Consent Mode
Consent Mode is a Google feature that lets your tags, such as those for GA4 and Google Ads, know whether a visitor has given consent for cookies, so they adjust their behaviour accordingly.
- 3 min read
What is Consent Mode?
Consent Mode is a link between your cookie banner and Google's tags. When a visitor makes a choice in the banner, Consent Mode passes that choice on to GA4, Google Ads and other Google services. They adjust their behaviour accordingly.
If the visitor gives consent, the tags work normally and cookies are placed. If the visitor declines, the tags do not place cookies for analytics or advertising.
Since March 2024, Google has worked with Consent Mode v2. It contains two extra signals: whether data may be used for advertising and whether it may be used for personalised advertising. Advertisers who reach visitors from the European Economic Area must pass on these signals if they want to make full use of features such as Remarketing and conversion measurement.
Why it matters for your business
If you advertise with Google Ads, Consent Mode is no longer a choice. Without the right signals, Google can measure fewer conversions and some features are limited. Your campaigns then steer on an incomplete picture.
It is also a matter of law. In the Netherlands and the rest of the EU you need consent for cookies that are not strictly necessary, such as cookies for advertising. A banner that is only there for show, while tags simply fire, creates risk.
Consent Mode also helps with measurement. In the advanced variant, Google tags send anonymous signals without cookies when there is no consent. Google uses those to model the behaviour of visitors who decline. That way you still keep a better picture of your results.
How Consent Mode works
There are two variants. In the basic variant, Google tags only load when someone gives consent. Without consent, nothing is sent. In the advanced variant, the tags always load, but without consent they only send anonymous pings without cookies or identification.
Technically it works with a default setting that loads before the visitor chooses, usually everything denied. After the choice in the banner, the consent is updated. Most well-known cookie tools support Consent Mode v2 and pass on the signals automatically, often via Google Tag Manager.
An example. Say a roofer has been advertising with Google Ads for a few years and has a simple cookie notice with only an “OK” button. All tags fire straight away, even before anyone has chosen anything. No Consent Mode has been set up.
After the change, there is a banner with a clear choice between accepting and declining. The banner is linked to Consent Mode v2 in Tag Manager, with everything denied by default. GA4 and the Google Ads tags respond to the choice. In Google Ads the consent status is active, and conversion measurement works according to the rules again.
Common mistakes
The most common mistake is a cookie banner with no link to the tags. The banner asks for consent, but the tags fire anyway. You then have the appearance of consent without it working.
A second mistake is a default setting that is set to granted. Cookies are then placed before anyone has chosen.
Also often seen: passing on only the old signals, without the two new ones from version 2. Google Ads then reports that consent is incomplete.
A fourth mistake is a banner where declining is much harder than accepting, for example hidden behind an extra settings screen. Regulators do not see that as a free choice, and visitors get annoyed by it.
Finally, many businesses forget other tools. Consent Mode works for Google tags. You need to link the Meta pixel, a chat tool or a heatmap tool to the consent separately.
How to approach it
Choose a cookie tool that supports Consent Mode v2 and set up a banner with an equal choice between accepting and declining.
Set the default consent to denied and have the banner pass on the choice via Tag Manager. Choose deliberately between the basic and the advanced variant. The advanced variant gives more measurement data, the basic variant is the most restrained. Record why you choose one or the other. Also link non-Google tags to the consent.
Then check that it works. In Tag Manager's preview mode you can see which consent applies. In Google Ads and GA4 you can see whether the signals are coming in.
Want to be sure your measurement is right and stays within the rules? We include it in conversion tracking and dashboards.
Frequently asked questions
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Is Consent Mode mandatory?
For advertisers who reach visitors in the European Economic Area with Google Ads, Consent Mode v2 has been needed since March 2024 to make full use of conversion measurement and remarketing. In addition, the law requires you to ask for consent for cookies that are not strictly necessary. Consent Mode makes sure your tags really follow that choice.
What is the difference between basic and advanced Consent Mode?
In the basic variant, Google tags only load after consent. In the advanced variant, they always load, but without consent they only send anonymous signals without cookies. That lets Google model the behaviour of visitors who decline better.
Does Consent Mode also work for the Meta pixel?
No, Consent Mode is a feature for Google tags. You need to link the Meta pixel and other tools to the consent in your cookie banner separately. In Google Tag Manager you can use the consent settings per tag for that.
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