"Still Running" Tags in Google Tag Manager: Why It Happens and How to Fix It

If you're already diving into GoogleTagManager, you might have encountered the frustrating issue where tags are stuck on "Still running" even after refreshing the page. Don't worry—this is a common issue, and there are a few reasons why it might be happening. Let’s break down what could be going on and how to fix it.

1. Ad Blockers.
Browser extensions like Ghostery, AdGuard or AdBlock Plus can block Google Tag Manager from working properly. If you're using one of these extensions, try disabling it and see if that solves the issue. Keep in mind that it’s not just GTM that could be affected—other tracking scripts like Google Ads might also be blocked.

2. Google Consent Mode.
If your website has Google Consent Mode enabled, it can affect how tags behave, especially marketing tags like Google Ads. For example, if a visitor hasn't given consent for data processing related to marketing, the tag might stay in the "Still running" state, even though the request has been sent.

How to check:
Open Developer Tools in your browser, go to the "Network" tab, and look for requests with the gcs parameter. This will confirm that Consent Mode is active.

If the visitor consents to marketing, the tag status should change to "Succeeded." If not, it will remain in "Still running." If this isn’t happening as expected, there might be an issue with your Consent Mode setup.

3. Content Security Policy (CSP).
If your site has a CSP in place, it may block GTM tags, especially if requests are being sent to external services like Google Ads. This security feature could be preventing tags from completing properly.

How to check:
In Developer Tools, go to the "Console" tab and look for any errors related to CSP, such as "Refused to load."

If CSP is the issue, your developers will need to adjust the settings to allow requests from necessary sources.

4. Not Enough Time for the Tag to Fire.
If your site uses link clicks that immediately redirect or reload the page, the tags might not have enough time to complete before the page refreshes or the user is sent to a new page.

Solution:
In GTM, enable the "Wait for Tags" option in your link click triggers to give the tags extra time to finish firing before the redirect happens. This can help reduce the frequency of tags showing as "Still running."

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