Google Consent Mode V2: What you need to know

We have been asked about this a few times now, and there is some confusion about Consent Mode V2. This article will explain all you need to know.

So get comfy as we go over what you need to know step by step and whether Consent Mode V2 is something you should worry about.

Let’s begin with understanding Google’s consent management. Google’s consent management solution helps website owners comply with data privacy laws like GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) and ePrivacy regulations. These laws require websites to get explicit consent from visitors before collecting or processing their personal data, such as through cookies or tracking technologies.

Here’s how Google’s solution works in simple terms:

1. When you visit a website, you’ll see a banner or popup asking for your consent to allow certain things like analytics tracking or personalised advertising.
2. This consent banner is provided by the website owner using Google’s code instructions.
3. You can choose which things you want to allow or not allow by selecting options in the consent banner.
4. Based on your choices, Google’s advertising and analytics tools on that website will either process your data (if you allow it) or not process your data (if you don’t allow it).
5. Your consent choices are saved, so you don’t have to provide consent again on that website.

The main purpose is to give you, the website visitor, control over how your personal data is used by the website. Google’s solution helps websites follow privacy laws by getting clear permission before using your data for analytics or personalised ads.

It’s like a website asking, “Is it okay if we track your activity to learn about our visitors and show you relevant ads?” You decide whether to allow that.

Google Consent Mode V2 is an updated version of Google’s consent management solution that helps website owners comply with data privacy regulations like GDPR and ePrivacy.

How Does It Impact Website Owners?

1. Compliance: Implementing Consent Mode V2 helps website owners comply with data privacy laws like GDPR by obtaining explicit visitor consent before loading Google’s tags and processing personal data.
2. Integration with CMPs: Website owners need to integrate their existing CMP with Consent Mode V2 to pass visitor consent choices to Google’s tags. Many major CMPs have already integrated with Consent Mode V2.
3. Implementation Effort: Updating to Consent Mode V2 requires changes to the website’s tagging implementation, which may involve development effort and testing, especially for complex setups.
4. Visitor Experience: Consent Mode V2 introduces an additional step where visitors must provide consent choices before Google’s tags load, potentially impacting user experience and metrics like bounce rate.
5. Data Loss: If visitors do not provide consent, Google’s tags will not load, resulting in incomplete data collection for those visitors in products like Google Analytics.
6. Consent Auditing: Consent Mode V2 provides a centralized consent signal that can be audited to demonstrate compliance with data privacy regulations.

In summary, while Consent Mode V2 helps website owners comply with privacy laws, it also requires integration work with CMPs, changes to tagging implementations, and may impact visitor experience and data collection. Website owners need to carefully plan and test the migration to ensure a smooth transition while maintaining compliance. 

Does Content Mode Affect All Websites?

Yes, Google Consent Mode V2 affects all websites that use Google’s advertising and analytics services, such as Google Ads and Google Analytics, especially those operating in the European Economic Area (EEA).

The key points regarding the impact of Google Consent Mode V2 are:

1. Mandatory Compliance: By March 2024, all websites using Google’s advertising and analytics services, particularly in the EEA, must implement Google Consent Mode V2 to ensure compliance with data privacy regulations like GDPR.
2. User Consent Management: Websites must obtain explicit user consent before allowing Google to process personal data for ad personalisation and analytics tracking purposes. This puts more control in the hands of users.
3. Integration with Consent Management Platforms (CMPs): Websites must integrate with a Google-certified CMP that supports Google Consent Mode V2. The CMP collects and passes user consent choices to Google’s tags.
4. Impact on Data Collection: If a user denies consent, Google’s tags will be restricted from setting cookies or collecting personal data. This can impact ad personalisation, conversion tracking, and analytics data completeness.
5. Conversion Modeling: For users who don’t consent, Google will attempt to model conversions and user behaviour using aggregated, anonymous data signals to fill measurement gaps. However, this modelling has limitations.

So, in summary, all websites leveraging Google’s advertising and analytics products, regardless of their location, need to implement Google Consent Mode V2 and integrate with a certified CMP to remain compliant and continue utilising Google’s services effectively, especially when operating in regions with strict data privacy laws like the EEA.

Is Consent Mode A Legal Requirement?

Google Consent Mode V2 is not strictly required by law. Still, it is effectively mandatory for websites using Google’s advertising and analytics services, especially those operating in regions with strict data privacy regulations like the European Economic Area (EEA).

