Google Consent Mode v2: Understanding and configuring consent mode

You have probably noticed that in recent months, many websites have been displaying more detailed consent banners than before.

It is not a coincidence. Google has updated its Consent mode to a more demanding version.Consent Mode v2, and sites that do not comply with it risk having their advertising and analytics data seriously reduced.

This article explains what Consent Mode v2 is and why it has become essential. How to configure it on your WordPress siteand what best practices to adopt to remain compliant with regulatory texts.

What is Google Consent Mode v2?

Consent Mode v2, also called CoMo V2, is a protocol developed by Google which allows your Google tags (Analytics, Ads, etc.) to adapt their behavior based on the consent expressed by your visitors regarding cookies or application identifiers.

In short, it creates a bridge between your banner and cookie consent and Google's data collection tools, while respecting the choices communicated by your users.

In practice, Consent mode works via parameters of the type granted ou deniedWhen a user accepts cookies, the signal transmitted is grantedIf he refuses, the signal is denied.

Depending on this signal, Google tags will either collect complete data or adopt limited behavior, without disappearing completely.

That's the whole intelligence of the system: Even if refused, Google can resort to statistical modeling. to estimate the missing data.

This is called conversion modeling. Behavioral signals from users who have consented allow us to infer trends for those who have not.

Consent Mode v2 introduces two new parameters compared to the previous version (Consent Mode V1):

1. ad_user_data : controls the sending of user data to Google for advertising purposes.
2. ad_personalization : manages the personalization of personalized advertisements (including remarketing).

These two parameters are in addition to the four existing ones: analytics_storage, ad_storage, functionality_storage et security_storage.

Why has Consent Mode v2 become indispensable?

Regulations to be respected

Since March 2024, Google requires all advertisers using Google Ads or conversion measurement integrations (google analytics 4etc.) activate Consent Mode v2.

Without this, advertising campaigns can no longer benefit from conversion modeling or remarketing audiences in European Economic Area (EEA) countries.

This obligation is part of a broader regulatory context. Consent Mode v2 is notably a solution offered by Google to align its marketing tools with various legal obligations – mostly European – such as:

• Le Digital Markets Act (Digital Markets Legislation), which came into force in 2023 and aims to combat anti-competitive practices by internet giants.
• Le GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), which since 2018 requires obtaining the explicit consent of users before any collection of personal data.
• La ePrivacy directive, which reinforces this GDPR requirement for cookies.

Who is affected by Consent Mode v2 and what are the consequences?

Le Digital Markets Act applies to all users located within the European Union (+ Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein) both on the web (website) and mobile applications.

To comply with this, you must of course use Google's digital tools such as Google Analytics, Google Ads, etc. 

However, it is important to emphasize that even if your site does not display paid advertisements, Configuring Consent Mode v2 remains a good practice to preserve the quality of your analytical data. and demonstrate your GDPR compliance.

For WordPress site owners using Google Analytics or Google Ads, failing to configure this consent mode has direct consequences:

• Data loss in Google Analytics for visitors who have refused cookies.
• Unable to track advertising conversions in Google Ads.
• Exclusion of modeling features behavioral data.
• Risk of non-compliance with European regulators.

What are the differences between Consent Mode v1 and v2?

To fully understand the evolution of Google's Consent mode, let's now take a look at what version 2 brings that's new compared to the first.

Consent Mode v1, in effect since 2020, was based on two main parameters:

1. analytics_storage : storage of information for audience measurement. 
2. ad_storage : storing information for advertising.

These two tags made it possible to distinguish between visitors who had consented to analytics and those who had consented to advertising cookies. This was a step forward, but insufficient to meet the GDPR requirements as precisely as possible.

Consent Mode v2 therefore adds two essential additional parameters (making a total of 4 parameters), already mentioned above: ad_user_data et ad_personalization.

This granularity allows a much more nuanced management of consent, and in particular to distinguish the simple display of advertisements from the personalization of advertising content.

Another major difference: Consent Mode v2 introduces two distinct deployment modes.

• Le basic mode : Google tags do not trigger until the visitor has expressed their choice. "This configuration does not transmit any data to Google until the user has interacted with the consent banner.", Google specifies.
• Le advanced mode : the tags are triggered as soon as the page loads, but with signals denied if the user has not yet given consent. "Google tags only send complete measurement data when a user has agreed to its collection."Google indicates. Which adds: "This implementation allows for better modeling compared to the basic one, because it provides a model specific to the advertiser rather than a general model."

In practice, advanced mode is recommended for sites that want to maximize the quality of their analytics and advertising reports, while respecting user rights.

Let's now look at the concrete steps to deploy Consent Mode v2 on your WordPress site.

How do I configure Consent Mode v2 on my WordPress site? 

Obtain user consent

First step: collect user consent. For this, the simplest solution for WordPress users remains the use of a CMP (Consent Management PlatformConsent management platform) compatible with Consent Mode v2.

Several tools facilitate the integration of Google's Consent mode, such as: 

• CookieBot by UserCentrics.
• Axeptio.
• Iubenda.
• Didomi.

Most of them offer dedicated WordPress plugins that manage the communication between the consent banner and your Google tags.

Basically, they automatically transmit the signals granted ou denied to Google tags based on your visitors' choices. You don't have to write a single line of code.

However, on a case-by-case basis, you will need to make some adjustments depending on the solution used. 

Configure Consent Mode v2 for Google tools

Secondly, you need to implement the Google tools Consent mode.

