Check Consent Mode v2:
what your Google tags report

Four signals and one default

Consent Mode is Google's interface between the cookie banner and Google tags. It does not replace consent; it passes on what the visitor chose, and only if it is wired correctly.

1. 01

   Default “denied” before the first tag

   Before anyone chooses, ad_storage and analytics_storage are “denied”. With the default on “granted”, Google tags set cookies as if the visitor had agreed.

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

2. 02

   The two signals of version 2

   ad_user_data and ad_personalization were added in 2024. Google has required them for users in the EEA since March 2024; without them, audiences and remarketing are missing in Google Ads.

   Google EU user consent policy, not EU law

3. 03

   Every Google tag depends on it

   A second copy of a tag in the theme, a plugin or a shop app does not know the default and sends without any consent state.

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

4. 04

   Basic or advanced mode

   In basic mode the Google tag loads only after consent. In advanced mode it loads right away and, on “denied”, sends measurement requests without cookies. Whether that needs consent is disputed; basic mode avoids the question.

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

Step by step

1. Look yourself

   Open the home page in a private window, developer tools (F12), Network tab, filter for “collect” and reload without touching the banner. Every request to Google Analytics carries gcs: G100 means ad and analytics cookies denied, G111 both granted. Before a choice, G111 must not appear.

2. Read gcd

   gcd starts with 13, followed by one letter per signal in the order ad_storage, analytics_storage, ad_user_data, ad_personalization. l means not set, p denied, t granted. An l on the last two means the version 2 signals are missing.

3. Or in Tag Assistant

   Connect Google's Tag Assistant (tagassistant.google.com) to your address and click an event. The “Consent” tab shows the default and the update after the choice for each signal.

4. Default to “denied”

   In your banner tool's consent template in Google Tag Manager, set the default for all four signals to “denied”; without Tag Manager use gtag('consent', 'default', …) before every other Google tag. If a region is set, make sure it includes the EU countries.

5. Switch on version 2

   The common banner tools have a setting for Google Consent Mode v2. If it runs through Tag Manager, update the banner's consent template to the current version.

6. Remove duplicate tags

   Load each Google tag once, ideally through Tag Manager. Remove a second copy in the theme, a plugin or a shop app.

7. Measure again after “Reject”

   Click “Reject” and filter again: gcs stays G100, or in basic mode no request comes at all. Cookies such as _ga are not set.

Questions