First, it's mandatory to integrate Google Consent Mode V2 into your website if you want your Google Ads campaigns to stay effective (and therefore waste your money). But you probably have many questions about this new update required by Google. What is it? What are the differences with the previous Consent Mode? What could happen to my campaigns if I don't install it? You'll find the main answers in this article.

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Table of Contents

• What is Google Consent Mode V2?
• How does Google Consent Mode work?
• What has changed in this new version?
• Why is this important for your Google Ads campaigns?
• How to implement Google Consent Mode V2 on your website?
• A case study: how Consent Mode V2 works with Cookiebot

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What is Google Consent Mode V2?

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This is an update Google made to its previous Consent Mode V1, which allows website owners to adapt to the new privacy requirements of the European Union . It essentially bridges the gap between data privacy and data-based digital advertising. In this way, it helps ensure that website analytics and marketing can be executed seamlessly, while always respecting each user's consent choices.

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How does Google Consent Mode work?

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Google Consent Mode works as a kind of filter, restricting the use of cookies until the user has given explicit and unambiguous consent, as required by the GDPR . When you implement this tool through a consent management platform (CMP), it collects the user's consent preferences and transmits them to Google for further processing. Tags dynamically adjust their behavior based on whether users accept or reject cookies for a specific purpose.

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What has changed in this new version?

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One of the most important changes in Google Consent Mode V2 is that it introduces two new tag settings that manage cookies for analytics and advertising purposes on your website, known as "analytics_storage" and "ad_storage." Without getting too technical, these settings will allow both Google Analytics 4 and Google Ads to continue receiving some information (basic, non-identifying metrics) even if the user has not allowed the use of cookies .  

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Why is this important for your Google Ads campaigns?

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As we've already mentioned, to comply with the new European Union privacy requirements, Consent Mode V2 takes into account the user's explicit consent for the cookies used by a website. So, what happens when a website visitor doesn't give their consent to marketing or advertising cookies?

Google's Consent Mode will ensure that all marketing-related Google tags adapt and do not use these cookies.

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The good news is that if this happens, your website will still be able to show contextual ads based on anonymous data, rather than targeted advertising based on tracking personal data.

Additionally, Consent Mode V2 allows your website to measure conversions related to a specific campaign at the aggregate level, rather than for each individual user.

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This helps ensure you gain insights into your website's marketing performance in a fully GDPR-compliant manner , without the need for personal data. It does this by using what's known as "conversion modeling": it uses observable data from those who did consent to the use of cookies to predict how those who didn't would have behaved.

How to implement Google Consent Mode V2 on your website?

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To ensure proper compliance with all legal regulations in Europe and the United States regarding user privacy, it is advisable to use what are known as "consent management platforms." These are services created by companies that facilitate compliance with, for example, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Many of them include compatibility with Google Consent Mode V2 in their offerings and have been verified by Google in its partner program ( you can see the top 10 here ).

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‍At Heading2Market, we are a Cookiebot-certified agency , one of the leading agencies in Europe.

Once you decide to use a CMP, you'll need to follow each one's instructions to ensure proper implementation. A certain amount of technical skill (e.g., inserting code into your website or using Google Tag Manager) is required to do this successfully. It's recommended to hire experts to ensure everything works as it should , that your website's performance hasn't been affected, and that you won't be exposed to fines for noncompliance with current laws.

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A case study: how Consent Mode V2 works with Cookiebot

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At Heading2Market, we use Cookieboot by Usercentrics for all our Google Consent Mode v2 integrations. Here's a practical example of how it works.

When a user first enters the website, they will see a cookie banner similar to this one. We say similar because the banner's appearance is fully customizable to fit each brand's style, colors, etc.

1- Cookiebot analyzes and detects all cookies and trackers on your website, and automatically blocks them until end users give their consent.

2- Then, allow users to give their explicit and unambiguous consent through a consent banner.

3- The information is forwarded to Google Consent Mode V2, which determines the behavior of all tags and scripts in its services based on the consent status.

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In this example, the user visits the website and is presented with a banner clearly displaying four cookie categories and the option to see how many cookies and trackers are on the domain. Suppose the user chooses not to consent to any analytics or marketing cookies, Cookiebot blocks all such trackers from being activated, respecting the user's consent choice.

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When you reach Google Consent Mode, this specific consent status becomes the basis for the operation of all Google services used on the website, for example, Google Analytics 4.

At Heading2Market, we're a Cookiebot by Usercentrics certified agency, having passed exhaustive tests on consent management best practices. Click here so we can help you.

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