Tools
In the context of the JENTIS Data Capturing platform, a Tool is an abstract object that stores the configuration settings for a data recipient. This recipient can be an external third-party data application (such as web analytics or data science tools), marketing and advertising technology, or even an internal data storage system. The configuration settings include the properties of individual networks or applications that are required for their basic setup. This means that you can adjust a setting for multiple tags in your JENTIS Tag Manager configuration using a single entry point.
If you're looking for a comprehensive list of tools supported by JENTIS, please follow this link: JTM Tools List
Tool Instance Configuration
A tool instance is used to define the properties of a service that you want to enable using the JENTIS Data Capturing platform. Tools, in this case, refer to partner networks and databases such as Facebook, Google Ads or Google Analytics. Additionally, a tool can also be a configuration for a custom endpoint that your JTM server needs to interact with. A configuration instance of a defined tool is referred to as a "tool instance configuration". You can have multiple configuration instances of the same tool in your JENTIS DCP, for example, "Google Analytics Europe" and "Google Analytics US" to cater to different configurations per region.
The most important wording in short:
Tool: A service definition in JENTIS Data Capturing Platform, ie. “GA4”.
Tool Configuration (or Tool Instance): A configuration of a tool in your account with a certain purpose, ie. “GA4 - website.com”. You can have multiple tool instances of the same tool configured in your account.
Tool Creation Process
You can find the Tools section at the top of the main navigation in your JENTIS Data Capturing Platform account. This is where you can manage instances of different tools and services, such as Facebook, Google Ads, Google Analytics, and others. These tools can be configured multiple times, which is useful if you need to set up multiple data recipients (such as Pixel or Property IDs) with a single provider.
Instances of tool configurations have properties that can be accessed in all tags associated with them. These properties are used for global configuration values, such as a property or account ID. In the context of Google Analytics, the Measurement ID (GA4) or the Property ID (UA-ID for Universal Analytics) is an example of such values. Additionally, you can define additional custom parameters that are required as global constants for your configuration.
A tool configuration instance consists of the following settings:
Name: Give your tool instance a human readable and meaningful name. We'd recommend to specify here a brief tool handle ("GA") and its purpose ("Web Analytics") and optionally the data target, if there are multiple instances ("UA-12345-0").
Containers: This very important setting defines on what containers this tool configuration (with all associated Tags, Triggers and other elements) will be activated on a given JENTIS Tag Manager Container (ie. a given domain or website).
Constant Settings: These are the global fields, that are shared across all tags of this tool instance. Those fields and values can hold different values for each environment (live, stage) and container (each to be defined in its column). This way you can create basic lookup tables for each individual container configuration. To set individual values in a field please click the "three boxes"-icon in the field input (at the most right of the input field).
Tools Advanced Settings
On the advanced settings tab of a tool instance configuration you can adjust the mapping to a vendor or add custom global variables to this tool.
Vendor Settings
In JENTIS, every tool needs to be assigned to a vendor. By default, each tool has an equivalent vendor with the same name. However, you can create custom vendors with different settings and map your tool to your preferred vendor. This way, you can have more control over the tool-vendor mapping.
Further a vendor, based on its configuration, can be connected to a CMP (consent management platform) to receive consent information and operate based on the consent provided. For more information on this topic please refer to: JENTIS CMP Connectors
Backend Data Storage
Each configuration instance of a tool in your JENTIS account will function within its own scope. This means that data cannot be shared between different tools in JENTIS, ensuring enhanced privacy and data security. Whenever a value is saved on the JENTIS server for a tool, it is saved only for that specific tool that executed the action. For instance, if a tool saves a "Client ID" value to identify a website visitor, only that specific tool will have access to it. Even if two tool instances are of the same class, such as "Google Ads - EU" and "Google Ads - US", they will not be able to access each other's data.
With the feature to set custom Backend Data Storage options in a tool you can now share data for the same tool classes. Here is how to configure this setting. Let's examine it in the example of Google Ads.
Activate Backend Data Storage - Background and Example
Lets cover some background first. Google Ads requires a parameter value that must be stored from page entrance up to the event of conversion (which might be on a later page or session of a visitor). It's the "gclid" URL query parameter value that must be stored and best is to use a server-side storage. As it is the most secure and reliable option.
JENTIS by default will persist this information when a Google Ads tool instance is installed in your account with all tags automatically created (you must select this option when the tool is configured initially). Now whenever a user enters the website and this tool is executed (based on the triggers and consent information) it will persist the "gclid" value on the server. For more information on which Google Ads tags to configure please refer to the tools documentation: Google Ads
In a manual configuration you must make sure to activate the "Google Ads Campaign Detection" tag to persist any "gclid" parameter value received on page entrance.
Now as soon as the conversion signal is received (again, based on the triggers and consent information) it will access the accordingly stored information to submit the value of the "gclid" parameter to Google Ads. This access refers to the backend storage that holds the information. Generally this is on a per-tool-instance basis, as mentioned before, each tool must persist its own data.
Here comes the option into play to share data between tool instances. You can adjust the setting "Default Storage" to select another tool of the same class. If you do so, both tools will share the same storage.
There will be a hint if data is shared in the menu item.
In the example of Google Ads, if multiple instances of this tool are installed in your account, and you select this option, the "gclid" value will be available to all tool instances. So a conversion tracked in any of the tools will access the "gclid" value from any other tool. Possibly enhancing your data quality as less restrictions on sharing data now apply.
Generally this option is a good idea where multiple containers are used or when multiple instances of the same tool are configured. Please also make sure to check our guide on Cross Domain Tracking, which is often related. As data sharing might possibly also be technically restricted based on different website domains.
Further for custom implementations and code you must be aware that this setting (Backend Data Storage) on a tool affects the associated functions "storage.write" and "storage.read", for more details see: Backend Function Interfaces - Read and Write
Optional Constants
Some tools come with optional global settings: "Optional Constants". Just as with the main "Constants" on the tool you can configure here different values that you can then access in this tools tags. Further you can configure your own tool constant values to refer to in the tags. Again those values can be a default or set to individual values on container and environment level.
Tools Automatic Tag Creation
When a tool is created a toggle to "Automatically create Tags" is opted in. You can keep this enabled to generate all tags that are designed to work out of the box with the JENTIS Data Layer default.
It is recommended to keep this toggle if you intend to push data to the JENTIS Data Layer. If you primarily want to pull data based on your custom website and data layer design you can switch this toggle of, to not create tags that will not be triggered in that case anyway.