Consent Mode v2
Consent Mode v2 explained
Displaying a banner and operating a measurement system that respects it are separate tasks. Choices must be captured, passed to affected components and acted on.
**Distinguish basic and advanced mode.** Basic mode blocks Google tags until the required consent is granted. Advanced mode can load tags with denied defaults and send cookieless measurement signals. “No cookies” therefore does not mean “no data transfer”. The intended and permissible behaviour needs assessment for the specific implementation.
**Handle the signals completely.** Alongside analytics_storage and ad_storage, Google distinguishes ad_user_data and ad_personalization. A CMP or an appropriately developed custom solution can communicate choices. Third-party tags do not automatically respect these signals.
**Identify modelling as modelling.** Modelled conversions add estimates subject to product requirements. They do not reconstruct observed individual actions of visitors who declined consent. Test the browser and server-side transfers before a choice, after refusal, after acceptance and after withdrawal.
Examples
Hypothetical application
A team selects “Reject” in the banner and still observes Google requests. This may reflect the selected advanced mode; it does not establish complete blocking. The team checks whether the behaviour matches the intended and reviewed processing.
Key Points
- Capture consent and implement the choice.
- Distinguish basic from advanced mode.
- Cookieless requests still transfer data.
- Separate modelled from observed outcomes.
Practical application
Define intended behaviour for every choice and verify it across the complete data flow.
Useful measures
Choice-consistent behaviour
Tags and transfers follow the intended settings in all tested states.
Data provenance
Observed and modelled metrics remain distinguishable.
Common mistakes
- Equating consent signals with legally valid consent.
- Presenting modelled conversions as fully observed individual events.
Sources and context
- Google Tag Platform: Consent mode overview
Technical behaviour, consent types and differences between basic and advanced mode.
- Google Tag Manager: Server-side consent mode
Propagation and handling of consent in server-side data flows.
Frequently Asked Questions about Consent Mode v2
No. A CMP or custom solution captures the choice. Consent Mode communicates signals and changes supported tag behaviour.
Google documents both CMP integrations and custom solutions. Correctly capturing, communicating and respecting choices matters.
No. Behaviour depends on basic or advanced mode and the actual tag configuration. Inspect network activity rather than only the displayed state.
Related links
Loading related terms…
All TermsArticles about Consent Mode v2
Predictive Analytics in Marketing: Data-Driven Predictions for Better Decisions
How Machine Learning and Predictive Analytics are revolutionizing marketing decisions, from churn prediction and CLV models to demand forecasting.
Behavioral Data Fusion: How Merging Behavioral Data Is Revolutionizing Marketing
Behavioral Data Fusion connects data streams from web analytics, CRM, social media, and IoT into a holistic customer view. Learn why isolated data silos are marketing's biggest blind spot.
Dark Social: How to Measure and Leverage the Invisible 80% of Your Content Reach
Most of your content is shared through private channels, but invisible to analytics. Here's how to use Dark Social strategically.