Google Consent Mode: What You Need to Know

Data protection standards have been increasing globally, and Google has introduced new standards for its analytical and ad services. This article is a comprehensive guide on Google Consent Mode. Read on to learn how to use Google ad services while complying with data protection regulations.

Google’s ads and analytical services have been a great tool for website owners and marketers. Now, with the advent of GDPR and other privacy laws, Google has introduced a new set of standards for using their services to make it more privacy focused.

If you are using Google’s ads or analytics services, this article will help you understand everything you need to know about Google Consent Mode.

Now we have set the context, let’s get started.

Consent is permission granted by site visitors or users to a website or company to track their actions and collect and process their data when they interact with a website. Websites use internet cookies and tracking scripts to collect information from their site visitors.

This information is then processed and will be used to show personalized ads, recommendations, etc. It is also used to unlock various insights into how users interact with a website. This helps websites to increase engagement.

Here are the reasons why consent is important:

• Many countries have strong data protection laws that require websites to obtain prior consent from site visitors for collecting or processing their personal data (using cookies and tracking scripts). Google now requires websites to comply with EU user consent policy to use its ads and analytical services.
• People are now more concerned about sharing their personal information with third parties. They are aware of their privacy rights and want to know how their personal information is collected, stored, and used.
• When you ask for prior consent from your users, they’ll have a sense of feeling safe. This will increase the trustworthiness of that brand.

Google Consent Mode is an API developed by Google to control Google tags based on user consent. The Google Consent Mode will interact with the website’s consent management platform (CMP) and send information to Google about visitors’ consent to cookies. It helps website owners comply with GDPR and EU cookie laws when using Google’s ads and analytical services.

The Google Consent Mode only works with Google’s tracking and analytical services, such as Google Ads, Google Analytics, Floodlight, and Conversion Linker. If you are using any other third-party analytics service, it won’t work with the Google Consent Mode. 

Also Read: DMA Act – A Comprehensive Guide for Businesses

Google Tag Consent Settings

Google Tag Consent Settings are configurations in Google Tag Manager (GTM) to manage how the tags should behave based on users’ consent preferences. These settings allow you to ensure compliance with data privacy regulations like GDPR and EU Cookie law while still collecting necessary data for your website.

To access and manage these settings, follow the below steps:

• Go to your GTM container.
• Click on the Tags tab.
• Select any tag, and click on Advanced Settings > Consent Settings.
• You can then adjust the built-in and additional consent checks as needed.

Check out how the consent mode operates for Google Ads, Google Analytics, and Floodlight.

Tag Manager Consent Types

Following are the consent types that can be used to control tags in Google Tag Manager. Google tags that support consent mode will automatically adjust their behavior based on these consent types.

Consent Type	Description
ad_storage	Allows storage (e.g., cookies) for advertising purposes.
ad_user_data	Grants consent to send user data related to advertising to Google.
ad_personalization	Grants consent for personalized advertising.
analytics_storage	Allows storage for analytics purposes, like visit duration.

Additionally, there are privacy parameters such as:

Storage Type	Description
functionality_storage	Enables storage supporting website or app functionality, such as language settings.
personalization_storage	Enables storage related to personalization, such as video recommendations.
security_storage	Enables storage related to security, including authentication and fraud prevention.

Google has introduced an updated version of Google Consent Mode, aimed at assisting websites, publishers, and advertisers in obtaining explicit consent for user tracking and complying with privacy regulations such as GDPR.

It focuses on collecting and communicating user consent choices regarding data collection and usage for various purposes like analytics, advertising, and personalization.

Google has rolled out Consent Mode v2 as an upgrade to its existing platform, aiming to maintain alignment with privacy regulations while offering users improved transparency and control.

Here are the two new parameters introduced in Google Consent Mode V2:

• ad_user_data: This parameter reflects the user’s consent preference regarding sharing their data with Google’s ad services. Users can choose either “granted” or “denied” via the website’s cookie consent banner. If consent is denied, Google advertising tags will refrain from collecting or sharing personally identifiable information.
• ad_personalization: This parameter indicates whether a user has opted-in to ad personalization and remarketing. It obtains users’ consent preferences through the cookie consent banner. If the consent is “denied,” it will disable personalized ads, remarketing, or interest-based targeting.

