Guide · Analytics
Consent Mode v2: What It Is and How to Set It Up
Consent mode v2 is Google's way of letting your website tags follow each visitor's cookie choice. It adds two signals to the original pair. This guide explains what the four signals do, the two ways to set it up, and the steps a small site can take with a consent banner.
What consent mode v2 is
Consent mode is a setting for Google tags. Your consent banner tells the tags whether a visitor said yes or no. The tags then change what they store and send.
Google first built it with two signals, called ad_storage and analytics_storage. In November 2023 it added two more, ad_user_data and ad_personalization. The update is what people call consent mode v2. Google's developer guide tells existing users to upgrade to it.
One point is easy to miss. Consent mode does not give you a banner. It only works with the banner or consent tool you already have. If you have no banner, it has nothing to listen to.
Sources: Google for Developers, Set up consent mode on websites; Google Analytics Help, Consent mode on websites and mobile apps
The four signals
Each signal has two values: granted or denied. Here is what each one controls.
Signal What it controls ad_storage Whether advertising cookies can be read or written analytics_storage Whether analytics cookies can be read or written ad_user_data Whether user data can be sent to Google for advertising ad_personalization Whether personalised advertising, such as remarketing, can be used The last two are the new ones. Your banner should ask about them in plain words, and your setup should send "denied" until a visitor says yes.
Sources: Google for Developers, Set up consent mode on websites; Google Analytics Help, Consent mode on websites and mobile apps
Why many sites had to act in 2024
Google said it was strengthening how it enforces its EU user consent policy. The change mostly matters if you run Google Ads or remarketing for people in the European Economic Area (EEA).
From March 2024, Google began mapping the ad_storage value to ad_user_data for EEA traffic on sites using the first version. That kept basic measurement going. But Google states that it made no change to ad_personalization. If you want audiences and remarketing to keep working in the EEA, you may need to send the new signals yourself.
If your site has no EEA visitors and runs no Google ads, you may not need it. Check your own traffic first. This is not legal advice. A lawyer can tell you what your own consent duties are.
Sources: Google for Developers, Set up consent mode on websites; Tag Manager Help, Mapping ad_storage to ad_user_data
Basic or advanced: pick one
Google describes two ways to apply consent mode. The choice changes how much data you keep when people say no.
Basic Advanced When tags load Blocked until the visitor agrees Load first, then adjust to the choice If a visitor says no No data is collected Tags send cookieless pings Modelling in Google Analytics 4 None to fill the gaps Behavioural and conversion modelling Modelling in Google Ads A general model Conversion modelling Basic is the stricter route. Advanced gives you more data to model from, but your lawyer or privacy lead should approve it first. Google says that if your banner uses the IAB Europe Transparency and Consent Framework, GA4 cannot model the missing data when visitors decline.
Sources: Google Analytics Help, Consent mode on websites and mobile apps
How a small site sets it up
Most small sites use Google Tag Manager and a consent tool with a template. Follow these steps in order.
- Choose a banner that supports consent mode v2. Check its help page for the words "ad_user_data" and "ad_personalization".
- Set the default state before any tag fires. For visitors where you need consent, the default is "denied" for all four signals.
- In Tag Manager, run the banner or default tag on the Consent Initialization trigger. Google says it fires before all other tags, including Initialization triggers.
- Make the banner send an update when a visitor clicks. A click on "accept" should switch the signals to "granted".
- Open each tag's Advanced Settings, then Consent Settings. Google tags have built-in checks. For other tags, choose "Require additional consent" and add the type they need.
- Test it. Check the denied and granted states in Tag Assistant, Google's debugging tool, before you publish.
Google also lets you set a default for one region only. If you do, your banner must give visitors from that region the chance to change their choice.
Sources: Google for Developers, Set up consent mode on websites; Tag Manager Help, Tag Manager consent mode support; Google Analytics Help, Consent mode on websites and mobile apps
Mistakes that break it
Four slips come up again and again.
- The banner loads after the tags. The tags then run with no default, and Google says that by default no consent values are set.
- Only two of the four signals are sent. Remarketing and audiences can then stop working for EEA traffic.
- Tags that lack built-in checks are left with no consent setting. They fire no matter what a visitor chose.
- The banner says "reject" but the code still sends "granted". The text and the code must match.
Ask whoever built your site to show you the signal values in a test. If an agency did the work, ask for a screenshot of each state. This fits the evidence checks in our guide on how to brief an agency.
Sources: Google Analytics Help, Consent mode on websites and mobile apps; Tag Manager Help, Tag Manager consent mode support
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