The key points regarding the legal requirements around Google Consent Mode V2 are:

1. GDPR and ePrivacy Compliance: While not an explicit legal requirement, implementing Consent Mode V2 helps websites comply with data privacy laws like GDPR and ePrivacy regulations in the EEA. These laws mandate obtaining explicit user consent before processing personal data for purposes like analytics tracking and ad personalisation.
2. Google’s Policy Change: Google has announced that by March 2024, all websites using Google’s advertising and analytics products must implement Consent Mode V2 to remain compliant with Google’s policies and continue utilising these services, particularly in the EEA region.
3. Risk of Service Disruption: Failure to implement Consent Mode V2 by the March 2024 deadline could result in disruptions or loss of access to Google’s advertising and analytics tools for websites operating in regions with strict data privacy laws like the EEA.

While Consent Mode V2 is not a legal requirement, its implementation has become necessary for websites that use Google’s advertising and analytics services, especially in regions with stringent data privacy laws like the EEA. Failure to comply with Google’s policy change could lead to service disruptions and potential non-compliance with data privacy regulations in those regions.

What Consent Management Platforms (CMPs) Are Available?

You can visit the CMP Partner Program page at Google to see the official CMP partners. We have also summarised each Google CMP partner below to simplify the process.

CookieScript – Best Multi-Domain Pricing

Description: CookieScript is a free cookie consent management solution that offers customisable banners, consent logging, and integration with popular CMS platforms.

Pros:

• Free plan for up to 10 pages and 20k views
• Easy to implement and use
• Offers email/chat support

Cons:

• Limited features in the free plan
• May lack advanced enterprise capabilities

Pricing:

• Free for 10 pages, 20k views
• Lite: €8/month
• Standard: €15/month
• Plus: €19/month
• Agencies: Custom pricing

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Complianz – Best for WordPress Sites

Description: Complianz is a GDPR/CCPA compliance solution that offers a customizable cookie banner and consent management features for WordPress sites.

Pros:

• Easy integration with WordPress
• Affordable pricing for small businesses

Cons:

• Limited to just WordPress websites
• May lack advanced features for enterprises

Pricing:

• Personal: €59/year for 1 website
• Professional: €159/year for 5 websites
• Agencies: €359/year for 25 websites

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Axeptio

Description: Axeptio is a user-friendly consent management platform that offers customizable cookie banners, consent registers, and analytics tools. It supports multiple languages and regulations like GDPR and CCPA.

Pros:

• Highly customizable with a friendly tone
• Integrates with popular CRMs and analytics tools
• Offers contextual consent wall option

Cons:

• Pricing can get expensive for high traffic volumes
• Limited to just cookie and consent management

Pricing:

• Free: Up to 5,000 pageviews/month
• Small: €26/month up to 100,000 pageviews
• Medium: €62/month up to 500,000 pageviews
• Large: €116/month over 500,000 pageviews
• Enterprise: Custom pricing

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Commanders Act

Description: Commanders Act is a CMP focused on obtaining user consent while providing insights into user behavior across different consent scenarios to optimize ad targeting.

Pros:

• 20% discount for Google referrals
• Supports multiple languages
• Provides implementation and troubleshooting support

Cons:

• Limited information available on specific features

Pricing: Based on usage, automatically adapts to site traffic

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ConsentManager

Description: ConsentManager is a consent management platform that supports various platforms like web, mobile apps, TV, and IoT devices. It offers features like cookie scanning, consent registers, and privacy policy generators. 1

Pros:

• Supports wide range of platforms and languages
• Offers implementation support and documentation
• Free testing available

Cons:

• Limited information on pricing tiers
• May lack advanced enterprise features

Pricing:

• Beginner: €19/month
• Standard: €49/month
• Agency: €195/month
• Enterprise: Custom pricing

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Cookiebot

Description: Cookiebot is a user-friendly consent management solution that automatically scans and categorises cookies/trackers on websites. It supports over 47 languages and offers real-time reporting.

Pros:

• Automatic cookie scanning
• Customisable banners
• Secure consent storage

Cons:

• Limited information on advanced features
• May lack flexibility for enterprises

Pricing:

• Free for 1 domain under 50 subpages
• Premium Small: €12/month
• Premium Medium: €28/month
• Premium Large: €49/month 1

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CookieFirst

Description: CookieFirst is a GDPR/CCPA-compliant cookie consent management platform that offers customisable cookie banners, granular controls, and consent logging.

Pros:

• Simple and easy to use
• Affordable pricing plans
• Provides video call and ticket support

Cons:

• Limited to web technologies
• May lack advanced enterprise features

Pricing:

• Basic: €9/month or €99/year
• Plus: €19/month or €209/year
• Custom pricing over 300k pageviews/month

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CookieHub

Description: CookieHub is a cookie consent management solution that offers customisable banners, consent logging, and integration with popular CMS platforms.

