Consent Mode v2 Implementation

Google Consent Mode v2 is Google's required framework for businesses operating in the EU/EEA, allowing Google Ads and Google Analytics to adapt their behaviour based on users' cookie consent choices while still collecting consent-based and modelled conversion data for campaign optimisation.

As of March 2024, Google requires all advertisers using Google Ads to serve or target users in the EU/EEA to implement Consent Mode v2. Without it, you cannot use Google's audience features, remarketing lists, or conversion modelling — effectively losing a significant portion of your campaign's optimisation capability.

We implement Consent Mode v2 in Advanced mode (the recommended implementation) using Google Tag Manager, configuring the correct default consent states for all five consent types: analytics_storage, ad_storage, ad_user_data, ad_personalization, and functionality_storage. We integrate with your Consent Management Platform (CMP) to update consent states in real-time when users interact with your cookie banner, ensure that all Google tags (GA4, Google Ads) are blocked until consent is granted but model data for non-consenting users, and validate the implementation using Google's Consent Mode testing tool and Tag Assistant.

Cookie Banner Integration connects your website's cookie consent banner to your tracking infrastructure via Google Tag Manager and Consent Mode v2, ensuring that analytics and advertising tags only fire when users have given the appropriate consent — keeping you legally compliant while preserving the maximum amount of conversion data possible through Google's modelling.

We integrate GTM with the most widely used CMP platforms — Cookiebot, OneTrust, Usercentrics, Osano, CookieYes, Complianz, Borlabs Cookie, and others — configuring the CMP's GTM integration to push consent updates to the data layer in the format required for Consent Mode v2. We configure GTM's built-in consent overview, assign the correct consent requirements to each tag (analytics tags requiring analytics_storage, advertising tags requiring ad_storage and ad_user_data), and test the complete consent flow.

We verify that: tags are blocked before consent is given, the correct tags fire after each consent category is accepted, consent choices are remembered on return visits, and the banner re-appears correctly when consent is withdrawn or expired. After integration, we test across all major browsers and devices, including Safari (which handles cookie consent differently due to ITP), to ensure consistent behaviour.

Cookie Consent Management is a comprehensive service covering the complete lifecycle of cookie consent on your website — from cookie auditing and categorisation to cookie banner configuration, CMP implementation, consent record storage, and ongoing compliance maintenance as your tracking technology stack evolves.

We start with a full cookie audit of your website, scanning every page to identify all cookies set by your website and third-party scripts, documenting each cookie's name, provider, purpose, expiry, and the appropriate consent category it belongs to (Necessary, Analytics, Marketing, Preferences). This audit forms the basis of your cookie policy and ensures your cookie banner accurately describes the cookies your website uses.

We then configure your CMP to present the categorised cookie choices to users in a format that meets GDPR and ePrivacy requirements — with granular category consent (not just accept all/reject all), a clear privacy policy link, and an easily accessible way for users to change their preferences. We also configure consent record logging to prove compliance in the event of a regulatory inquiry, and set up quarterly cookie re-audit notifications to catch new cookies added by marketing tool changes.

GDPR Compliance Setup for your analytics and advertising tracking ensures that your data collection practices on your website meet the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation, the EU ePrivacy Directive, and any applicable national data protection laws — protecting your business from regulatory risk while maintaining effective marketing measurement.

GDPR compliance for tracking technology requires: a lawful basis for each type of data processing (consent for analytics and advertising cookies, legitimate interest for security cookies), a cookie banner that obtains informed, specific, freely given, and unambiguous consent before setting non-essential cookies, accurate documentation of all data processing activities in your Records of Processing Activities (ROPA), a Data Processing Agreement (DPA) with each third-party tool provider, and a mechanism for users to withdraw consent as easily as they gave it.

We review your current tracking setup against these requirements, identify compliance gaps, implement Google Consent Mode v2, configure your CMP correctly, update your cookie policy and privacy policy to accurately reflect your data collection, and provide documentation for your DPA records. We also advise on the specific requirements of Google's EU User Consent Policy and Meta's Data Use Restrictions to ensure your advertising accounts remain in good standing.

CMP Integration (Consent Management Platform Integration) connects your chosen cookie consent solution directly to Google Tag Manager and all your advertising and analytics tags, ensuring consent signals flow correctly from user choice through to each tracking platform — enabling compliant data collection with maximum signal preservation.

Different CMPs integrate with GTM in different ways: some push consent signals to the GTM data layer, others use GTM template tags, and some require custom JavaScript listeners. We implement the correct integration method for your specific CMP, configure Consent Mode v2 signal mapping, and ensure that every tag in your GTM container is correctly gated on the appropriate consent type.

We support integration with all major CMP platforms: Cookiebot (Usercentrics company), OneTrust, Usercentrics, Osano, TrustArc, Didomi, Iubenda, CookieYes, Complianz, Borlabs Cookie, and custom CMP implementations. After integration, we test that consent signals are correctly transmitted across all browsers, that the GTM Consent Overview shows the correct consent requirements for every tag, and that users who decline analytics cookies are not tracked in GA4 or Google Ads.

A Consent Mode Audit & Fixes service reviews your existing Google Consent Mode implementation to identify misconfiguration, gaps in consent signal transmission, tags firing without appropriate consent, or Advanced Consent Mode not being implemented correctly — issues that expose you to GDPR compliance risk or cause unnecessary loss of conversion data.

Our audit examines every aspect of your Consent Mode implementation: the default consent state configuration (are all five consent types correctly defaulted to denied before user interaction?), the consent update timing (are consent signals being sent before tags fire?), the CMP-to-GTM data flow (are consent choices correctly mapped to Consent Mode signal updates?), the GTM consent overview (does each tag have the correct consent requirements assigned?), and the conversion modelling behaviour (is Google able to model for non-consenting users using your consented data?).

We also check for common Consent Mode v2 issues: using Basic mode instead of Advanced mode (losing conversion modelling), incorrect consent type mappings (assigning analytics_storage to advertising tags), consent update events arriving after tags have already fired, CMP blocking GTM from loading entirely (preventing any tags from firing, even necessary ones), and consent state not being restored correctly on return visits. After the audit, all identified issues are documented and fixed.