New version of Google Consent Mode

There's currently an updated version of Google Consent Mode. Want to know why Google Consent Mode V2 is crucial for marketing in 2024?

Everything you need to know about Google Consent Mode

Due to the requirement for users to explicitly consent to cookie placement, advertisers now collect less data than before. In response, Google has launched a new privacy feature; Google Consent Mode. This ensures the ability to measure conversions while respecting visitors' privacy preferences. Discover how it works and leverage the latest in digital marketing and privacy compliance in this detailed blog post.

A new approach to Privacy and Data

Google Consent Mode offers innovative solutions for website owners, balancing the critical need for user privacy with the undiminished effectiveness of digital marketing strategies. It introduces two pivotal tag settings: one for analytics (analytics_storage) and another for advertising (ad_storage), empowering Google trackers with the knowledge to adapt based on users' cookie preferences—before and after they're set.

Key Benefits:

  • Accurate Conversion Tracking: Navigate around the common roadblocks posed by cookie banners or Consent Management Platforms (CMP), ensuring your advertising channels report conversions accurately.

  • Enhanced Remarketing: Avoid the pitfalls of aggregated conversion measurements. Consent Mode ensures user-level precision, significantly boosting the efficiency of remarketing lists.

Screenshot Google Consent Mode

How does Google Consent Mode work?

Consent Mode is designed by Google to ensure that as a website owner, you consider your visitors' cookie consent levels.

Google Consent Mode introduces two new parameters: ad_storage and analytics_storage. You need to add these to the dataLayer on your website manually. This controls the behavior of Google tags and cookies. If you use a cookie wall or Consent Management Platform, you'll be able to set both parameters based on your visitor's choice.

Which Services Support Google Consent Mode?

Google Consent Mode is supported by several Google products:

  • Google Analytics

  • Google Ads

  • Floodlight tags

This does not affect other advertising cookies, such as those from Facebook or LinkedIn. These platforms are currently developing their solutions, expected to function similarly to Google Consent Mode.

Default and Update Commands in Practice

Consent Mode operates through two commands; default and update. The Default command should be triggered with every page load, even if the user has not yet given consent on your cookie wall or CMP. In the example below, we ensure that Analytics cookies are loaded, but not advertising cookies.

<script>
 // Define the gtag() API
 window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];
 function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments)};
 // Call default commands with static settings to fall back on
 //Consent commands must appear before gtag.js or Google Tag Manager is loaded.
 gtag('consent', 'default', {
 	'ad_storage' : 'denied',
 	'analytics_storage' : 'granted'
 });
</script>

Google Consent Mode V2

We recently held an online event to equip yourself with the knowledge and tools you need to face the challenges of the Google Consent Mode V2 update.

You can add this script to your website either hardcoded or via Google Tag Manager. It's crucial that this script is executed before all other Google tags; otherwise, the Default command will be ignored.

Once a user has given or updated their consent level, you must use the Update command. In the example below, we dynamically load the values of ad_storage & analytics_storage.

<script>
 // Define the gtag() API
 window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];
 function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments)};
 // Call update commands with variable settings
 	gtag('consent', 'update', {
 		'ad_storage' : {{ad_consent_value}},
 		'analytics_storage' : {{analytics_consent_value}}	
 });
</script>

What Happens with 'Denied' Parameters?

What data is transmitted if a parameter is set to “denied”?

Limited Advertising Storage

To halt Advertising Storage, set the “ad_storage” value to “denied” when loading your default or update tag. If Advertising Storage is limited, the following occurs:

  • No new advertising cookies are created. If the URL includes a “gclid” from a Google Ads click, its value will not be stored in a 1st-party cookie.

  • Existing advertising cookies are not read. If a cookie with a click identifier already exists, it will not be read or sent with other tags.

  • 3rd-party cookies from advertising domains (doubleclick.net) are only used for spam and fraud detection.

  • Google Analytics will not read or create advertising cookies or use them for Google Signals.

  • IP addresses are used only for geolocation. IP addresses are not collected by Google Ads or Floodlight tags. Google Analytics does collect IP addresses, but you can anonymize them using IP anonymization.

  • The full URL of the page, including click identifiers (gclid, dclid, etc.), is stored.

Limited Analytics Storage

To halt Analytics Storage, set the “analytics_storage” value to “denied” when loading your default or update tag. If Analytics Storage is limited, the following occurs:

  • Google Analytics cannot read or create 1st-party cookies: All hits fired before the page is refreshed or a new page is opened will have the same client ID. Even if a _ga cookie exists, a temporary ID will be used.

  • Hits are still sent to Google Analytics. Consent Mode only prevents Google Analytics from reading data from cookies. These cookieless hits are captured but are not currently visible in Google Analytics reports. We expect this to become visible eventually, once Google's machine learning model is fully developed.

Should I Set Up Google Consent Mode?

Absolutely, and as soon as possible. Since the launch of iOS 14.5, we've seen that data in Google Analytics and Google Ads is less accurate, as people no longer send data to these platforms.

We recommend immediately considering a cookie wall solution or a Consent Management Platform. Some of these tools make it very easy to set up Consent Mode, ensuring that visitors on your website have full control over the data they wish to share with external parties.

Are you ready for the Cookieless Future?

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