expertise when implementing. 

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Set up site privacy and cookie options

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