Consent Mode v2, without the jargon

The short answer

Google Consent Mode v2 is a way for your website to tell Google tags whether each visitor has agreed to cookies and to the use of their data for ads. The tags then adjust what they collect. Version 2 added two signals, ad_user_data and ad_personalization, to the original ad_storage and analytics_storage.

Who needs it: any advertiser using Google Ads, Google Analytics data in Ads, or remarketing for visitors in the European Economic Area, the UK or Switzerland. Google’s EU user consent policy covers those regions, and Google says you must collect consent there and pass the signals to keep using its tags for measurement, personalization and remarketing. A US business with only US visitors is not covered by that policy, but may still want Consent Mode if it runs a cookie banner for state privacy laws.

The four consent signals

Google’s developer documentation says Consent Mode was updated in November 2023 to add the two new parameters, and that existing implementations should send all four.

Consent Mode is not a cookie banner

Google is explicit: “Consent mode doesn’t provide a consent banner or widget.” You still need a consent management platform (CMP) or banner that asks visitors and records their choice. Consent Mode is the plumbing that passes that choice to Google tags. Many CMPs support Consent Mode directly, and Google lists certified CMP partners for EEA traffic.

Basic vs advanced Consent Mode

Google describes two ways to implement it:

• Basic. Google tags stay blocked until the visitor interacts with the banner. If they decline, nothing is sent to Google, not even their consent status. Conversion modeling uses a general model.
• Advanced. Tags load when the page opens with default “denied” settings. If the visitor declines, tags send cookieless pings without identifiers. If they accept, full measurement data is sent. This enables an advertiser-specific model, which Google calls more detailed.

Advanced mode recovers more measurement through modeling, but it sends some signals before consent. Which one fits depends on your legal advice and your company’s privacy stance, so decide with counsel rather than defaulting to whichever setting keeps the most data.

What it changes for Google Ads

• Conversion tracking. Visitors who decline are not tracked with cookies. Google fills some of the gap with modeled conversions when your tags meet its data thresholds.
• Remarketing. Visitors who deny ad_personalization cannot be added to remarketing lists for personalized ads.
• Enhanced conversions. Google says the ad_user_data consent type is required for measurement uses such as enhanced conversions and tag-based conversion tracking.
• Reporting. Expect fewer observed conversions from regions with consent requirements. Watch trends rather than comparing directly with pre-consent months.
• Smart bidding. Bidding learns from the conversions it sees, including modeled ones, so a broken consent setup can starve campaigns of data.

Want to know if your tracking and consent setup is right?

Book a free 30-minute call. We review your site’s tags, banner and Google Ads conversions with you and tell you what we would fix first. No obligation. Pick a time.

How to set it up

1. Decide which regions need consent. At minimum, EEA, UK and Switzerland if you get traffic from there. Ask counsel about US state laws that apply to you.
2. Choose a CMP that supports Google Consent Mode v2. Many have Google Tag Manager templates.
3. Set default consent states by region. Google’s documentation shows how to set defaults per country or US state using ISO codes, with the more specific region winning. For example, denied by default in the EEA and granted elsewhere.
4. Make sure the banner updates consent when the visitor chooses. If the banner loads slowly, the wait_for_update setting tells tags to wait a short time for the choice.
5. Configure each tag’s consent checks in Tag Manager, so tags respect the four signals.
6. Test in Tag Manager Preview with consent accepted and declined, and from an EEA location if possible.
7. Check Google Ads diagnostics for consent signals on your conversion actions after a few days.

Common mistakes

• Using a banner that looks compliant but never sends signals to Google.
• Sending only the two original parameters and not ad_user_data and ad_personalization.
• Setting everything to “granted” by default for EEA visitors, which defeats the purpose.
• Hard-coded Google tags outside Tag Manager that ignore the consent setup.
• Changing the banner or theme and never re-testing.

How to tell if it is working

• Tag Manager Preview shows the consent state on each event. Defaults should appear first, then an update when the visitor chooses.
• Google Ads conversion diagnostics report whether consent signals are being received for your conversion actions.
• Conversion volume should dip only for regions where consent is required, not everywhere. A drop across all regions usually means tags are blocked for everyone by mistake.
• Remarketing list sizes should keep growing from visitors who accepted. If they flatten to zero, ad_personalization is probably never being granted.

Check these after launch, after any change to the banner or theme, and at least once a quarter.

This is general information, not legal advice

Privacy law differs by country and US state, and Google’s policies change. Confirm what applies to your business with a qualified attorney. Our role is the technical side: making sure the banner, Tag Manager and Google Ads work together correctly.

How JLB USA helps

Our Google Ads management includes checking that conversion tracking and consent signals work, so campaigns keep learning from real leads and sales. If your site needs a cleaner setup overall, our web design team builds tracking and consent in from the start. For a wider look at what reliable measurement makes possible, see conversion rate optimization tips.

Keep reading

• Is Google Guaranteed worth it? What changed and when Local Services Ads pay off
• Facebook ads for small business: how to start with objective, budget, audience and creative
• Google Tag Manager for beginners: what it does and the tags a small business needs
• Landing page vs homepage: where should your ads send people?

Related services

• Google Ads management
• Web design
• Conversion rate optimization tips