The Ultimate Guide to Inspecting and Tracking Web Forms

In today’s digital landscape, forms are more than just a way for visitors to contact you—they’re critical conversion points that fuel your marketing and analytics efforts. But not all forms are created equal. Different types of forms require different tracking approaches. In this guide, we’ll break down the process of inspecting a form and introduce you to various methods to track its performance effectively.

Why Form Tracking Matters

Understanding how your forms perform is essential. It helps you:

• Measure lead generation: Know which forms drive the most conversions.
• Improve user experience: Identify friction points where visitors drop off.
• Optimize marketing campaigns: Adjust your strategies based on real-time data.
• Make data-driven decisions: Fine-tune your website and form design to maximize effectiveness.

The foundation of effective form tracking starts with a thorough inspection process.

Step 1: Inspecting Your Form

Before diving into tracking methods, you need to understand how your form behaves. Here’s a checklist to inspect your form:

1. Identify the Form Builder

Ask yourself:

• Is the form built with the help of a popular plugin?
  Many websites rely on widely used form builders that have standard tracking integrations. Knowing if your form is created using such a plugin can often streamline the tracking process.

2. Determine Post-Submission Behavior

Understanding what happens after a form is submitted is crucial:

• Does the page reload?
• Does the URL change?
  A page reload or a change in the URL (such as redirecting to a “Thank you” page) indicates that you might be able to leverage traditional page-based tracking methods.

3. Check for AJAX Events

Modern forms often submit data asynchronously:

• Can you catch AJAX events?
  Since AJAX submissions do not cause a full page refresh, conventional tracking triggers might not fire. In such cases, custom tracking solutions are necessary.

4. Validate GTM (Google Tag Manager) Triggers

If you’re using Google Tag Manager (GTM):

• Did the GTM Form Submission Trigger work?
  If the built-in trigger isn’t firing, it might mean that the form requires a different tracking approach.

5. Look for a Success Message

Many forms provide user feedback:

• Does the form display a success message with a unique ID or class?
  If yes, this unique identifier can serve as a reliable trigger point for tracking form submissions.

6. Consider Developer Input

Sometimes, the form’s behavior might be too complex:

• Do you have access to a developer for custom integrations?
  Developer assistance can be invaluable, especially if you need to implement a solution like a custom dataLayer.push for tracking.

By answering these questions, you’ll gain a clear picture of how your form operates and which tracking methods are best suited to capture its activity.

Step 2: Exploring Form Tracking Methods

Based on your inspection, you have several tracking options available. Let’s break down each method:

1. Built-in GTM Form Submission Trigger

What It Is:
Google Tag Manager (GTM) offers a built-in trigger that listens for form submission events. It’s easy to set up and works well with standard form submissions.

When to Use:

• When your form reloads or changes the URL after submission.
• When the form is built with a popular plugin that is compatible with GTM.

Pros and Cons:

• Pros: Quick to implement, integrates seamlessly with GTM.
• Cons: May not fire for forms using AJAX or those with custom behaviors.

2. “Thank You” Page Tracking

What It Is:
This method involves tracking a page load—typically a “Thank you” page—that appears after a successful form submission.

When to Use:

• When your form redirects users to a dedicated page after submission.

Pros and Cons:

• Pros: Simple to set up and relies on conventional page view tracking.
• Cons: Doesn’t work if the form submits without a page reload (e.g., via AJAX).

3. AJAX Form Tracking

What It Is:
AJAX form tracking requires capturing asynchronous submission events. This often involves listening for specific JavaScript events that indicate the form has been submitted successfully.

When to Use:

• For forms that submit data in the background without a page reload.

Pros and Cons:

• Pros: Ideal for modern, dynamic forms.
• Cons: Requires additional configuration and possibly custom JavaScript to detect the event.

4. Element Visibility Trigger

What It Is:
This method tracks changes in the visibility of an element on the page. For example, when a success message appears after form submission, you can use an element visibility trigger to record the event.

When to Use:

• When your form displays a unique success message that appears after submission.

Pros and Cons:

• Pros: Works well when there is a clear, unique identifier for the success message.
• Cons: Can be sensitive to changes in the page design or styling.

5. Developer + dataLayer.push

What It Is:
For complex forms that defy standard tracking methods, you might need to work with your developer to implement custom tracking. This often involves using GTM’s dataLayer to push custom events when the form is submitted.

When to Use:

• When no built-in method adequately captures the form submission.
• When you require a tailored solution that fits your site’s unique setup.

Pros and Cons:

• Pros: Offers the most flexibility and reliability for non-standard forms.
• Cons: Requires technical expertise and coordination with your development team.

Putting It All Together: A Practical Example

Imagine you have a lead generation form on your website that submits via AJAX. During your inspection, you find that:

• The form does not reload the page.
• There is no change in the URL.
• However, a success message with a unique class appears once the form is submitted.

In this case, the best approach might be:

1. Set up an element visibility trigger in GTM that listens for the unique success message.
2. Test the trigger to ensure that it fires every time a user submits the form.
3. Coordinate with your developer if additional data needs to be sent via the dataLayer for more granular tracking.

This approach ensures that you capture every successful submission, providing you with accurate conversion data.

Best Practices for Effective Form Tracking

To maximize the benefits of your form tracking efforts, keep these best practices in mind:

• Test thoroughly: Always test your tracking setup across different browsers and devices.
• Monitor regularly: Set up regular audits to ensure that tracking remains accurate as your site evolves.
• Document your process: Maintain clear documentation of your tracking setup to ease troubleshooting and future updates.
• Stay updated: Form plugins and tracking tools are constantly evolving. Keep an eye on updates and industry best practices to ensure your tracking methods remain effective.

Conclusion

Inspecting your forms is the first critical step in ensuring that every conversion is captured accurately. By asking the right questions and understanding the behavior of your forms, you can select the most appropriate tracking method—from built-in GTM triggers to custom developer solutions using dataLayer.push. Ultimately, effective form tracking not only bolsters your analytics but also empowers you to make informed, data-driven decisions that drive business growth.

By investing time in understanding and optimizing your form tracking, you’re setting the stage for a more robust and insightful digital marketing strategy.