Google Analytics on your website.
Does it measure before anyone is asked?

Where Analytics loads past the banner

The banner only holds Google Analytics back if it knows the code. Usually it is built in a second time somewhere the banner knows nothing about.

1. 01

   gtag.js hard-coded in the theme

   The code with googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-… sits in the theme header or in a “code in head” field. It loads with every page, regardless of the banner.

   Art. 5(3) Directive 2002/58/EC

2. 02

   A plugin or app adds its own tag

   A statistics plugin, a shop extension or the analytics setting of a site builder adds a second Google tag. One waits for consent, the other does not.

   Art. 5(3) Directive 2002/58/EC

3. 03

   GA4 tag in Tag Manager without a condition

   If the GA4 tag in Google Tag Manager fires on “Initialization – All Pages” without a consent check, it loads before the choice, even when the banner itself is set up correctly.

   Art. 5(3) Directive 2002/58/EC

4. 04

   Consent Mode with default “granted”

   If the default is “granted” or the region does not cover your country, GA4 sets cookies as if the visitor had agreed.

   Art. 5(3) Directive 2002/58/EC

Step by step

1. Measure

   Open the page in a private window, developer tools (F12), Network tab, filter for “collect” and reload without touching the banner. Under Application, Cookies look for _ga. The report does this for every page it reads and names where the tag comes from.

2. One installation only

   Find every place where G-… appears (theme, plugins, apps, Tag Manager) and keep only one, ideally in Tag Manager or the banner tool.

3. Load only after consent

   In the banner tool assign Google Analytics to the statistics category; in Tag Manager tie the GA4 tag to consent for analytics_storage. How this works per tool is in the guides below.

4. Check Google Signals

   If you do not need advertising audiences from Analytics, turn off data collection for Google Signals under Admin, Data collection and modification, Data collection; those requests then disappear.

5. Measure again

   Check again without consent and after “Reject”. Only when no _ga cookie appears and no collect request with gcs G111 is in the list does Analytics no longer measure before the choice.

Questions