The Cookiebot banner and your Google Analytics data

Under GDPR, it is not allowed to collect personal data from your users without their consent. However, if your visitors do provide consent, you are allowed to set tracking cookies.

Before adding a cookie banner:

Your analytics scripts would typically fire on page load, without any delay or restrictions.

After adding a cookie banner:

The tracking scripts are held back from loading until the correct consent has been obtained from your website visitors.

Essentially, no consent means no data.

A bounce rate in analytics can therefore not be avoided after correctly implementing a cookie consent banner on your website. If you see a sudden change in your analytics data after switching from manual to automatic cookie blocking mode, this is an indication that Cookiebot is working as intended and that your cookies are being blocked more efficiently now than they were previously under your manual implementation.

Your analytics data using the Cookiebot 2-button banner script:

1. No data: If the user does not provide consent, neither the visit nor a bounce will be registered in Analytics. So if the user ignores the cookie consent banner and leaves the website without opting either in or out, no data will be registered in Analytics.
2. No data: If the user opts out of statistics cookies, the visit as well as any bounce will not be registered in Analytics. Do keep in mind that if a user opts out of statistics cookies, return visits from that user will not be measured either.
3. All the data:  If the user opts in (=gives consent for statistics cookies), the visit as well as any bounce will be registered in your analytics tool.

Your analytics data using the Cookiebot banner script with Google Consent Mode:

1. Non-identifying data: If the user does not provide consent, your website will still receive aggregate and non-identifying basic measurements data.
2. Non-identifying data: If the user opts out of statistics cookies, the visit as well as any bounce will be registered in Analytics.
3. All the data:  If the user opts in (=gives consent for statistics cookies), the visit as well as any bounce will be registered in Analytics.

Sources:

Google Consent Mode and Cookiebot CMP

Google Analytics Cookies & GDPR