The Core Concepts: learn how to work with Consent Studio Launcher client-side tag manager

Introduction

Setting up tracking in Launcher comes down to a few questions you answer for each tag: What script should run? When should it run? Should it run for every visitor, or only with their consent? The building blocks below (Tag, Template, Trigger, Filter, Variable, Firing Mode, Preview) are Launcher's answer to those questions. Each section defines one term, shows you where it lives in the dashboard, and gives a short example.

How to access Consent Studio Launcher

Consent Studio Launcher is a separate product within our consent management suite. You can access Consent Studio Launcher by logging into the dashboard and opening the Launcher dropdown.

Tags

A Tag is the unit of work in Launcher. It's a piece of script, either yours or a vendor's, that fires on your visitor's browser when its conditions are met. A Google Analytics page-view, a Meta Pixel Purchase event, a HubSpot tracking snippet: each one is a tag.

Tags live on the Tags page in your dashboard. Every tag has a name, a template (or Custom HTML if no template fits), a firing mode, a trigger, and optional filters.

Templates

A template is a pre-built tag definition for a specific tool. Open the Template Library page and you'll find them grouped by purpose:

• Analytics: Google Analytics 4, GA4 Event, Matomo, Matomo Event, Piwik PRO, Microsoft Clarity, Hotjar

• Advertising: Meta Pixel, Meta Pixel Event, Reddit Pixel, Reddit Pixel Event, Google Ads Conversion, LinkedIn Insight

• Customer experience: HubSpot Tracking, RUMvision, Widgetbird, GEM Gemeente Assistent

• Generic: Google Tag Manager, Custom HTML, Custom Script URL

Each template ships with the right consent category, the right input fields, and a sensible default trigger. Custom HTML is the universal escape hatch when nothing fits.

Triggers (the when)

A Trigger decides when a tag runs. Every tag has exactly one. Launcher offers multiple options that, amongst others, cover page views, dataLayer events, clicks and form submits, scroll depth, element visibility and timers.

The Triggers deep-dive walks through which one to pick for which job.

Filters (the if)

A Filter is a condition that gates whether a triggered tag actually fires. Triggers say when; filters say if. Combine any number of conditions with AND or OR, reading from the page URL, cookies, the dataLayer, or the triggering event's own payload.

The Filters deep-dive covers the available variables and operators in detail.

Variables

A variable is a named value defined once and referenced from any number of tags using {{variable_name}}. Five types are supported: cookies, dataLayer keys, JavaScript values, URL parameters, and your own custom JS snippet. Define a utm_campaign URL parameter once, and every tag that needs the current campaign pulls the same value. The Variables deep-dive has examples for each type.

Firing modes

A tag's firing mode decides how it interacts with consent:

• Consent Required: the default. The tag stays dormant until the visitor accepts the relevant consent category, then fires the moment they do. If consent is revoked, the tag stops.

• Always: fires regardless of consent. Reserved for scripts that genuinely set no tracking technologies.

• Disabled — parks a tag without deleting it.

The mode you pick (or inherit from the template) is what makes Launcher consent-aware end-to-end. You never write the "if consent then fire" plumbing yourself.

Preview

Hit Preview on the Tags page and Launcher gives you a shareable link that opens your real website with a floating debug panel on screen. In the debug panel, you can inspect the current consent state, every tag with its live status, every variable with its resolved value and a rolling event log. It's the fastest way to confirm a tag does (or doesn't) fire under the conditions you expect, before any visitor sees it.

The Preview deep-dive has the full walkthrough.

Feedback

If you have feedback on Consent Studio Launcher, you are more than welcome to share it with us via our dedicated feedback board on https://improve.consent.studio.