How to Copy Google Tag Manager Tags Between Containers

Need to move just a few Google Tag Manager (GTM) tags to another container? The native export/import route starts with a container JSON file—not a simple tag picker. To copy only the items you need, you may have to inspect the export, identify related triggers and variables, and make sure you do not overwrite unrelated destination configuration. That can be tedious, especially if you are not used to working with GTM's JSON structure.

GTM Analyzer makes selective transfers easier: choose the tags you want from a source workspace, let it identify their required configuration, then review a deployment plan for the destination. You can do this without manually extracting items from JSON. You still need to check site-specific settings and test the result, but GTM Analyzer takes much of the repetitive selection and dependency work off your hands.

Recommended: copy selected tags with GTM Analyzer

GTM Analyzer is designed for moving a chosen set of GTM configuration between workspaces without treating the whole container export as your unit of work. Start from the source workspace, select the configuration you want, and its template workflow analyzes dependencies—for example, triggers used by selected tags and variables referenced in their configuration.

1. Select the tags and save a template

In GTM Analyzer, open Templates → Create Template, choose the source account, container, and workspace, then select the tags you want to reuse. Review the related configuration identified by dependency analysis, give the template a clear name, and save it for personal or team use.

This is the part that can take careful manual work with JSON: separating the specific tags from the rest of an export and tracking down what they depend on. GTM Analyzer helps you do that through the product workflow instead of requiring you to edit or extract configuration by hand.

2. Choose the destination and review the plan

Open Deploy → Saved Template, select your template, and choose the destination container and workspace. GTM Analyzer prepares a plan showing which entities will be created, reused, or skipped, along with detected name conflicts. Resolve conflicts and review the plan before confirming.

3. Test in the destination container

GTM Analyzer deploys to a destination workspace; it does not publish changes live. Open that workspace in GTM, replace or verify destination-specific values such as measurement and conversion IDs, and check that triggers, variables, consent settings, and data-layer assumptions match the destination site. Use Preview and Tag Assistant to test the relevant events before submitting a version for publication.

Alternative: export and import a container JSON file

GTM's native export/import flow remains useful when you need a portable backup or want to move a broader set of container configuration. Export the source workspace or version from Admin → Export Container, then open Admin → Import Container in the destination and choose the JSON file.

Choose Merge to add the export to a destination workspace instead of replacing its configuration, and carefully review the conflict behavior. A merge is not a single-tag picker: if you only need a few items, identifying and extracting those items and their dependencies manually can take more effort and familiarity with GTM exports than using GTM Analyzer's selection and deployment review.

After importing, verify the tags' triggers, variables, IDs, templates, and consent requirements. The same destination-specific checks and testing apply whether you use native import or GTM Analyzer.

Which method should you use?

For a few selected tags, GTM Analyzer is the simpler and faster workflow: select what you need, review related dependencies and conflicts, and deploy to a workspace—no manual JSON extraction required. Use GTM's export/import when you specifically need a full configuration backup or a broader container transfer. In both cases, review the destination configuration, test it, and publish only when it is ready.