AXON Pixel Google Tag Manager Integration

This guide assumes that you have a Google Tag Manager (GTM) account with a Data Layer that receives e-commerce events such as viewing a product, add to cart, and checkout.

This guide also assumes that you are familiar with the core GTM concepts: tags, triggers, variables, and the data layer. This guide does not explain how to set up the Data Layer to provide data to GTM.

Note

If you have a Shopify site, integrate with the AXON Shopify Pixel instead.

Installing the AXON Pixel

Note

Before you begin, check that your GTM configuration works on all pages of your site. If your site runs Shopify in headless mode, double check that GTM also fires on your checkout page. If not, you should also install the Shopify Pixel to capture the events on your checkout page.

1. Log in to your Google Tag Manager account. Click your website’s container, and under Tags, click New. For Tag Configuration, choose Custom HTML. Enter a name, for example “AXON — Init”.

2. Copy and paste the following code into your tag. Replace “«your-event-key»” with the key from your AppLovin Account.

   <script>
     var AXON_EVENT_KEY="«your-event-key»";
     !function(e,r){var t=["https://s.axon.ai/pixel.js","https://c.albss.com/p/l/loader.iife.js"];if(!e.axon){var a=e.axon=function(){a.performOperation?a.performOperation.apply(a,arguments):a.operationQueue.push(arguments)};a.operationQueue=[],a.ts=Date.now(),a.eventKey=AXON_EVENT_KEY;for(var n=r.getElementsByTagName("script")[0],o=0;o<t.length;o++){var i=r.createElement("script");i.async=!0,i.src=t[o],n.parentNode.insertBefore(i,n)}}}(window,document);
   
     axon("init");
   </script>

3. Click under Triggering and select Initialization - All Pages. This ensures that the AXON Pixel loads on all pages. Click Save.

Caution

It is important that the AXON Pixel loads and initializes on each page of your site. Ensure that your GTM Initialization - All Pages Trigger fires on each page to which you send an event.

Note

At a minimum, provide page_view, view_item, add_to_cart, begin_checkout, and purchase events. Also include sign_up or login if your site uses these events.

Tracking Events with the AXON Pixel

To send an occurrence of an e-commerce event to AXON, use the following syntax. Each event should trigger when its corresponding event happens in the data layer.

<script>
  axon("track", «event-name», «event-data»);
</script>

Parameters

Name	Type	Description
event_name	string	The name for this event. See AXON Pixel Events and Objects for available events.
event_data	object	The data for this event. See AXON Pixel Events and Objects for data to send. (Note: you do not need to send event_data with page_view.)

All events require the event_name argument. Each event except for page_view also requires certain event_data, described in the event-specific sections below.

Passing Data to the AXON Pixel

There are two ways to populate the event in GTM:

Method 1: Single GTM Variable

For each of the events that require event_data, AppLovin recommends that you create a GTM Variable that is the payload. For example,

<script>
  axon("track", "add_to_cart", {{ AXON - Add To Cart }} );
</script>

(where {{ AXON - Add To Cart }} is a GTM Variable you create).

Method 2: Composition of GTM Variables

You can also build the object composed of multiple Variables. For example:

<script>
  axon("track", "add_to_cart",
    {
      "currency": "USD",
      "value": {{ AXON - Add To Cart - Value }},
      "items": {{ AXON - Add To Cart - Items }}
    }
  )
</script>

Note

The AXON Pixel is compatible with the Google Analytics 4 (GA4) API. If your Data Layer is configured to store data in GA4 format, then you can pass those Data Layer Variables directly to the tag itself. For example, if {{ GA - Ecommerce }} refers to the e-commerce field of your Data Layer which is set up like GA4, you can pass it directly to the Pixel with:

<script>
  axon("track", "add_to_cart", {{ GA - Ecommerce }} );
</script>

This saves you from needing to create any intermediate Variables.

If your Data Layer is not set up like GA4, you may need to create new Variables for the AXON Pixel.

Enhanced User Identification (Recommended)

The AXON Pixel sets the first-party cookie _axwrt to identify users. This cookie is automatically sent in every request to your website. To enhance user identification, AppLovin strongly recommends that you perform the following on the back-end of your site:

Whenever you see the cookie _axwrt in an HTTP request, set the HTTP response such that it includes a header that sets a new first-party HTTP cookie axwrt (removing the underscore) with a one-year expiration date.

• The value of this cookie should be the same as the value of the corresponding cookie passed in the request.
• The domain for the cookie should be your site, prefixed with a period. For example, if your site is mysite.com, the domain attribute should be .mysite.com. Note: “www” should not be included here.
• The path for the cookie should be /.
• Do not set the cookie to be HttpOnly.

For example, if your site sees an HTTP request where the value of cookie _axwrt is xxxxxxxx-xxxx-4xxx-yxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx, then add to your response the header:

Set-Cookie: axwrt=xxxxxxxx-xxxx-4xxx-yxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx;
Expires=«One Year from Today»; Domain=«.mysite.com»; Path=/; SameSite=Lax;