What is Google Consent Mode v2?

Consent Mode v2: definition

Consent Mode is not a cookie banner but the technical bridge between the banner and Google tags. The banner, a consent management platform (CMP), records visitors’ decisions; Consent Mode passes them as signals to Google Analytics 4, Google Ads and Tag Manager. The tags then store cookies or refrain from doing so. This aligns measurement and advertising with what visitors actually decided.

Version 2 adds two parameters for advertising data to the original signals. Google has required them since March 2024 for visitors from the European Economic Area if features such as remarketing, audiences and conversion measurement in Google Ads are to continue to be used. Without these signals, Google can no longer use such data for users in the EEA.

The four signals and two modes

Consent Mode knows four signals: ad_storage (cookies for advertising), analytics_storage (cookies for analytics), ad_user_data (sharing user data with Google for advertising purposes) and ad_personalization (personalized advertising, remarketing). Each signal is set to “granted” or “denied” and is updated by the banner as soon as visitors have made or changed their choice.

In Basic mode, Google tags load only after consent, and no data flows until then. In Advanced mode, they load immediately and, if consent is declined, send cookieless signals from which Google models conversions. Advanced mode delivers more measurement data but is assessed differently from a data protection perspective and should be clarified in advance with your data protection officer.

Real-world example: an online retailer running Google Ads

An online retailer of garden furniture runs Google Ads and measures purchases with GA4. After introducing a cookie banner, many purchases suddenly disappear from the reporting, because visitors who decline are no longer recorded and Google receives no consent signals. As a result, the ad account can optimize less effectively.

The implementation: a CMP compatible with Google sets the defaults to “denied” before the decision, updates them after the click, and Tag Manager fires tags only according to the status. Modeling does not replace real measurement data; it closes gaps statistically and requires sufficient data volume.

Benefits, limits and common mistakes

Benefit: measurement and remarketing remain possible for visitors who consent, and ad accounts keep their features in the EEA. Limit: Consent Mode replaces neither the banner nor the legal review. A “granted” signal may be sent only if the person has actually agreed.

• Defaults wrongly set to “granted”
• Tags in Tag Manager fire without a consent check
• Banner and Consent Mode are not connected, so signals stay at the default
• The privacy notice does not mention Google services and modeling
• No testing routine after changes to the banner or tags

Imple­menta­tion in your company

First check whether you need Google Ads or Analytics at all and which of their data you really use. Then follow banner selection, defaults, linking to Tag Manager and GA4, and tests in preview mode and in the account. Nano Concepts handles the technical integration and documents it; the legal assessment remains with your data protection officer or legal counsel.