tracking glossary

Consent Mode

Google Consent Mode tells Google tags what a visitor agreed to, using signals like ad_storage and analytics_storage, so tags adjust what they do.

What is Consent Mode?

Consent Mode is Google's framework for passing a visitor's consent choices to Google tags such as Google Analytics and Google Ads. Your consent banner (a consent management platform, or CMP) sets signals, and the tags read them before deciding what to store and send.

It doesn't collect consent itself. It's the plumbing between the banner where the visitor makes a choice and the tags that need to respect it.

The four Consent Mode v2 signals

Consent Mode v2 uses four signals, each granted or denied. ad_storage covers cookies for advertising. analytics_storage covers cookies for analytics. ad_user_data covers sending user data to Google for advertising. ad_personalization covers using data for personalized advertising such as remarketing.

The last two were added in v2. Google has required v2 signals for advertisers serving users in the European Economic Area since March 2024 if they want to keep using features like audience building and personalization for those users.

Basic and advanced implementations

In a basic implementation, Google tags don't load until the visitor makes a choice. In an advanced implementation, tags load right away with a default of denied and send limited, cookieless pings until consent is granted. Your setup and legal advice determine which fits.

Signals are set with gtag consent commands: a default on page load and an update when the visitor chooses. A common bug is the default arriving after the tags have already fired.

How TracerKit handles it

TracerKit accepts the four Consent Mode v2 signals through tracerkit.consent, and picks up gtag consent commands from window.dataLayer. Tags in the analytics or marketing category stay blocked until the matching signal is granted. Server-side forwarding to Meta, TikTok and Google Ads requires ad_storage and ad_user_data; GA4 requires analytics_storage.

See how TracerKit handles this: Tag manager

Take a look →

questions

Asked and answered.

Is Consent Mode the same as a cookie banner?+

No. The banner collects the visitor's choice. Consent Mode is how that choice is communicated to Google tags.

Do I need Consent Mode outside the EEA?+

Google's v2 requirement is focused on EEA traffic, but sites elsewhere often use it to honor consent under other privacy laws or to keep a single setup worldwide.

Does Consent Mode apply to server-side events?+

The consent state should travel with the event. Google's APIs accept consent fields on uploads, and other platforms expect you to only send data you have permission to send.

related terms

Tag manager

A tag manager loads and controls your site's tracking scripts from one place, so you can add, change or remove tags without editing site code.

Data layer

A data layer is a JavaScript object, usually an array called dataLayer, that your site pushes structured events into so tags can read them consistently.

Enhanced conversions

Enhanced conversions is a Google Ads feature that sends hashed email and phone with a conversion to improve how it's matched to ad clicks.

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