Extension basics

Extensions provide a user-friendly interface to add customizations to your data layer and tags without the need for coding. Extensions have a variety of purposes, such as modifying data layer values, setting cookies, and even setting up click tracking. Think of extensions as your tag management toolbox.

Scope

The effects of extensions are either global or local, meaning they are applied to all tags globally or to individual tags. In extensions, this setting is called scope.

• Global Scope
  The effects of an extension apply to all tags. The scope is simply called All Tags.
• Local Scope
  The effects of an extension only apply to a specific tag. The scope is called Tag Scope.

To get comfortable using extensions, it is important to understand the order of operations of the main components of TiQ and when the “All Tags” scope occurs. The following details a simplified version of the order of operations in TiQ that shows when the data layer object is processed by each component.

1. Page loads the following:
   • UDO – utag_data
   • Tealium Tag – utag.js
2. Tealium Tag (utag.js) runs the following:
   • Data Layer variables are evaluated (cookies, meta, query string, etc.)
   • Load Rules are evaluated
   • "All Tags" extensions run (Global scope)
   • Tags run
     • “Tag Scope” extensions run (Local scope)
     • Tags fire

A link to a detailed version of the order of operations is provided in the Additional Resources section at the end of this guide.

In summary:

• “All Tags” extensions affect all tags.
• “Tag Scoped” extensions only affect the associated tags.

There are two other global scopes called “Pre Loader” and “DOM Ready” that are used for more advanced scenarios. Also, within the “All Tags” scope there is an execution setting that provides more granular control for running tags before load rules or after all tags.

Additional details about these settings are found at the end of this guide.