Analytics & Measurement
Consent Mode
Also known as: Google Consent Mode, Consent Mode v2
Consent Mode is a Google framework that lets tags adjust their behaviour based on the consent choices a visitor has made. Instead of tags being blocked outright, they receive signals about whether analytics and advertising storage are allowed, and act accordingly. Version 2 added parameters covering the use of personal data for ads and for ad personalisation.
What it is
Consent Mode works through a set of signals passed to Google tags, covering analytics storage, ad storage, ad user data and ad personalisation. When consent is denied, tags can still send limited, cookieless pings that carry no identifiers, rather than firing nothing at all. It is configured alongside a consent management platform that captures the visitor's choice.
Why it matters
In markets where consent rates are well below full coverage, blocked tags leave large gaps in analytics and conversion reporting. Consent Mode is designed to preserve some measurement signal and to feed Google's modelling of unobserved conversions. For advertisers running Google Ads in the EEA and the UK, sending consent signals is a condition of using personalised advertising features.
How it works
Teams implement a consent banner, map its outcomes to the Consent Mode parameters, and set default states that deny non-essential storage until a choice is made. Advanced implementations load tags in a restricted state before consent, while basic implementations hold tags back entirely until consent is given. Validation usually involves checking the consent parameters in tag debugging tools and confirming that defaults fire before any user interaction.
When it applies
It applies to any site using Google tags with visitors in jurisdictions that require consent for non-essential cookies, particularly the EEA, the UK and Switzerland.
Examples
- An ecommerce site sets analytics and ad storage to denied by default, then updates the signals when the shopper accepts cookies.
- A lead generation site sees reported conversions rise after switching from hard blocking to Consent Mode with modelling enabled.
- A media publisher audits its container and finds a remarketing tag firing before the banner loads, breaching its default consent state.
How it is measured
- Consent rate by banner option, region and device
- Share of sessions with consent signals present and correctly formed
- Gap between observed and modelled conversions in Google Ads and GA4
- Tag firing errors or pre-consent fires found in debugging and audits
Related terms in Analytics & Measurement
- A/B testingA/B testing is a controlled experiment that shows two or more versions of a page, email or feature to randomly split groups of users and compares how each performs against a chosen goal. It isolates the effect of a single change so improvement can be attributed rather than assumed. It is also called split testing.
- AttributionAttribution is the practice of assigning credit for a conversion to the marketing touchpoints that preceded it. It covers the models, rules and data joins used to decide which channels, campaigns or content get counted. In AI search, attribution is harder because many assistant-led journeys leave little or no referral data.
- Click-through rateClick-through rate is the proportion of people who saw something and then clicked it, expressed as clicks divided by impressions. It is used to judge search listings, ads, emails and internal links. A higher rate usually means the message matched what the audience was looking for.
- Conversion trackingConversion tracking is the practice of recording the actions you care about, such as purchases, form submissions or calls, and connecting them back to the channel, campaign or session that led to them. It gives advertising platforms and analytics tools the outcome data they need to report performance and optimise bidding. Accuracy depends on correct tag implementation, consent handling and clear conversion definitions.
- Cross-channel reportingCross-channel reporting is the practice of bringing performance data from search, social, email, paid media, AI assistants and other channels into a single view. It standardises metrics and time periods so channels can be compared fairly rather than judged in isolated platform dashboards. The aim is to show how channels work together to produce enquiries, sales and revenue.
- Customer lifetime valueCustomer lifetime value (CLV or LTV) is the total profit or revenue a business expects to earn from a customer relationship over its lifetime. It combines purchase value, purchase frequency, margin, and retention into a single forward looking figure. Teams use it to decide how much they can afford to spend acquiring and keeping customers.
Primary research · August 2026
How ChatGPT Shortlists Software Brands
An audit across 10 categories and 60 buying questions. I recorded what ChatGPT reads, throws away and links to when a buyer asks it which software to buy, and what that decides.
- 60
- Questions asked
- 10
- Software markets
- 2,680
- Results read
- 367
- Links shown
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