In this guide
- Consent Mode v2 has four signals:
ad_storage,analytics_storage,ad_user_dataandad_personalization. - In basic mode Google tags wait for consent. In advanced mode they load and send cookieless pings when consent is denied, which lets Google model the missing conversions.
- For visitors in the EEA and UK, Google expects you to send the v2 signals if you use Google Ads personalisation or measurement features.
Google Consent Mode is a way for your consent banner to talk to Google's tags. The banner records what the visitor chose; Consent Mode passes that choice on, so Google Analytics and Google Ads know whether they may store cookies, use data for ads and personalise. Version 2 arrived in 2024 with two new signals and became a condition for using some Google Ads features with EEA and UK traffic. This page explains the pieces in plain terms, and how they behave with server-side tagging. It is not legal advice: your lawyer decides what you must ask for.
The four signals
| Signal | Controls | New in v2? |
|---|---|---|
ad_storage | Cookies and storage for advertising | No |
analytics_storage | Cookies and storage for analytics, such as GA4 | No |
ad_user_data | Whether user data may be sent to Google for advertising | Yes |
ad_personalization | Whether personalised advertising such as remarketing is allowed | Yes |
Each signal is either granted or denied. Your banner sets a default before the visitor chooses, and an update after they choose.
Connected in minutes
Add your domain, install the pixel, connect your ad platforms and watch the first events land.
Basic vs advanced mode
Basic mode
Google tags do not load until the visitor has consented. If they decline, Google gets nothing, not even a ping. Simple and strict, with no modelling for those visitors.
Advanced mode
Google tags load with the defaults set to denied. When consent is denied they send cookieless pings with no identifiers. Google uses these pings to model conversions and behaviour it cannot observe.
Advanced mode gives better modelled numbers, and is a choice about your own risk and privacy position. Some regulators and lawyers prefer basic mode. Decide with your advisor, and document it.
Modelling and its thresholds
Modelling only starts when there is enough data. Google documents minimums such as at least 1,000 events a day with analytics_storage denied, for at least 7 days, for GA4 behavioural modelling, and about 700 ad clicks over 7 days per domain and country for Google Ads conversion modelling. Small sites often do not reach these, so do not count on modelling to fix a low-traffic account. Check the current thresholds in Google's help pages.
Watch events arrive, live
A sample feed. In Open Tracked you see the same stream for your own store.
What changed for the EEA and UK
- Google asks advertisers to send the v2 signals for visitors in the EEA and UK.
- Without them, features such as remarketing audiences and conversion measurement for those visitors can be limited.
- Use a consent platform that supports Consent Mode and, for ads features, is on Google's certified CMP list.
How it looks in a server container
The web container sends the consent state with every request, in parameters such as gcs and gcd. The server container reads them. In Tag Manager server containers you can set a consent setting on each tag, so a tag only runs when the right consent is present, and Google's own tags respect the consent state they receive. Third-party tags, such as Meta and TikTok, do not read Google's signals unless you tell them to. Add a trigger condition or consent setting so they stay quiet when the visitor has denied.
With Open Tracked, you keep your banner and your Tag Manager set-up. The Enricher power-up has consent switches for what it may add to events, and Cookie Keeper only keeps what you allow. Consent logic itself stays in your container, where you can see and test it. See Cookie Keeper and Safari.
A set-up that works
Choose a certified consent platform
One that supports Consent Mode v2 and your languages.
Set defaults to denied for EEA and UK
Before the container loads, with a wait_for_update of a few hundred milliseconds.
Send updates when the visitor chooses
The platform calls gtag("consent", "update", ...) or the Tag Manager equivalent.
Add consent checks to non-Google tags
Meta, TikTok and others should only fire when the matching consent is granted.
Test accept and reject
In Preview and in a private window, check which tags fire in each case.
Common mistakes
Runs on your domain, anywhere
Your tracking runs on your own domain, so a visit from any country is handled the same way.
Frequently asked questions
What is Consent Mode v2?
The version of Google Consent Mode that adds ad_user_data and ad_personalization to the original two signals.
Do I need Consent Mode v2?
If you use Google Ads or Analytics with visitors in the EEA or UK and want measurement and audience features, Google expects you to send the v2 signals.
Is basic or advanced mode better?
Advanced mode can give more modelled data. Basic mode is stricter. The choice depends on your privacy position and legal advice.
Does Consent Mode work with server-side tagging?
Yes. The consent state travels in the request, and the server container can use it in tag consent settings and triggers.
Does Consent Mode replace a cookie banner?
No. It passes the banner's choice to Google. You still need a banner that collects valid consent.
Do I need spreadsheets to read my results?
No. Once tracking is live, the Open Tracked analytics shows spend, revenue, ROAS and profit, and you can ask Ari, the built-in AI assistant, questions about your own numbers in plain words. Ari's allowance depends on your analytics plan.
Is Open Tracked different from Open Track or Open Space Track?
No. Open Tracked is the official name of our server-side tracking platform, and the website is opentracked.io. Many people search for it as Open Track, OpenTrack or Open Space Track. All of them lead to the same product: server-side Google Tag Manager hosting, first-party analytics and a CRM pipeline.
Fix your tracking at the source
Open Tracked hosts your server-side Tag Manager, keeps first-party cookies alive and shows what each ad is really worth.
The Open Tracked team
We build Open Tracked: server-side tracking hosting, analytics and the tools around them, for stores that spend on ads. Questions about this guide, or an idea for the next one?
Comments
Loading comments...
Guides · 5 min read