Google Consent Mode v2: what UK businesses need to do
What Consent Mode v2 is, why Google requires it for UK and EEA ad measurement, and how to implement it with a compliant cookie banner.
What Consent Mode v2 is, why Google requires it for UK and EEA ad measurement, and how to implement it with a compliant cookie banner.
What changed in v2
Consent Mode v2 added two parameters — ad_user_data and ad_personalization — alongside analytics_storage and ad_storage. Your cookie banner must pass these to Google tags.
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In basic mode, tags don’t load until consent. In advanced mode, tags load with cookies denied and send cookieless pings, allowing Google to model conversions.
How to implement
- Use a Google-certified consent management platform
- Set default consent to denied for UK/EEA
- Update consent on user choice
- Test in Tag Assistant
- Check GA4 and Google Ads consent diagnostics
Common mistakes to avoid
How we help with analytics
Frequently asked questions
Is Consent Mode a cookie banner?
No — it works with your banner to pass consent choices to Google tags.
What happens if I don’t implement it?
You may lose remarketing audiences and measurement for UK/EEA users.
Does it work with GTM?
Yes — Tag Manager has built-in consent settings.