Consent Mode v2, set up so it actually works
Most Consent Mode setups look fine and fail quietly: defaults set too late, the wrong regions, or updates that never reach Google. Marc Alexander sets up Consent Mode v2 with your banner and tests every state.
What you get.
- Consent defaults set before any tag fires, by region.
- All four v2 signals updated from your banner on every choice.
- Basic or advanced mode, chosen with the trade-off written down.
- Non-Google tags blocked until consent, not just Google's.
- Accept, reject and withdraw tested in GA4 and Google Ads.
- Documentation of what each consent state allows.
How it works.
Check what's there
Marc tests a first visit, an accept and a reject, and records what every tag sends in each case.
Agree the approach
Regions, basic or advanced mode, and which tags wait for which consent. Written down before anything changes.
Build and test
Defaults and updates in GTM, the banner wired in, every state tested in Tag Assistant and the network log.
What it costs.
- GA4 mini audit, from £175: Consent Mode checked along with the rest of your tracking.
- GA4 setup, typically £350 to £600: Consent Mode v2 is built into every setup.
- Server-side GTM, from £2,000: consent passed through to every platform from your own server.
More detail: what Consent Mode v2 is
Consent Mode is how a website tells Google's tags what a visitor agreed to. Version 2 added two signals, ad_user_data and ad_personalization, to the original ad_storage and analytics_storage.
Google uses the signals to decide what its tags may store and send, and to model conversions for visitors who decline. Without them, UK and EEA traffic loses remarketing audiences and personalised ads in Google Ads.
It only covers Google tags. Meta, TikTok, LinkedIn and every other tag still need to be held back by the banner itself, which is where many setups fall down. The GA4 and UK GDPR guide covers the legal side.
Straight answers.
Is Consent Mode v2 required?
For advertisers using Google Ads with visitors in the UK or the EEA, yes. Since March 2024 Google has needed the v2 signals to keep audiences, remarketing and personalised ads working for that traffic. GA4 still runs without it, but loses modelled data and the Google Ads features that depend on consent.
Does Consent Mode make my site compliant?
No. Consent Mode tells Google tags what the visitor chose. Your banner still has to ask properly, and every non-Google tag still has to be blocked until consent. Marc checks both.
Basic or advanced Consent Mode?
Basic blocks Google tags until consent, so nothing is sent before a choice. Advanced lets Google tags send cookieless pings before consent, which Google uses for modelling. Which suits you depends on your legal advice and risk appetite, and Marc sets out the trade-off before building either.
Will it work with our consent banner?
Most consent platforms, including Cookiebot, OneTrust, Usercentrics, CookieYes and Didomi, support Consent Mode v2, and custom banners can too. The common problems are defaults set too late, regions set wrongly and updates that never fire. Those are what gets fixed.
How do I know if ours is working?
Run the tracking checker for a first look, or read the guide to testing Consent Mode v2. The mini audit checks it properly, including what happens after accept and reject.
A banner that asks is only half of it. The tags have to listen.
Free tool
What does your site fire before consent?
Paste a page address. The tracking checker shows what a first-time visitor triggers before agreeing to anything, ranked by how much it matters.
Related work
Talk to Marc about it
Tell Marc what's happening with your tracking. The quickest place to start is usually a GA4 mini audit: a prioritised list of what's broken and what to fix first.
Mini audit from £175.
Prefer to talk first? Choose "20-minute intro call" in the form.
Or email [email protected].