What is Google Consent Mode? Consent types, v2 and basic vs advanced
Consent Mode is Google's framework that lets tags and app SDKs adjust how they behave, for example whether they read or write cookies, based on the consent choices each visitor makes. In Google's words, it "allows web and app developers to adjust tag and app SDK behavior based on user consent choices."
How it works
Consent Mode is not a cookie banner. Your banner or consent management platform collects the choice; Consent Mode passes that choice to Google tags. A page first sets a default state with gtag('consent', 'default', ...), before any measurement commands, and then sends an update as soon as the visitor accepts or declines. Google notes that Consent Mode does not save choices itself, so your consent tool must store them.
The consent types
| Type | What it controls |
|---|---|
| ad_storage | Storage, such as cookies, for advertising |
| analytics_storage | Storage for analytics, such as visit duration |
| ad_user_data | Sending user data to Google for advertising |
| ad_personalization | Personalized advertising |
| functionality_storage, personalization_storage, security_storage | Site features, personalization and security |
The two newer parameters, ad_user_data and ad_personalization, are what people usually mean by "Consent Mode v2." Google Ads states that from March 2024 consent for both is needed to keep using data from users in the European Economic Area for ad personalization features such as Customer Match, and that if you don't send consent signals you lose ad personalization capabilities.
Basic vs advanced
- Basic: Google tags are blocked until the visitor interacts with the banner, and nothing, not even the consent state, is sent before that.
- Advanced: tags load with defaults set to denied and send cookieless pings while consent is denied, which Google uses for conversion modeling when its data thresholds are met.
A worked example
A hypothetical visitor in Germany lands on a store and declines advertising cookies but accepts analytics. The store's banner sends an update: analytics_storage granted; ad_storage, ad_user_data and ad_personalization denied. Analytics cookies are set, advertising cookies are not, and no data from that visit is used for ad personalization.
Common mistakes
- Setting the default too late. If tags fire before the default command runs, the first hits go out without a consent state.
- Defaulting to granted everywhere. Google's region parameter lets you set stricter defaults for specific countries.
- Assuming Consent Mode equals compliance. It transmits choices; it does not collect valid consent for you.
CIQRA's built-in cookie consent, included on every plan in 40 languages, passes Consent Mode v2 state to ad platforms and honors Global Privacy Control signals.