16 / Improve
Tracking & Pixels lists every analytics tool, tag manager, ad pixel and event on the site, reads what is inside each published GTM container, and shows what needs fixing compared with the previous audit.
Broken tracking is expensive and quiet: GA4 fires twice and inflates sessions, a pixel is missing from checkout, or ads tags load before the visitor accepts cookies. This audit finds those problems on every page, not just the few you test by hand.
1. What is detected
| Area | Without rendering | With Render JavaScript |
|---|---|---|
| Tools and IDs | 24 tools found in page code and GTM | Plus the hits each page really sends |
| GTM containers | Every tag, trigger and parameter | Same |
| Events | Page code, GTM and dataLayer pushes | Plus events fired on load |
| Consent | 20 consent tools and Google Consent Mode | Plus pixels and cookies set before consent |
2. The Tracking & Pixels tabs
- Tags & pixels: tool, ID, status, how it loads (hard-coded, inside GTM or both), coverage, and new or removed since the last audit.
- Events: every event, where it was found and its GTM trigger.
- Inside GTM: every tag in each container.
- Needs fixing / fixed: open tracking issues and those fixed since the last audit.
- Consent & cookies, and Third-party scripts. Every tab exports to CSV.
3. Critical tracking issues
CriticalTag loaded twice on the page
The same GTM container or gtag.js loaded twice usually sends every event twice: double page views, halved bounce rate and inflated conversions.
How to fix: Keep one snippet. Check the theme or template, plugins and any app that also injects the tag.
CriticalPixel initialised twice on the page
An ad pixel initialised twice sends duplicate events, which inflates conversions and misleads ad bidding.
How to fix: Initialise the pixel once: remove the hard-coded copy or the plugin/app copy, keep one.
CriticalPage view sent twice on one page load
The browser sent the same page view event twice while loading this page, so traffic is double counted in reports.
How to fix: Find the second source (hard-coded gtag plus GTM, or two GA4 config tags) with GTM Preview and remove one.
CriticalGA4 sent by page code and by GTM
The same GA4 ID is hard-coded in the page and also sent by the GTM container, so page views and events are usually counted twice.
How to fix: Keep GA4 in one place, ideally GTM: remove the hard-coded gtag.js config for that ID.
CriticalGTM container not published or wrong ID
The page loads a GTM container that Google does not serve, so none of its tags (GA4, pixels, conversions) fire.
How to fix: Check the GTM-... ID in the snippet matches your container, and publish a version in Tag Manager.
CriticalTracking before consent
The page has a consent banner, but a first-time visitor who has not accepted anything is already tracked: pixels fire or tracking cookies are set. That is what consent rules (GDPR, UK GDPR, ePrivacy) are meant to prevent. GA4 pings sent with Consent Mode denied are not counted here.
How to fix: Load these tags only after consent: use the consent tool's GTM integration or Consent Mode, set tags to require ad_storage / analytics_storage, and remove hard-coded pixels.
CriticalPersonal data or tokens in URL
The URL carries an email address, token or similar value. Analytics tools record full page URLs, so it ends up in GA4 (against Google's terms) and leaks through referrers and server logs.
How to fix: Send these values in the request body or session instead of the URL. Redact them in GA4 (Data redaction for email and query parameters) until the site is fixed.
4. Warnings
WarningNo analytics or tag manager found
Without analytics you cannot see which pages bring visitors, leads or sales, or measure any SEO work.
How to fix: Install Google Tag Manager on every page and add a GA4 Google tag inside it (or install GA4 directly).
WarningAnalytics tag missing on this page
Visits to this page are not measured, so reports under-count traffic and break user journeys.
How to fix: Add the same GTM (or GA4) snippet this site uses elsewhere, usually in the shared page template.
WarningMore than one GA4 property on the page
Several GA4 IDs send the same visits to different properties. Fine if intended (e.g. a roll-up property), otherwise an old or test property is still collecting data.
How to fix: Confirm each GA4 ID is intended. Remove old or test properties from the page and from GTM.
WarningDifferent GA4 ID than the rest of the site
This page reports to a different GA4 property, so its visits are missing from the main reports.
How to fix: Use the site's main GA4 ID here, or confirm the second property is intended.
WarningUniversal Analytics code still present
Universal Analytics stopped processing data in 2023 (360 properties in 2024). The code only adds page weight and may send data nowhere.
How to fix: Remove the UA-... code from the page and delete Universal Analytics tags in GTM.
WarningTracking without a consent tool
Analytics or ad pixels load, but no consent banner tool or Google Consent Mode default was found. Visitors from the EEA, UK and some US states may need to agree first, and Google Ads needs Consent Mode for EEA traffic.
How to fix: Add a consent management platform (e.g. Cookiebot, CookieYes, OneTrust) and set a Consent Mode default. Check the rules that apply to your visitors.
5. Opportunities and notes
OpportunityGTM tag without a trigger
A tag in the published container has no firing trigger, so it never runs. It may be a leftover or a tag whose trigger was deleted.
How to fix: In Tag Manager, add the intended trigger to the tag or delete the tag, then publish.
OpportunityMarketing tag hard-coded outside GTM
The site uses GTM, but this pixel is hard-coded in the page. That makes it harder to control consent, test changes, and avoid firing it twice.
How to fix: Move the pixel into GTM (most have a template) and remove the hard-coded copy.
OpportunityNo custom events tracked
Only page views are measured. Without events for leads, sign-ups or purchases, GA4 cannot show which pages or channels bring results.
How to fix: Add GA4 events for the actions that matter (form submit, sign-up, add to cart, purchase) and mark them as key events.
InfoSeveral analytics tools on the site
Three or more analytics tools measure the same visits. The numbers never match, which causes confusion, and each tool adds page weight.
How to fix: Decide which tool is the source of truth for each question and remove the ones nobody uses.
InfoMore than one GTM container on the page
Several containers can be intended (e.g. agency and in-house), but tags in both may fire twice.
How to fix: Check the containers do not both send the same GA4 ID or pixel events.
6. Limits, on purpose
- Nothing is clicked or submitted, so forms, sign-ups and purchases are never triggered on a live site.
- Fired-on-load data needs JavaScript rendering.
- Server-side GTM, tags added by browser extensions and events behind logins are not visible.
GA4 hits sent with Consent Mode denied (gcs=G100) are allowed and not flagged as tracking before consent.
Frequently asked questions
Which tools are detected?
GTM, GA4, Universal Analytics, Google Ads, Meta, TikTok, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Snap, X, Reddit, Microsoft Ads, Clarity, Hotjar, Plausible, Matomo, PostHog, Segment, Mixpanel, Amplitude, Ahrefs, HubSpot, Klaviyo and Shopify Web Pixels.
Can it see inside Google Tag Manager?
Yes. It reads the published container from the public gtm.js file: every tag, where it sends data, the event name and parameters, its trigger, paused tags and tags with no trigger. Up to 5 containers are read per audit.
Do tracking issues affect my SEO score?
No. Tracking issues have their own score and never lower Site Health. They still flow into the Action Plan, CSV exports, Slack and Linear.
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