The table below shows the major difference between Google Consent Mode V2 and V1:

Aspect	Google Consent Mode v1	Google Consent Mode v2
Consent Signals	Primarily focused on “analytics” and “marketing/ads”	Introduces “ad_user_data” and “ad_personalization” signals for more granular consent control
Implementation	Only the “advanced” mode is available. Requires detailed configuration	Offers “basic” mode (as an addition). Blocks non-essential tags until consent is granted.
Enforcement	Optional, recommended for GDPR compliance	Mandatory for advertisers targeting EEA users starting March 6, 2024
Additional Considerations	Allowed some data modeling in advanced mode	Does not allow data modeling for users who deny consent

Google Consent Mode helps websites to continue using Google’s Ads and Analytical services while respecting users’ privacy.

Here are some benefits of using Google Consent Mode:

• Comply with privacy regulations: Google Consent Mode helps websites comply with privacy laws such as GDPR and EU User Consent Policy.
• Ensure accuracy of analytical data: Using Google’s AI modeling, marketers can maintain the accuracy of their measurement data even when users opt out of cookies or tracking.
• Improve user experience: By providing users with the option to choose consent preferences, Google Consent Mode helps marketers improve the user experience on their websites.
• Increase transparency and credibility: Marketers can increase the transparency and trustworthiness of their brand by respecting users’ preferences about how their data is used.

What Is a CMP?

A consent management platform (CMP) is software that helps websites obtain consent from site visitors for collecting, processing, or sharing their personal data using cookies and other tracking scripts. It lets you comply with major data protection laws such as GDPR and CCPA.

Using a CMP, you can display a cookie banner on your website and enable site visitors to accept or reject cookies on your website. It lets you disclose the use of cookies on your website and why you use them. This will give your site visitors more control over their personal information.

Do I Need Google Consent Mode?

If you use Google’s ads or analytical services and operate within the UK and EEA, you need Google Consent Mode to streamline your compliance efforts and ensure seamless data collection and measurement within these platforms.

Do I Need Cookie Consent for Google Ads?

Yes. You need to obtain prior consent from your site visitors to use non-essential cookies, which include those used for advertising purposes. Consent is necessary when using Google Ads, as it directly impacts your ad campaigns. Without proper consent, you won’t be able to track conversions, retarget visitors, or show personalized ads.

How to Implement Google Consent Mode?

To implement Google Consent Mode, you will need a Google Certified CMP Partner on your website. You can integrate the relevant JavaScript code snippet provided by Google into your website or app’s consent management system. This code snippet will adjust how Google tags and pixels operate based on users’ consent preferences.

Check out our detailed guide on how to implement Google Consent Mode using our GDPR Cookie Consent plugin.

What is Conversion Modelling?

Conversion Modelling is an analytical framework that uses Google’s Artificial Intelligence to track the effectiveness of marketing campaigns, even when they weren’t directly observed. This becomes especially helpful in situations where traditional tracking methods, like cookies, are limited or unavailable.

Earlier, when a user rejected the tracking cookies on your website, you wouldn’t be able to identify whether they interacted with your product pages, signed up for an account, or made a purchase. This would create a gap in the conversion analytics.

But now, with conversion modeling, Google uses Artificial Intelligence to find relationships and patterns of the activities of unconsented users. It gives you a more accurate picture of your marketing campaigns. This still may have some errors, but it gives a clearer picture of ROI on Ad spending.

Google Consent Mode is an API that allows websites to track and monitor users and their actions using Google’s ads and analytical services. It also provides marketers with advanced conversion tracking techniques using Artificial Intelligence.

Google has introduced the Google Consent Mode to make their products privacy-focused and help websites comply with GDPR and the EU User Consent Policy.

We hope this article has provided you with information on Google Consent Mode and how it helps websites and marketers.

If you have any queries, please feel free to ask them in the comments section.

Please Note: We’re excited to share that we’re actively working on aligning our GDPR Cookie Consent Plugin with Google Consent Mode. Our plugin is already recognized as a certified CMP by Google and adheres to IAB TCF guidelines. We’re committed to ensuring it seamlessly integrates with Google Consent Mode. Rest assured, we’ll keep you updated on our progress as we strive to achieve Google CMP Partner status.