What is Google Consent Mode v2? A plain-English guide
Google Consent Mode v2 explained: the four consent signals, what changed in v2, who needs it, and how a cookie banner sends it to GA4, Google Ads and GTM.
On this page
Google Consent Mode is a way for a website to tell Google’s tags – Google Analytics 4, Google Ads, Floodlight and Google Tag Manager – what the visitor agreed to on the cookie banner. The tags then change how they behave: with consent they work normally; without it they don’t read or write cookies for that purpose.
Consent Mode v2 is the current version. Google introduced it ahead of the EU Digital Markets Act and, since March 2024, has required it for advertisers measuring or targeting users in the European Economic Area.
The four consent signals
| Signal | What it controls | Added in |
|---|---|---|
ad_storage |
Cookies for advertising, such as Google Ads conversion cookies | v1 |
analytics_storage |
Cookies for analytics, such as GA4’s _ga |
v1 |
ad_user_data |
Whether user data may be sent to Google for advertising | v2 |
ad_personalization |
Whether data may be used for personalised ads and remarketing | v2 |
Each signal is either granted or denied. There are also non-Google types such as functionality_storage, personalization_storage and security_storage that sites use for their own purposes.
How it works on a page
- Default. Before any Google tag runs, the page sets every signal – normally to
denied. - Update. When the visitor makes a choice on the banner, the page sends an update with the new values.
- Tags adapt. Google tags read the current state and either set cookies and send full data, or send cookieless pings (in advanced mode) or nothing at all (in basic mode).
The difference between those last two is the subject of Consent Mode advanced vs basic.
Who needs it?
You need Consent Mode v2 if you use Google Ads, GA4 audiences or remarketing and have visitors in the EEA. Without the v2 signals, Google stops building remarketing lists and measuring conversions for those visitors. Sites outside the EEA often send it anyway, because it keeps measurement consistent and costs nothing.
Consent Mode is not a cookie banner
Consent Mode only carries a decision. You still need a consent banner that asks the visitor, stores the answer and lets them change it – a consent management platform. Omea Consent is one: a free WordPress plugin that shows the banner and sends Consent Mode v2 signals, always on, from the first page view.
How Omea Consent maps its categories
| Banner category | Google signals |
|---|---|
| Necessary | security_storage (always granted) |
| Functional | functionality_storage, personalization_storage |
| Statistics | analytics_storage |
| Marketing | ad_storage, ad_user_data, ad_personalization |
Next steps
- Set up Google Consent Mode v2 on WordPress
- Check that Consent Mode v2 is working
- Google Tag Manager consent mode on WordPress
Google’s own reference: Consent mode overview.
Frequently asked questions
Is Google Consent Mode v2 mandatory?
For advertisers who use Google Ads or GA4 audiences with visitors in the European Economic Area, Google requires the v2 signals. Without them, remarketing and conversion measurement stop working for that traffic.
What is the difference between Consent Mode v1 and v2?
v2 adds two signals, ad_user_data and ad_personalization, on top of ad_storage and analytics_storage. They tell Google whether user data may be sent for advertising and used for personalised ads.
Does Consent Mode replace a cookie banner?
No. Consent Mode only passes on the visitor’s choice. You still need a banner that asks for consent – a consent management platform such as Omea Consent – and Consent Mode carries that answer to Google’s tags.
Does Consent Mode work for non-Google tags?
No. Meta, TikTok, LinkedIn and others don’t read Google’s signals. Omea Consent holds those scripts until the right category is accepted, and sends separate consent signals to Microsoft UET, Clarity and HubSpot.