Consent Mode v2 Explained for Advertisers
Consent Mode v2 decides whether Google Ads and GA4 can use data from visitors who decline cookies. Here's what it is, who needs it and how to check yours is working.
Key takeaways
- Consent Mode passes each visitor's cookie choices to Google tags, which adjust how they collect and use data.
- Version 2 added two signals, ad_user_data and ad_personalization, to the original ad_storage and analytics_storage.
- Since March 2024, advertisers using personalised advertising and remarketing for users in the EEA need Consent Mode v2 in place.
- Advanced mode allows cookieless pings and modelled conversions; basic mode blocks tags until consent is given.
If you advertise with Google and any of your visitors are in Europe, Consent Mode v2 isn’t optional. Even if they aren’t, it is the cleanest way to respect privacy choices without losing all measurement. Here’s what advertisers need to know.
What Consent Mode is
Consent Mode is a way for your cookie banner (a consent management platform, or CMP) to tell Google’s tags what each visitor agreed to. The tags then adjust their behaviour: full measurement when consent is given, limited or no cookie-based measurement when it isn’t.
The four consent signals
| Signal | Controls | Added in |
|---|---|---|
ad_storage |
Cookies used for advertising | v1 |
analytics_storage |
Cookies used for analytics | v1 |
ad_user_data |
Whether user data can be sent to Google for advertising | v2 |
ad_personalization |
Whether data can be used for personalised ads such as remarketing | v2 |
Version 2’s two new signals were introduced in late 2023, in line with Europe’s Digital Markets Act.
Who needs it
Since March 2024, advertisers who want to keep using personalised advertising, remarketing and audience features for users in the European Economic Area need Consent Mode v2 implemented. Without it, measurement and audience building for those users are limited.
For businesses that target only Pakistan or other non-EEA markets, it isn’t mandatory, but it is still good practice, especially if you run campaigns in the UK, Europe or the Gulf with European visitors.
Basic vs advanced mode
- Basic mode: Google tags don’t load at all until the visitor makes a consent choice. If they decline, Google receives nothing.
- Advanced mode: tags load immediately with consent set to “denied” by default. If the visitor declines, tags send cookieless pings (no identifiers), which Google uses for conversion modelling to estimate the conversions you can’t observe.
Advanced mode recovers more measurement but requires careful configuration. Choose based on your legal advice and risk appetite.
How to implement it
- Use a CMP that supports Consent Mode v2. Google maintains a list of certified CMPs.
- Set default consent states before any Google tag fires (denied for EEA visitors, if that is your policy).
- Update consent when the visitor makes a choice in the banner.
- Use Google Tag Manager’s consent settings to make sure non-Google tags also respect consent.
How to check it’s working
- In Google Tag Assistant, load your site and check the Consent tab: defaults should be set before tags fire, and updates should follow banner choices.
- In Google Ads, open the diagnostics for your conversion actions, which report whether consent signals are being received.
- In GA4, review the consent settings in Admin, which show whether ads-related consent signals are active for your property.
Common mistakes
- Default consent set after tags have already fired
- A banner that looks compliant but doesn’t send signals to Google
- Only setting
ad_storageandanalytics_storage(v1) and missing the two v2 signals - Forgetting to test on mobile and in different browsers
Consent is just one part of healthy tracking. Run our full tracking audit, and read GA4 for business owners to make the most of the data you collect.