Short answer: Consent mode is how your website tells Google tags whether a visitor agreed to storage for ads and analytics, so the tags adjust what they store and send. It doesn’t show a banner: your consent banner collects the choice and consent mode passes it on. It comes in two versions, basic and advanced, and you set a default state before any Google tag runs.
The consent types
| Consent type | What it controls |
|---|---|
| ad_storage | Storage such as cookies for advertising |
| ad_user_data | Sending user data to Google for online advertising |
| ad_personalization | Personalized advertising |
| analytics_storage | Storage such as cookies for analytics, for example visit duration |
| functionality_storage | Storage the site needs to work, for example language settings |
| personalization_storage | Storage for personalization, for example video recommendations |
| security_storage | Storage for security, such as authentication and fraud prevention |
From Google for Developers, “Consent mode overview”, read November 2, 2026.
Basic or advanced
With basic consent mode, Google tags don’t load until the visitor interacts with your consent banner. Nothing reaches Google before that, not even the consent state.
With advanced consent mode, the tags load with the defaults you set and, while consent is denied, send cookieless pings. Google says this gives an advertiser-specific model for conversions instead of a general one.
From Google Ads Help, “About consent mode”.
How to set it up
- Choose a consent banner or consent tool: consent mode doesn’t provide one.
- Decide between basic and advanced, with your lawyer if your visitors include people in regions with consent laws.
- Set the default consent state before any Google tag loads, scoped to the regions where you show the banner.
- Update the consent state as soon as the visitor makes a choice, before they move to another page.
- If you use Google Tag Manager, add consent checks to tags that don’t have them built in, under Advanced and Consent Settings.
- After at least 7 full days, look for consent mode’s impact results in Google Ads and Google Analytics.
- Verify the setup with Google’s own steps for checking a consent mode implementation.
Our guide to Google Tag Manager covers the tag setup, and our guide to Google Ads conversion tracking covers the conversions.
From Google for Developers, “Set up consent mode on websites”, and Google Ads Help, “About consent mode”.
What our own site shows
On November 2, 2026, we read our home page’s source. Its consent default sets ad_storage, ad_user_data, ad_personalization, analytics_storage, functionality_storage and personalization_storage to denied, security_storage to granted, and wait_for_update to 500.
That call comes before any Google tag script in the page. Our privacy policy adds that the browser keeps the visitor’s choice for 6 months, and that with Marketing off the Google Ads tag doesn’t load.
Before you turn on your tags
- A consent banner collects the visitor’s choice.
- The default state is set before any Google tag.
- The defaults match the regions where you show the banner.
- Every choice sends an update before the page changes.
- Tags without built-in checks have consent checks in Tag Manager.
- You verified the setup with Google’s checks.
RememberConsent mode passes the visitor’s choice to Google tags; your banner collects it. Set the defaults first, update them on every choice, and verify.
If you want us to set up your tags and campaigns, see our Google Ads management service.
Quick answers about consent mode
What is Google consent mode?
It is a way for your website to tell Google tags whether a visitor agreed to storage for ads and analytics. The tags then adjust what they store and send. Your own consent banner collects the choice.
Does consent mode include a cookie banner?
No. Google says consent mode doesn’t provide a consent banner or widget. It interacts with your banner to get the visitor’s choice, so you still need a banner or a consent tool.
Is basic or advanced consent mode better?
Basic sends nothing to Google until the visitor chooses. Advanced loads the tags with your defaults and sends cookieless pings while denied, which gives an advertiser-specific model instead of a general one. Pick based on your legal advice.
Is consent mode v2 different?
The newer consent types are ad_user_data, for sending user data to Google for online advertising, and ad_personalization, for personalized advertising. They sit next to ad_storage and analytics_storage in the same setup.
Do I need consent mode if I only target the US?
Google calls it best practice to scope the default consent settings to the regions where you show consent banners. Ask your lawyer which regions apply to your business, and set the defaults to match.
Sources
Read on November 2, 2026. Google for Developers: Consent mode overview and Set up consent mode on websites. Google Ads Help: About consent mode. Our own case: our home page’s source and our privacy policy, on November 2, 2026.