Consent Mode v2:
what your Google tags report

A banner can show “Reject” and still tell the Google tags “granted”. What actually arrives sits in two parameters of every measurement request: gcs and gcd.

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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.

WhatEU reference
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
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
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
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. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

  6. 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

Is Consent Mode v2 mandatory?

No EU law requires Consent Mode. Google has required it for users in the EEA since March 2024 if you use Google Ads for measurement, audiences or remarketing. Consent itself is required by Art. 5(3) of the ePrivacy Directive, with or without Consent Mode.

What is the difference between basic and advanced mode?

In basic mode no Google tag loads before consent. In advanced mode it loads and, on “denied”, sends measurement requests without cookies that Google uses to model missing conversions.

My banner shows “Reject”, why is gcs G111?

Usually the default in the consent template is “granted”, or the configured region does not include your country. The default belongs on “denied”; consent comes with the click.

Does Consent Mode control Meta Pixel or TikTok?

No. Consent Mode applies only to Google tags. Other services must be held back by the banner tool itself.

What a scan shows

It loads the home page with an ordinary browser, without clicking, and reads gcs and gcd on every Google request. The report says whether the default already reports “granted” before a choice, whether the version 2 signals are missing and whether a Google tag sends with no consent state at all, and how to change that in your banner tool. What else loads before consent: Cookies before consent.

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As of 14 October 2026. We name the reference so you can read it yourself; this is not legal advice.

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