The instructions below simulate a completed reservation to validate web tracking; this includes Google Analytics and other web pixels deployed via Google Tag Manager.

An actual reservation will not be generated in the CRS system; this process is used for web tracking validation only. However, it does generate the complete data layer as outlined on the GTM Data Layer page.

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If you plan to generate many tests reservations then consider setting up a rule to send the tests to a GA dev property, or flag them as 'internal', to prevent skewing your production GA reports.

Steps:

1. Navigate to the lodging website Note: to test specific affiliate codes or user flows, enter the site using the same method as a user
2. Select dates (if not already pre-selected)
3. Choose a property
4. Click the reserve option
5. Once you land on the checkout page, wait for the reservation details to fully load
6. Open your browser developer tools. Typically this is done using the CTRL-SHIFT-I or right-clicking on the page and choosing the 'Inspect' option
7. Go to the 'Console' tab
8. Enter the following command then hit the ENTER key: gtm_test()
9. You should see two messages immediately appear in the console stating that page view and purchase events have been generated (see screenshot below)
10. Proceed to the 'Network' tab if you want to validate the pixel network calls

Live Demonstration

The video below provides a walk-through of the process plus some additional tips that can be useful for validating web tracking.