In the privacy-first era, obtaining user consent is mandatory. However, strict blocking of analytics tags leads to massive data loss—often 30-60% of conversions go unreported. This breaks advertising algorithms and ROI calculations.
Google Consent Mode v2 bridges this gap. It allows your website to communicate the users consent status to Google tags (Analytics, Ads, Floodlight) so they can adjust their behavior accordingly.
Key Concept: "Pings" vs. Cookies
When a user denies consent, Consent Mode stops Google tags from reading or writing cookies. Instead, they send "pings"—lightweight signals containing non-identifying information (timestamp, user agent, referrer). These pings do not track users across sites but allow Google to model aggregate behavior.
Standard vs. Advanced Implementation
| Feature | Basic Implementation | Advanced Implementation |
|---|---|---|
| Tag Firing | Tags are blocked until consent | Tags load immediately |
| Data Collection | Zero data if denied | Anonymous pings if denied |
| Modeling | None | Behavioral & Conversion Modeling |
| Compliance | High (Manual blocking) | High (Google controls storage) |
Two new parameters were introduced in v2 to specifically address the Digital Markets Act (DMA). You must implement all four to be fully compliant and maintain audience building capabilities.
Consent Parameters
ad_storage
Enables storage (cookies) related to advertising.
analytics_storage
Enables storage (cookies) related to analytics (e.g., visit duration).
ad_user_data
(New in v2) Sets consent for sending user data to Google for advertising purposes.
ad_personalization
(New in v2) Sets consent for personalized advertising (remarketing).
Implementation Strategy
Set Default State
Before any tags fire, you must define the default state. For GDPR regions, this should be "denied" for all parameters.
Update on Choice
When the user interacts with the banner, send an "update" command with their actual choices. CookieBeam handles this automatically.
Wait for Update (Optional)
For critical accuracy, use "wait_for_update" to give the banner time to load existing consent before tags fire.
Ready to Upgrade?
CookieBeam includes full support for Consent Mode v2 out of the box. Our GTM template handles the signaling automatically, ensuring you recover lost data while staying compliant.
Get started today by installing our GTM template or using our direct script.