Track WPForms Submissions in Google Tag Manager with this Free GTM Recipe
A free, tested Google Tag Manager recipe that captures WPForms submissions and turns them into a trigger you can use to fire conversions to Google Ads, Google Analytics and more.
Google Tag Manager is one of the usual ways to send conversions to Google Ads, Google Analytics, etc when someone submits a WPForms form on your website.
The problem is, it's quite difficult to set up. WPForms saves most submissions over AJAX and reloads the page on others, which means Google Tag Manager's built-in form submission trigger doesn't fire reliably, so you're left having to write custom code to detect the form submission, send an event to the dataLayer, and build a trigger on top of that.
And unless you're a developer or really comfortable in Google Tag Manager, you're going to struggle.
Fortunately though, there's a simpler way.
You can just install this WPForms Conversion Tracking Recipe in your Google Tag Manager account and you'll have everything you need to get basic conversion tracking set up.
What Is a Google Tag Manager Recipe?
A recipe is a ready-made set of Google Tag Manager assets (tags, triggers, etc) you can import in a single step.
Instead of manually writing custom code to listen for form submissions, push events into the dataLayer, creating variables and triggers, etc. you simply download the ready-made assets and upload them into your account. They are a great way to get a tested, working setup in Google Tag Manager without having to do all the manual parts yourself.
Get the free recipe!
Download the container file and import it into Google Tag Manager. That gives you everything you need to track WPForms submissions in Google Tag Manager.
What This Recipe Includes
This recipe detects WPForms submissions, sends a 'Form Submitted' event to Google Tag Manager, and gives you a Trigger you can use to send conversions to Google Analytics, Google Ads, etc.
There are three parts to it:
Custom HTML Tag
The code listens for successful WPForms submissions and pushes a 'wpforms_form_submitted' event into the dataLayer.
Variable
A Data Layer Variable that captures the ID of the form that was submitted, ready to reference in any tag.
Trigger
A Trigger that fires when the 'wpforms_form_submitted' event comes through, which you can use as the Trigger for any of your conversion Tags (i.e. Google Analytics 4 event, Google Ads Conversion, etc).
Why It's the Best Recipe Out There
It uses the same detection code we run in our own conversion tracking product, Converly, just adapted to work inside Google Tag Manager.
How to Use the WPForms GTM Recipe
Install the Recipe
Download the recipe using the form above, then import it into your Google Tag Manager container. In GTM, go to Admin, choose Import Container, select the file you just downloaded, and pick the Merge option so it doesn't overwrite anything already in your container. The listener, variable and trigger are added for you automatically.
Configure Your Tags
With the recipe installed, you can use its Trigger for your conversion tags. Here are two common examples.
Example 1: Google Analytics
In Google Tag Manager, go to Tags and click New. Pick "Google Analytics: GA4 Event" as the tag type, choose your GA4 configuration tag (or enter your Measurement ID), and give the event a name like generate_lead. Then set its firing trigger to the recipe's trigger, CE - WPForms Submitted, and save. Every WPForms submission now sends that event to Google Analytics.
Example 2: Google Ads
First, create a conversion action in your Google Ads account (under Goals, then Conversions) so you have a Conversion ID and Conversion Label to work with. Back in Google Tag Manager, add a new "Google Ads Conversion Tracking" tag, paste in those two values, and set its firing trigger to CE - WPForms Submitted. Save and publish, and each of your WPForms submissions will trigger a conversion to be sent to Google Ads.
What This Enables You to Do (and What It Doesn't)
This recipe fires an event in Google Tag Manager whenever a successful WPForms submission is detected. You can use it as a trigger to send conversions to Google Ads, Google Analytics and other tags.
What it does
Sends an Event to GTM
Detects successful WPForms submissions and pushes an event named 'wpforms_form_submitted' into your dataLayer automatically.
Tells You Which Form Fired
Captures the ID of the form that was submitted and passes it along with the 'wpforms_form_submitted' event, so a site running several forms can fire different tags for different forms.
Creates a Trigger in GTM
Gives you a 'Trigger' in Google Tag Manager that you can attach to any of your conversion tags.
What it doesn't do
Send the conversion server-side
It all fires client-side, so ad blockers can stop the tag loading and browser privacy limits can cut tracking down to as little as a day.
No Click IDs or Identifiers
It doesn't capture the Google click ID, Facebook click ID, Meta pixel cookies, IP address or user agent, which ad platforms need for Enhanced Conversions (Google) or a proper Event Match Quality score (Meta).
No Personal Details
The script only fires an event. It doesn't capture the lead's name, email or phone number, all of which Google and Meta rely on for enhanced conversions and a high match score.
No Logging or Notifications
You can test it with Tag Assistant when you install it, but unless you check every week you have no way of knowing if it quietly breaks.
The Proper Way to Send Conversions to Google Ads, Meta Ads & More
This recipe is fine if you only send events to Google Analytics, which doesn't accept personal information or IP addresses. But to get a strong Event Match Quality (EMQ) score in Meta, or use Enhanced Conversions in Google, you need to send the data server-side, along with the lead's name and email. That's what Converly does.
Here's why Converly is the best way to send conversions to Google Ads, Meta Ads, Microsoft Ads, LinkedIn Ads, etc.
Easy to set up
Converly gives you a simple drag-and-drop builder for putting together a Conversion Flow. Just pick a trigger (like a WPForms form being submitted) and then pick your actions (like sending a conversion to Google Ads). No custom code, no complex configuration.
Sends Data Server-Side
Converly sends conversions straight from its servers to Google, Meta and the rest, rather than through the visitor's browser, so ad blockers and privacy restrictions can't get in the way.
Sends More Data
It captures the lead's name, email and phone along with the Google and Facebook click IDs, IP address and user agent, and sends them with every conversion. That unlocks Enhanced Conversions in Google Ads, or gets you an Event Match Quality (EMQ) score of 9 or 10 in Meta.
Full Conversion Log & Email Notifications
See every conversion, what was captured, what was sent to each platform and whether it landed. Get email alerts so tracking can't break without you knowing.
Supports Multiple Tools & Destinations
Detects submissions across 80+ form, scheduling and chat tools and forwards them to 20+ destinations including Google Ads, Meta, LinkedIn, Microsoft and TikTok. So the day you add a new tool or start advertising somewhere new, it's just a few clicks.
Provides Free Support
Our team has 20 years in conversion tracking and analytics and is on hand to help whenever you need it. With Google Tag Manager, you're on your own.
Start Your Free Trial
Start a 14-day free trial and track your conversions the proper way. No code, no complicated configuration.
About the author
Aaron is the founder of Converly. With over 15 years of experience in digital marketing and SaaS, he's passionate about helping businesses track and optimise their ad conversions.