Pros:

• Free plan for up to 5,000 sessions/month
• Comprehensive documentation and guides
• Affordable pricing for small businesses

Cons:

• Limited information on enterprise features
• May lack advanced analytics capabilities

Pricing:

• Free for up to 5,000 sessions/month
• Basic: €8/month for up to 25,000 sessions
• Business: €25/month for up to 100,000 sessions
• Enterprise: Custom pricing

Visit Website

Cookie Information

Description: Cookie Information is a cookie consent management solution that offers customisable banners, consent logging, and integration with popular CMS and tag management platforms.

Pros:

• Supports over 44 languages
• Offers onboarding and technical support
• 30-day free trial available

Cons:

• Limited information on specific features
• Pricing details not readily available

Pricing: Not clearly stated

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CookieYes

Description: CookieYes is a GDPR/CCPA-compliant cookie consent management solution that offers customisable banners, consent logging, and automatic script blocking.

Pros:

• Supports over 175 languages
• Easy to set up and use
• Offers a free plan

Cons:

• Limited information on advanced features
• May lack flexibility for enterprises

Pricing:

• Free for 25k views/month
• Basic: €9/month
• Pro: €18/month
• Ultimate: €36/month

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Didomi

Description: Didomi is a consent management platform that offers customisable consent banners, cookie management, and integration with various platforms like the web, mobile apps, and connected TVs.

Pros:

• Supports multiple languages and platforms
• Offers comprehensive onboarding and support
• Provides developer documentation

Cons:

• Limited pricing information is available
• It may be more expensive for small businesses

Pricing: Custom pricing based on monthly unique visitors

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iubenda

Description: iubenda is a compliance solution that offers consent management features like customisable banners and consent logging. It supports multiple languages and platforms like web, mobile apps, and connected TVs.

Pros:

• Free option for basic needs
• Easy integration via code, plugins, or tag managers
• Offers legal team support for enterprises

Cons:

• Limited language support compared to others
• Pricing can be expensive for small businesses

Pricing:

• Free option available
• Essentials: €4.99/month
• Advanced: €19.99/month
• Ultimate: €79.99/month

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OneTrust

Description: OneTrust is an enterprise-grade consent management platform that offers customisable consent experiences across various platforms, such as the web, mobile apps, and connected TVs.

Pros:

• Supports over 300 languages
• Offers implementation guides and support
• Provides dedicated account management

Cons:

• Likely more expensive for small businesses
• Limited pricing information is available

Pricing: Determined based on visitor traffic, websites, and apps

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Osano

Description: Osano is a user-friendly consent management platform that offers customisable consent banners, consent logging, and integration with web and mobile platforms.

Pros:

• Supports over 50 languages
• Offers comprehensive documentation and guides
• Provides implementation and priority support

Cons:

• Limited information on advanced features
• Pricing can be expensive for small businesses

Pricing:

• Free for up to 5k visitors/month
• Plus: $199/month
• Premier: From $549/month

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Secure Privacy

Description: Secure Privacy is a consent management platform that offers customisable consent banners, consent logging, and integration with web and mobile platforms. It also includes legal templates and supports over 80 languages.

Pros:

• Supports multiple languages and countries
• Offers developer documentation and guides
• Provides dedicated account management

Cons:

• Limited information on specific features
• Pricing details not readily available

Pricing:

• Business: €49/month
• Growth: €99/month
• Advanced: €199/month
• Enterprise: Custom pricing

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Sirdata

Description: Sirdata is a consent management platform that offers customisable consent banners, consent logging, and integration with web platforms like Google AMP.

Pros:

• Supports 18 languages
• Offers implementation and troubleshooting support
• Provides a free trial and discounts

Cons:

• Limited language support compared to others
• May lack advanced enterprise features

Pricing: Charges based on number of hits, starting from €25/month

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Sourcepoint

Description: Sourcepoint is an enterprise-grade consent management platform that supports various platforms like web, mobile apps, connected TVs, and more. It offers features like customisable consent experiences and implementation support.

Pros:

• Supports 42 languages and countries
• Offers dedicated account management
• Provides 24/7 support during high traffic

Cons:

• Likely more expensive for small businesses
• Limited pricing information is available

Pricing: Based on properties, page views, and active users

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Termly

Description: Termly is a user-friendly consent management solution that offers customisable cookie banners, consent logging, and integration with web platforms.

Pros:

• Supports multiple languages and countries
• Easy to use and implement
• Offers phone and chat support

Cons:

• Limited to web platforms only
• May lack advanced enterprise features

Pricing:

• Free for up to 10k views/month
• Starter: €9.5/website/month
• Pro+: €13.5/website/month
• Agencies: Custom pricing

Visit Website

TrustArc

Description: TrustArc is an enterprise-grade consent management platform that offers customisable consent experiences across various platforms like web, mobile apps, and more.

