Better in Launch: Upgrade Process

Upgrading from DTM to Launch? No need to change your DTM embed code.

With any possible upgrade, marketers, IT pros, and implementation managers ask themselves this question — is it worth it? The answer depends on two things: the value the upgrade will provide, and the level of effort required to complete it.

This is the first of ten posts that will prove that upgrading from DTM, or any other tag manager, to Launch, by Adobe, is definitely worth it. This post outlines the level of effort the upgrade process requires, while the subsequent nine posts demonstrate the value that Launch provides over DTM and other tag managers.

Easier upgrading, by design

Before a single line of code was written for Launch, by Adobe, there was one requirement that was non-negotiable: automate the upgrade process to the greatest extent.

In two weeks with the release of Upgrade Assistant, this requirement will be met. To prepare for this release, we’ve provided a summary of the DTM to Launch upgrade process which includes a few things you can do now to get ready.

  1. Assess your DTM instance.

Ensure that all functions used in DTM are officially supported in Launch. Our friends at Search Discovery have created a tool to do just that.
Check out the DTM to Launch Assessment app.

  1. Copy DTM tools, data elements, rules, and custom code to Launch.

To simplify this process, the Launch upgrade assistant automatically copies your tools, data elements, rules, and custom code in DTM to Launch, by Adobe. To learn more, read this Upgrade Preparation Guide and FAQ.

  1. Test on production without publishing to production.

Launch Command is a Google Chrome extension that enables customers to deploy a Launch implementation on their production website locally on the browser, instead of on the production server. That means customers can test the implementation in the production environment without the risk of breaking it.
Install Launch Command.

  1. Link the DTM embed code to Launch libraries.

DTM customers do not need to change their already-in-place DTM embed codes. Instead, customers can point the DTM embed code to a Launch library. To learn more about redirecting your DTM embed codes to Launch, read Link DTM Embed Code.

  1. Conduct standard quality assurance.

We recommend that customers put their Launch implementation through standard quality assurance tests.

  1. Validate implementation.

With Adobe Experience Platform Auditor, all Adobe Experience Cloud customers can scan their Adobe web-based implementations to ensure they are in line with best practices and get granular guidance on how to make improvements. To access Auditor and run your first scan, visit Auditor’s login page.

To debug your implementation, please install the Adobe Experience Cloud Debugger extension for Chrome.
Read Adobe and ObservePoint Release Auditor to learn more.

What to expect

The ease of upgrading isn’t the only thing that makes switching to Launch, by Adobe, a no-brainer. Every two weeks for the next 18 weeks, we will promote a blog post that highlights another reason Launch is superior to DTM and other tag managers. If you’re more of a binge-reader, all of the posts for this series are listed below.

By the end of this series, we think you’ll agree that life is better with Launch.

Better in Launch: Integrations
Better in Launch: User Interface
Better in Launch: Events, Actions, and Data Elements
Better in Launch: Automation
Better in Launch: Performance
Better in Launch: Production Testing
Better in Launch: Team Collaboration
Better in Launch: Publishing
Better in Launch: Security