With the enforcement of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) Google has released an updated version of Consent Mode. Find out everything you need to know about Google Consent Mode v2!
- What is Google Consent Mode
- What is Google Consent Mode v2
- Do I need to enable Google Consent Mode v2
- What happens if I do not enable Google Consent Mode v2?
- How to enable Google Consent Mode v2
- How to check if Consent Mode v2 is enabled
- Is Consent Mode included in my Cookiebot CMP subscription?
- Which consent banner template should I choose?
- Difference between Basic and Advanced Consent Mode
- Google Consent Mode and TCF
- Google Ads consent controls: change effective June 15, 2026
1. What is Google Consent Mode
Google Consent Mode is a tool that communicates your users' consent choices to Google and adjust tags based on their consent preferences: when a visitor opts in or out, Google Consent Mode directs Google services to either collect full data (opt in) or only anonymized data (opt out), which doesn't include personally identifiable information.
2. What is Google Consent Mode v2
The primary change in version 2 of Google Consent Mode is the addition of two new consent types:
- ad_personalization (does the user consent to their personal data being used for advertising purposes?)
- ad_user_data (does the user consent to their data being used for remarketing?)
These two consent types are both mapped to the "marketing" cookie category. The Cookiebot script will automatically send the appropriate signals to Google on consent submission.
3. Who needs to enable Google Consent Mode v2
Originally, Consent Mode was designed to achieve compliance with data privacy laws with minimal impact on data collection for your domain. As of March 2024, companies using Google services will need to be able to signal that they have obtained users' consent before being able to serve ads with personalization functionality.
Consent Mode currently supports the following Google services:
- Google Analytics
- Google Ads (Google Ads Conversion Tracking and Remarketing)
- Google tag (gtag)
- Floodlight
- Conversion linker
4. What happens If I do not enable Google Consent Mode v2?
Failing to implement a solution that collects user consent, either with a CMP or a custom solution, that supports Consent Mode can have the following consequences: limited data, reduced targeting and restricted Google Ads.
5. How to enable Google Consent Mode v2
To enable Google Consent Mode v2 on your website, you need to have a cookie banner solution. If you have a Cookiebot CMP subscription, the Cookiebot script will automatically send the appropriate signals to Google on consent submission. You will need to ensure that a default state is set.
This can be achieved with three methods, based on the implementation method of your Cookiebot script:
6. How to check if Consent Mode v2 is enabled
See this guide on how to check whether your Consent Mode has been implemented properly.
7. Is Consent Mode included in my Cookiebot CMP subscription?
Consent Mode is included in any Cookiebot subscription, including the free subscription.
8. Which consent banner template should I choose?
When enabling consent mode without the TCF 2.x integration, you can always use Cookiebot's standard banner template (which is all set when opening a new domain group).
9. Difference between Basic and Advanced Consent Mode
Google offers 2 types of implementations: Basic Consent Mode and Advanced Consent Mode.
Whether you use Advanced or Basic Consent Mode is determined by how you configure tags. See Google’s own documentation on how specific tags behave with Consent Mode: Consent Mode reference and see our guide Why and when you should use the cookie consent update trigger
BASIC: Google tags are blocked before consent.
No data is sent to Google prior to user interaction with the banner.
ADVANCED: Google tags are not blocked before consent.
When using Google Tag Manager, Google's own tags have "Built-in Consent". This means that if you don't specifically configure them to require consent, they will always load, regardless of the consent given, but adjust their behavior based on the consent state.
While consent is denied, the Google tags send cookieless pings.
10. Google Consent Mode and TCF
If you use TCF 2.x in addition to Google Consent Mode; A TCData update ( TCData. enableAdvertiserConsentMode ) allows Google to infer ad_storage, ad_personalization, and ad_user_data settings from the TC string. This will incorporate Consent Mode v2 updates directly into the TC string.
However, to mitigate potential issues related to network loading times, we recommend also implementing the Consent Mode script with the default consent states manually. This ensures that no Google tags can fire without consent.
11. Google Ads consent controls: change effective June 15, 2026
For advertisers with linked Google Analytics and Google Ads accounts, Google is updating how consent signals are applied per destination.
Currently: When Google Signals is enabled in Google Analytics, the Google Ads cookies and IDs collected by the GA tag are controlled by both the Google Signals setting in GA and the ad_storage Consent Mode parameter.
From June 15, 2026:
- Google Analytics: The Google Signals setting continues to control data usage within Google Analytics (no change)
- Google Ads (including data shared from a linked Google Analytics account): ad_storage will be the exclusive control for ad-related data usage
What this means for you:
- Google Signals currently turned on: No change to data behavior
- Google Signals currently turned off: Google Ads will begin using ad cookies when users consent to ad_storage. To prevent this, set the ad_storage default to denied
If you have already configured default consent states for Consent Mode using the GCM implementation script from Cookiebot Admin, no changes are required to your Cookiebot CMP setup. You can use the Google Consent Mode Check in Cookiebot Admin to validate your setup and confirm no errors are detected.
Comments
6 comments
Thanks for the update! Google Consent Mode v2 sounds like a crucial step for compliance and optimizing data collection. I'll be sure to enable it on my site. Looking forward to seeing how it impacts our ads!
Google consent mode helps websites ask users if it's okay to use their data for ads and tracking. The new version has extra options for personalizing ads and is important to follow data privacy rules.
Thanks for breaking this down so clearly! The introduction of Google Consent Mode v2 is definitely a game-changer, especially with the DMA now in effect. It's helpful to see how it adds more granularity with the new consent types for ad personalization and remarketing. I also appreciate the comparison between Basic and Advanced modes — super important for making informed implementation decisions. For anyone still unsure, enabling it not only supports compliance but helps preserve the functionality of key tools like Google Ads and Analytics. Thanks again for the detailed guide!
Thanks for the detailed breakdown! Just updated to consent mode v2 on my site had no idea about the new ad personalization and ad user data signals. Definitely important for staying compliant and keeping Google Ads running smoothly.
Thanks for the clear breakdown! Consent Mode v2 feels like a big shift, especially with the new ad personalization and ad user_data signals. I think the tricky part for most businesses will be setting it up correctly making sure default states are in place and choosing between Basic or Advanced mode. It’s definitely not optional anymore if you rely on Google Ads or Analytics, but I do wonder how many small businesses will go with a CMP like Cookiebot versus trying to set it up themselves through GTM.
Thanks for the detailed overview of Google Consent Mode v2! It’s great to see how Cookiebot fully integrates with the updated version to help maintain compliance with evolving privacy laws like the Digital Markets Act.
I especially appreciate the explanation of the new consent types — ad_personalization and ad_user_data — and how they tie into marketing cookie categories. The distinction between Basic and Advanced consent modes is very helpful for understanding tag behavior.
For anyone using Google services like Analytics or Ads, enabling Consent Mode v2 seems essential to avoid data limitations and ad restrictions starting March 2024.
Also, good to know that Cookiebot includes Consent Mode in all subscriptions, making it easier for websites to stay compliant without extra hassle.
Looking forward to trying out these features and ensuring my site’s consent signals are up to date!
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