There are two main methods for doing this: 

1. Using Google Tag Manager (GTM), the most widespread solution for managing marketing tags without touching the code.
2. The script gtag.jsThis directly integrates the gtag code into your pages. Here, you must proceed manually (code integration). Also note that you must add the consent commands to your script before any other gtag commands.

The setup is technical and quite intimidating for a beginner, let's be honest. To put it simply and summarize the process, remember that there are two main steps to perform: 

1. Define the default consent state before a user gives their consent.
2. Update consent status depending on the user's interaction with your consent settings.

The procedure depends on the method you choose (Google Tag Manager or gtag.js).

Google offers a comprehensive guide in its official documentation, if you wish to give it a try.

To give you a clearer example, here's a code snippet to use to define the refusal of consent for all default settings (implementation) gtag.js: 

gtag('consent', 'default', {    'ad_storage': 'denied',    'ad_user_data': 'denied',    'ad_personalization': 'denied',    'analytics_storage': 'denied'  });

Impact of Consent Mode v2 on Google Analytics and Google Ads

The impact of Consent Mode v2 on your measurement tools is significant, and it is important to understand it in order to correctly interpret your reports.

On the Google Analytics side, Consent Mode v2 makes it possible to distinguish between sessions of users who have consented and those of users who have refused.

For these, Google applies data modeling to reconstruct a global view of traffic and behavior on your web.

This means that your reports may contain "modeled" data, which will be indicated as such in the interface.

Without this Consent mode configured, your analytics data will simply be incomplete: visitors who have refused cookies will not appear in your reports, which can significantly skew your analyses depending on the refusal rate of your audience.

For Google Ads, the stakes are even higher. Conversion tracking—that is, the ability to know whether a click on an ad led to a purchase or a sign-up—depends directly on the parameters. ad_storage et ad_user_data.

Without consent, these conversions cannot be tracked.Thanks to conversion modeling enabled by Consent Mode v2 in advanced mode, Google can estimate missing conversions from available signals.

Another important point: remarketing audiences and the personalization of advertising campaigns require a signal granted on ad_personalizationWithout this, you cannot target your past visitors with personalized ads.

Best practices and mistakes to avoid

Finally, discover the essential recommendations for an efficient and compliant configuration.

Good practices to adopt

• Configure Consent Mode v2 in advanced mode to benefit from data modeling while respecting user rights.
• Always initialize consent settings on denied by default before any Google tags are loaded.
• Choose a recognized CMP to automate consent management.
• Test your configuration regularly using the GTM debugging tool or the "Google Tag Assistant" Chrome extension.
• Audit your Google Analytics data to verify that the modeling is active and that the signals are being transmitted correctly.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Do not initialize consent settings before the tags are triggered : this is the most common error, it invalidates the entire system.
• Forget the two new parameters ad_user_data et ad_personalization specific to Consent Mode v2.
• Using a non-compliant consent banner Pre-ticking boxes, making refusal more difficult than acceptance, or not offering granular choices are practices sanctioned by the CNIL.
• Neglecting to update your privacy policy to mention the use of data modeling.
• Confusing basic mode and advanced mode without understanding their implications for the quality of your data.

Where possible, we recommend having your configuration audited by a professional, especially if your site generates a significant volume of SEO traffic or advertising conversions.

Consent Mode v2 is not a mere technical formality : it is a fundamental element of your data collection, regulatory compliance and marketing performance strategy.

When properly configured, it allows you to continue to measure your analytical and advertising performance while respecting the choices of your visitors.

The configuration may seem complex, between managing the settings of storageThe choice of deployment method and integration with your consent banner are key. But with the right tools and appropriate support, it remains perfectly accessible.

At Maintenance WP, we support WordPress site owners in GDPR compliance, Consent Mode v2 configuration and optimization of their analytical and advertising tracking tools.

If you wish to ensure that your site is correctly configured, our team is available to carry out a complete audit and guide you step by step.

FAQ: Consent Mode v2

Is a CMP (cookie banner) required to use Consent Mode v2?

Yes, a CMP is essential. Consent Mode v2 doesn't work on its own: it needs an interface to collect your visitors' choices and then transmit the signals. granted ou denied Check your Google tags. Without a GDPR-compliant consent banner, no signal can be sent. Solutions like Axeptio, Didomi, and Cookiebot integrate natively with Consent Mode v2 and fully automate this communication for WordPress sites.

Does Consent Mode v2 work with Google Tag Manager?

Yes, Google Tag Manager is even the recommended method for deploying Consent Mode v2. GTM offers an official Google consent settings template that simplifies configuration. You set the default values ​​to deniedThen, create an update tag triggered based on the user's choice. This avoids directly modifying your WordPress site's code and simplifies the maintenance of your consent management system.

Does Consent Mode v2 reduce data collection?

On the surface, yes. For visitors who have declined cookies, Google tags do not collect individual data. In reality, Consent Mode v2 compensates for this loss through statistical modeling: Google estimates the missing data based on the behavior of users who have consented. Your Google Analytics reports remain usable, with clearly identified modeled data. The quality of your analyses is therefore preserved, while respecting user choices.

Can conversions be measured without user consent?

Not directly. Without a signal granted on ad_storage et ad_user_dataIndividual tracking of Google Ads conversions is not possible. However, Consent Mode v2 in advanced mode allows Google to use conversion modeling: aggregated signals from consenting users are used to estimate conversions from visitors who declined. This approach does not replace obtained consent, but significantly limits the impact on the measured performance of your advertising campaigns.