Pros:

• Supports 42 languages
• Offers dedicated account management
• Provides implementation and training support

Cons:

• Likely more expensive for small businesses
• Limited pricing information is available

Pricing: Standard self-serve or managed service plans available

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Usercentrics

Description: Usercentrics is a user-friendly consent management platform that offers customisable consent banners, consent logging, and integration with web and mobile platforms.

Pros:

• Supports over 60 languages
• Offers comprehensive documentation and guides
• Provides dedicated account management

Cons:

• Limited pricing information is available
• It may be more expensive for small businesses

Pricing:

• 30-day free trial
• Starter: €50/month
• Advanced: €50-€999/month
• Premium: Custom pricing

Visit Website

In summary, while all the CMPs offer similar core features like customisable consent banners and consent logging, they differ regarding supported platforms, languages, implementation support, and pricing models. 

Who Do We Recommend?

We recommend Complianz for WordPress only sites. CookieScript is a good low-cost choice for businesses with multiple websites that may not all be WordPress based.

Enterprise-grade CMPs like OneTrust, TrustArc, and Sourcepoint offer more robust features. Still, they are likely more expensive, while solutions like Axeptio, CookieYes, and Termly cater better to small businesses and individual websites with their affordable pricing plans.

How to implement Consent Mode V2 with a CMP

To implement Google Consent Mode V2 with a Consent Management Platform (CMP), you can follow these general steps:

1. Choose a Google-certified CMP
2. Set up the CMP on your website: Follow the CMP’s documentation to install and configure their consent solution on your website properly.
3. Integrate Consent Mode V2 with the CMP: Most certified CMPs provide guides on integrating Google Consent Mode V2 with their platform. The exact steps vary, but generally involve:

a. Enabling Consent Mode V2 in the CMP’s settings
b. Mapping consent purposes/categories to Google’s required parameters (ad_storage, analytics_storage, ad_personalization, ad_user_data)
c. Configuring the CMP to pass user consent choices to Google via the Consent Mode API

4. Set up Google Tags with Consent Mode: Depending on if you choose Basic or Advanced Consent Mode, you’ll need to adjust your Google tags (Google Analytics, Google Ads, etc.) in Google Tag Manager or directly on your site:

a. Basic Mode: Configure tags to require additional consent before loading based on the user’s choices passed from the CMP.
b. Advanced Mode: Allow tags to load but have their behaviour automatically adjusted based on the consent signal from the CMP.

5. Test and Deploy: Use your CMP’s testing tools and Google’s Consent Mode debugging to ensure everything works correctly before deploying to your live site.

If you need assistance with the implementation or want to ensure it’s done correctly, contact us at Contactora. Our Analytics team are experienced in implementing Consent Mode V2 with various  Google-certified CMP’s. We can also help select the best CMP for your business and budget.

Consent Mode V2 Limitations and Challenges

Potential limitations and challenges to be aware of:

Here is a summary of the limitations and challenges of implementing Google Consent Mode V2 in a list format:

1. Impact on User Experience

• Introduces an additional consent prompt step before loading Google tags
• It can disrupt user experience, especially on high-traffic websites
• This may lead to higher bounce rates if not implemented thoughtfully

2. Data Loss for Non-Consenting Users

• Google tags restricted from collecting personal data for non-consenting users
• Results in incomplete data sets and gaps in measurement
• It affects the accuracy of metrics like audience reporting, conversion tracking, and user behaviour analysis

3. Conversion Modeling Limitations

• Google attempts to model conversions using aggregated anonymous data for non-consenting users
• This modelling approach has inherent limitations
• It may not provide the same level of accuracy as data from consenting users

4. Implementation Effort and Complexity

• Requires integration with a Google-certified Consent Management Platform (CMP)
• Involves changes to the website’s tagging implementation
• Significant development effort for complex setups or multiple third-party tags
• Proper testing and quality assurance are crucial for a smooth transition

5. Ongoing Maintenance and Updates

• Need to update consent management practices and Consent Mode V2 implementation continuously
• Requires ongoing maintenance efforts
• Staying up-to-date with the latest guidelines and best practices from Google and regulatory bodies

6. Potential Revenue Impact

• A significant portion of users opting out of data processing can impact ad-targeting capabilities
• Consequently, this may affect advertising revenue streams
• Businesses may need to explore alternative targeting strategies or incentivise user consent

Proper planning, implementation, and ongoing optimisation are crucial to mitigate negative impacts on user experience, data quality, and business operations.