> Part of the walkerOS documentation. Project overview and full index: <https://www.walkeros.io/llms.txt>

# walkerOS tagging vs. dataLayer.push

Google's `dataLayer` has been the standard way to push data to Google Tag Manager. But it requires manual work for every event. Here's how walkerOS tagging compares.

## Quick comparison[​](#quick-comparison "Direct link to Quick comparison")

| Feature                | dataLayer.push          | walkerOS tagging                  |
| ---------------------- | ----------------------- | --------------------------------- |
| Tagging approach       | Manual JavaScript calls | HTML attributes (data-elb)        |
| Event state management | Manual updates required | Automatic, real-time              |
| Consent handling       | Manual setup in GTM     | Built-in                          |
| Version control        | Hard to track changes   | In your codebase                  |
| Component reusability  | Copy-paste code         | Tag once, use everywhere          |
| Metadata enrichment    | Manual                  | Automatic (timing, session, etc.) |

## Who should use what?[​](#who-should-use-what "Direct link to Who should use what?")

### Keep using dataLayer.push if[​](#keep-using-datalayerpush-if "Direct link to Keep using dataLayer.push if")

* You have an existing GTM setup you don't want to change
* Your tracking is minimal and rarely changes
* Your team prefers JavaScript over HTML attributes

### Switch to walkerOS tagging if[​](#switch-to-walkeros-tagging-if "Direct link to Switch to walkerOS tagging if")

* You want tracking integrated into your components
* You're tired of manual event management
* You need automatic consent handling
* You want version-controlled, reviewable tracking
* You're building with modern component frameworks

## Key differences[​](#key-differences "Direct link to Key differences")

### How tagging works[​](#how-tagging-works "Direct link to How tagging works")

**dataLayer.push:** You write JavaScript to collect values, build the event object, and push it at the right time. Every event needs manual code.

```
dataLayer.push({

  event: 'add_to_cart',

  ecommerce: {

    items: [

      { item_id: 'sku123', item_name: 'Cool Hat', price: 29.99, quantity: 1 },

    ],

  },

});
```

You must gather all values yourself and ensure the push happens after DOM ready and consent is granted.

**walkerOS tagging:** You add HTML attributes to your components. walkerOS reads the DOM, detects interactions, checks consent, and pushes events automatically.

Code

HTMLCSSJS

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Preview

GlobalsContextEntityPropertyAction

Events

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Mapping

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Result

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Tag the button once. walkerOS handles listening for clicks, collecting data from attributes, checking consent, and pushing to any destination.

### Component integration[​](#component-integration "Direct link to Component integration")

**dataLayer.push:** Tracking is often hard-coded separately from components, or managed entirely in GTM. New features frequently launch without tracking because it's an afterthought.

**walkerOS tagging:** Tracking lives in your HTML alongside your components. When you build a component, you tag it once. It works everywhere that component appears: different pages, different contexts, same tracking.

### Maintenance[​](#maintenance "Direct link to Maintenance")

**dataLayer.push:** Every event needs individual updates. Change a product schema? Update every push call. Add a new field? Touch every file.

**walkerOS tagging:** Global attributes apply everywhere automatically. Component-level tagging means one change updates all instances. Event metadata (timing, session, consent state) is added automatically.

## Can they work together?[​](#can-they-work-together "Direct link to Can they work together?")

Yes! You can use the [GTM destination](https://www.walkeros.io/docs/destinations/web/gtag/gtm.md) to send walkerOS events into the dataLayer for your existing GTM tags. This lets you adopt walkerOS tagging while keeping your current GTM setup working.

## Getting started[​](#getting-started "Direct link to Getting started")

Ready to try walkerOS tagging? Check out the [tagging guide](https://www.walkeros.io/docs/sources/web/browser/tagging/html-attributes.md) to see how HTML attributes replace manual push calls.