Step by step guide to building custom dashboards in Leanlayer for gtm analytics

If you’re tired of wrestling with generic dashboards or piecing together Google Tag Manager (GTM) data with spreadsheets, this guide is for you. Whether you’re a marketer, product manager, or just the “analytics person” by default, I’ll show you—step by step—how to set up custom dashboards in Leanlayer that actually make GTM data useful. No buzzwords, no hand-waving. Just practical steps, honest advice, and a few warnings about what’s worth your time (and what isn’t).

Before You Start: What You Actually Need

Let’s keep it real. You don’t need to be a data scientist, but you do need:

  • Access to Leanlayer (obviously) and permission to create dashboards
  • GTM set up and firing events you care about (e.g., conversions, clicks, scrolls)
  • A list of what you actually want to track
  • Patience for a little trial and error

Pro tip: If you haven’t figured out what questions you want your dashboard to answer, stop here. Write those out first. The best dashboards are simple and only show what matters.

Step 1: Connect GTM Data to Leanlayer

Before you can build anything, you have to get your GTM data into Leanlayer. Here’s how to actually do it (and what can trip you up):

  1. Log in to Leanlayer and head to the “Integrations” or “Data Sources” section.
  2. Find the GTM (Google Tag Manager) integration. Some platforms try to hide this under “Google Analytics”—don’t get fooled. You want direct GTM event data.
  3. Follow the prompts to authenticate with your Google account and pick the right GTM container.
  4. Choose the event types you care about. Don’t import everything—just the events that matter (e.g., form submissions, transactions, custom events).
  5. Map GTM variables to Leanlayer fields if prompted. This is where things can get messy—double-check that your event names and variables line up.

What to ignore: Fancy AI “auto-mapping” features. They’re rarely perfect. Spend the five minutes to verify your field mapping now, or spend an hour debugging it later.

Step 2: Plan Your Dashboard (Don’t Skip This)

It’s tempting to jump in and start dragging widgets around, but you’ll just end up with a cluttered mess. Instead, sketch out:

  • Which metrics matter? (e.g., total conversions, click-through rate, error events)
  • Who are you building this for? (yourself, your boss, the whole company)
  • How often will you check it? (daily, weekly, only when something’s broken)
  • What should trigger an alert or highlight?

Write these down or sketch a rough layout on paper. Trust me, this saves tons of time.

Step 3: Create Your Dashboard

Now you’re ready to build. Here’s the process, minus the fluff:

  1. Go to the Dashboards section in Leanlayer and click “Create Dashboard.”
  2. Name it something obvious. (“GTM Conversion Overview” is better than “Dashboard 3”)
  3. Set permissions. If you want to share this with your team—or keep it private—set that now.

Step 4: Add and Configure Widgets

This is where most people get lost. Here’s how to do it right:

  1. Click “Add Widget” or “Add Tile.”
  2. Pick your widget type:
    • Number/Metric for single values (e.g., conversions today)
    • Line/Bar Chart for trends (e.g., events over time)
    • Table for details (e.g., events by URL or user)
  3. Choose your GTM data source and event. Make sure you’re pulling from the right event name—case and spelling matter.
  4. Configure filters. For example:
    • Only count “form_submit” events
    • Exclude test or internal IPs
    • Filter by page path or user property
  5. Set date ranges and comparison periods. Most widgets let you show this week vs. last week, etc.
  6. Label everything. Don’t just call it “Metric 1.” Be specific: “Total Product Checkouts” or “Signup Errors.”

Pro tip: Less is more. Start with 3-5 widgets that answer your core questions. You can always add more later.

Step 5: Layout and Design (Keep It Simple)

Resist the urge to make it “pretty” with tons of colors and widgets. Here’s what works:

  • Group related metrics together (e.g., all conversion events on one row)
  • Put the most important number at the top left—that’s what people notice first
  • Stick to simple colors: Use red for errors, green for success, and otherwise keep it boring
  • Don’t stack too many charts—if you need to scroll a lot, you have too much

What doesn’t work: Pie charts for everything, “fun” backgrounds, or cramming 20 widgets onto one page. You want quick answers, not visual overload.

Step 6: Test Your Data

Before you show this to anyone, make sure your dashboard isn’t lying to you:

  • Click on each widget and check the data source and filters. It’s easy to accidentally show “all events” when you mean just one.
  • Compare numbers to what you see in GTM or Google Analytics. If they’re way off, your mapping is probably wrong.
  • Trigger a few test events (e.g., submit a test form, click a test button) and see if they show up.

If something’s broken, double-check your integration and widget filters. Nine times out of ten, it’s a typo or mismatched event name.

Step 7: Share and Set Up Alerts

Once you trust your dashboard, it’s time to make it useful for others:

  • Share the dashboard with your team—set permissions so they can view (or edit) as needed.
  • Set up alerts or highlights for key metrics. For example:
    • Email me if conversion rate drops below 2%
    • Highlight if error events spike suddenly
  • Schedule regular reports (if Leanlayer supports this) so you or your team get a PDF or link in your inbox.

What to ignore: Over-complicated alert rules or reporting cadences. Start with the basics, then add more if you actually need them.

Pro Tips and Honest Warnings

  • Don’t try to track everything. Focus on the actions and metrics that actually drive decisions.
  • Expect some trial and error. First dashboards are rarely perfect—fix them as you use them.
  • Don’t fall for “dashboard templates” that promise to do it all. They’re usually too generic to be useful.
  • Keep documentation. If you’re mapping lots of GTM variables, write down what goes where. Future-you will thank you.
  • Review your dashboard every few months. Metrics that mattered last quarter might not matter now.

Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Iterate Often

Building a custom GTM analytics dashboard in Leanlayer doesn’t have to be complicated. The best dashboards answer real questions and are easy to update. Start small, focus on what actually matters, and keep tweaking. The less you overthink it, the more useful your dashboard will be.