Google Consent Mode v2

Google Consent Mode v2 is the interface through which a website tells Google what consent a visitor has given for data processing. Google introduced it in March 2024, and for sites using Google Ads, Google Analytics 4, or Tag Manager it is now a de facto standard. Without it, Google limits remarketing audiences and, in the worst case, can suspend an advertising account.

It works through structured signals. The site sends Google the state of four parameters: ad_storage, analytics_storage, ad_user_data, and ad_personalization. Each can be granted or denied based on what the visitor chose in the cookie banner. Version 2 added ad_user_data and ad_personalization to the original pair, both tied to passing data for advertising.

The key distinction is basic versus advanced mode. In basic mode, Google tags load only after consent is given - nothing is collected beforehand. In advanced mode, tags load immediately, but until consent is given they send only anonymized signals without cookies, and Google models the missing conversions from them. Advanced mode gives better marketing data; basic mode is more conservative on privacy.

One practical point: Consent Mode v2 is not the same thing as a cookie banner. The banner collects consent; Consent Mode translates it into language Google understands. Most modern consent management platforms (CMPs) now support Consent Mode v2 and send the signals automatically. If you handle measurement and advertising in the Google ecosystem while also dealing with GDPR, it's effectively a required layer today.