What is consent mode?
Consent mode is a Google feature for websites and apps that use Google tags, such as Google Ads and Google Analytics. It reads the visitor's consent choices from the site's consent banner and tells Google's tags how to behave: whether they can use cookies for advertising or analytics, and what data they can send.
Consent mode doesn't ask visitors for consent itself. A consent banner or consent management platform does that, and consent mode carries the result to the tags. Google updated it to version 2 with additional consent signals for ad personalization and user data.
How does consent mode work?
| Basic implementation | Advanced implementation | |
|---|---|---|
| Before a choice is made | Google tags don't load | Tags load with cookies off by default |
| If consent is declined | No data is sent to Google | Cookieless signals are sent without identifiers |
| Conversion modeling | More limited | Uses the cookieless signals for more detailed modeling |
| Trade-off | Simpler and more conservative | More measurement, more to review with legal |
Once a visitor consents, the two setups behave the same. Either way, Google can estimate some conversions from people who declined, so reports reflect more of what actually happened.
What is an example of consent mode?
A visitor who says no
A shopper in Europe declines advertising cookies on a retailer's site, then makes a purchase.
With consent mode in place, the retailer's Google tags respect that choice and don't set advertising cookies. The purchase isn't tied to that shopper, but Google can model conversions from consented and non-consented traffic patterns, so campaign reporting isn't simply missing the sale.
Consent mode vs. a consent management platform
| Consent management platform (CMP) | Consent mode | |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | Asks visitors for consent and records their choices | Passes those choices to Google tags |
| Who provides it | A CMP vendor or the site's own banner | |
| Scope | All tags and vendors on the site | Google tags |
| Need both? | Yes, it collects consent | Yes, if you use Google tags |
Why does consent mode matter?
Privacy rules in many regions require consent before certain tracking, and many visitors decline. Without a way to respect that choice and still measure, advertisers either over-collect or lose visibility.
- Respects user choice. Tags behave according to the consent each visitor gives.
- Fewer measurement gaps. Modeling fills in some of the conversions declined consent would hide.
- Platform requirements. Without consent signals, some Google advertising features may not be available for users in regions such as the European Economic Area.
- Not a legal shortcut. Consent mode supports compliance, but each business still needs its own legal review.
How does Alli do this?
Consent mode is a Google tag setting configured on a brand's own site. Alli doesn't replace it, and Alli Audience Gateway doesn't replace consent management or legal review.
What Audience Gateway adds is a privacy-first, first-party path for conversion signals: server-to-server delivery to ad platforms' Conversions APIs, run through secure, managed orchestration designed for regional privacy rules. It gives privacy and legal teams a more controlled way to govern what is collected and where it's sent.
Explore Alli Audience GatewayConsent mode FAQ
What is Google Consent Mode v2?
The current version of Google's consent mode. It adds consent signals for sending user data to Google for advertising and for ad personalization, alongside the original storage signals.
What is the difference between basic and advanced consent mode?
In basic mode, Google tags don't load until a visitor consents. In advanced mode, tags load with cookies off and send cookieless signals when consent is declined, which supports more detailed conversion modeling.
Does consent mode replace a cookie banner?
No. A consent banner or consent management platform collects the visitor's choice. Consent mode passes that choice to Google tags.
Is consent mode required?
Google requires consent signals for certain advertising features for users in regions such as the European Economic Area. Whether and how to implement it is a decision for each business and its legal team.
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