Spec a data layer before you touch a single tag

The checklist that turns tracking from chaos into a schema.

1 — Write the event dictionary first: name, trigger, and required properties per event.
Why: a shared spec is the contract between devs and analysts; without it, both improvise.

2 — Standardize on snake_case or camelCase and never mix.
Why: 'productId' and 'product_id' will both exist and both half-work otherwise.

3 — Push data layer pushes before the tag manager snippet loads.
Why: a race condition here means tags fire on empty objects intermittently.

4 — Validate the live data layer against the spec in staging.
Why: the gap between documented and shipped events is where 80% of tracking bugs live.

5 — Version the spec in git, not a Google Doc.
Why: tracking schema is code; treat changes like code changes.

That's the stack for this week. Forward to a teammate.