What Is Google Consent Mode v2? Parameters and Setup

Google Consent Mode v2 is a signalling system that passes the cookie consent choices made on your website to your Google Analytics and Google Ads tags. When a visitor accepts cookies, the tags work normally; when they decline, the tags either send limited, identifier-free signals without writing cookies or don't run at all. Version 2 added two new parameters to the original two: one for sending advertising data to Google and one for personalised advertising.

In this article we explain Consent Mode v2's four parameters, how it works on your site, what it means for stores in Turkey and how to check whether your setup is correct. For setup steps on Shopify and using it alongside server-side tracking, see our guide to Shopify server-side tracking and Consent Mode.

What is Consent Mode v2, and how is it different from the first version?

Google released the first version of Consent Mode in 2020 for GDPR compliance. It worked with two parameters: analytics_storage for analytics cookies and ad_storage for advertising cookies.

Version 2 arrived with the European Union's Digital Markets Act. From March 2024, Google made ad personalisation and remarketing features for users in the European Economic Area and the United Kingdom dependent on v2 signals. If no v2 signal comes from visitors in these regions, audience building and personalised advertising features are limited for those users.

Consent Mode v2's four parameters

Each parameter takes the value granted or denied. A visitor can accept analytics cookies and decline advertising cookies. In that case Google Analytics keeps measuring, but advertising tags don't write cookies.

Alongside these four, Google's tags also include functionality_storage, personalization_storage and security_storage. These are for site functionality and security cookies and don't change how Google's advertising and analytics products behave.

How does Consent Mode work on your site?

Consent Mode works with two commands: the default command, which sets the initial state when the page first loads, and the update command, which changes that state when the visitor makes a choice.

1. Setting the default state

The default state must be set before Google tags load. In regions where cookie consent is required, all parameters start as denied:

<script>
  window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];
  function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);}

  // Default state: everything denied before consent is given
  gtag('consent', 'default', {
    'ad_storage': 'denied',
    'ad_user_data': 'denied',
    'ad_personalization': 'denied',
    'analytics_storage': 'denied',
    'wait_for_update': 500
  });
</script>

<script>
  window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];
  function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);}

  // Default state: everything denied before consent is given
  gtag('consent', 'default', {
    'ad_storage': 'denied',
    'ad_user_data': 'denied',
    'ad_personalization': 'denied',
    'analytics_storage': 'denied',
    'wait_for_update': 500
  });
</script>

<script>
  window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];
  function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);}

  // Default state: everything denied before consent is given
  gtag('consent', 'default', {
    'ad_storage': 'denied',
    'ad_user_data': 'denied',
    'ad_personalization': 'denied',
    'analytics_storage': 'denied',
    'wait_for_update': 500
  });
</script>

The wait_for_update value sets how many milliseconds the tags wait for the cookie banner to load the visitor's previous choice and send an update. If the banner loads late, an update that doesn't arrive within this time means the first signals go out as denied.

You can also set the default state by region. With the region parameter you can, for example, set the initial value to denied only in EU countries and use a different default elsewhere.

2. Passing on the visitor's choice

When the visitor makes their choice in the cookie banner, the banner sends the new state with the update command:

// When the visitor makes a choice in the banner
gtag('consent', 'update', {
  'ad_storage': 'granted',
  'ad_user_data': 'granted',
  'ad_personalization': 'denied',
  'analytics_storage': 'granted'
});

// When the visitor makes a choice in the banner
gtag('consent', 'update', {
  'ad_storage': 'granted',
  'ad_user_data': 'granted',
  'ad_personalization': 'denied',
  'analytics_storage': 'granted'
});

// When the visitor makes a choice in the banner
gtag('consent', 'update', {
  'ad_storage': 'granted',
  'ad_user_data': 'granted',
  'ad_personalization': 'denied',
  'analytics_storage': 'granted'
});

You don't write this command yourself. Your consent management platform (CMP) or Shopify's customer privacy settings send this update automatically. What you need to check is that each option in the banner is mapped to the right parameter.

3. Optional settings

Two more settings are commonly used:

• ads_data_redaction: removes ad click identifiers from requests when ad_storage is denied.

• url_passthrough: carries click information through page URLs when cookies can't be written. This partly improves conversion measurement for visitors who don't give consent.

The difference between basic and advanced Consent Mode

In basic mode, Google tags don't load at all until the visitor gives consent. No signal reaches Google from visitors who decline.

In advanced mode, tags load when the page opens. Without consent, they send identifier-free signals (cookieless pings) without writing cookies. Google uses these signals to model the behaviour and conversions of visitors who didn't consent.

Modelling needs enough data volume to kick in. For behavioural modelling in Google Analytics 4, Google's stated prerequisites are at least 1,000 events per day with consent denied for at least 7 days, and at least 1,000 daily users with consent granted sending events on at least 7 of the previous 28 days. Google notes that meeting these thresholds doesn't guarantee modelling either. Smaller stores may not reach them.

We compare which mode to choose for Shopify stores in detail in our server-side tracking and Consent Mode guide.

The 15 June 2026 change: ad_storage is now the only control

On 15 June 2026, Google simplified control of the data flow between Google Analytics and Google Ads. Before that date, whether advertising data collected by the Google Analytics tag reached Google Ads depended on both the Google Signals setting in GA4 and Consent Mode. Now only Consent Mode decides.

In practice, this means turning off Google Signals no longer stops advertising data from reaching Google Ads. Signals now only affects signed-in user reporting inside GA4. That makes it more important than ever that the ad_storage parameter is correctly mapped to the marketing choice in your banner. Stores that felt safe because they had switched Signals off need to recheck their Consent Mode setup.

Is Consent Mode v2 mandatory for stores in Turkey?

Google's v2 requirement applies to users in the European Economic Area and the United Kingdom. A store that only sells to visitors in Turkey doesn't face the same requirement on the Google Ads side.

Still, it matters to you directly in two cases:

• If you sell to Europe or get traffic from the EU and the UK, remarketing and personalised advertising features are limited for those visitors without v2 signals.

• Under KVKK, Turkey's data protection law, explicit consent is required for non-essential analytics and marketing cookies. Consent Mode is the cleanest way to reflect that consent in Google tags.

We cover the legal obligations in Turkey in our KVKK and ETBİS compliance guide.

Is your setup correct? How to check

A banner appearing doesn't mean Consent Mode is working. Run these checks:

1. Test with Tag Assistant. Open your site in Google Tag Assistant and look at an event's Consent tab. Confirm that the default values appear when the page first loads and the update values appear after you make a choice in the banner.

2. Check the order. The default command must run before Google tags. If tags load first, the first signals are sent without consent information.

3. Try the decline scenario. Decline all cookies and check in your browser's developer tools that the _ga and _gcl cookies aren't written.

4. Look at the diagnostics in Google Ads. In the diagnostics section of your conversion actions, you can see Consent Mode status and the share of traffic sending consent signals.

The mistakes we see most often

• The default command running after the tags. Especially when the banner loads late through an app, the first page views are sent without consent information.

• Missing v2 parameters. An older banner setup sends only ad_storage and analytics_storage, and never passes ad_user_data and ad_personalization.

• Banner options mapped incorrectly. For example, ad_storage going out as granted even though the "Marketing" option was declined.

• More than one consent source. Shopify's privacy banner and a separate CMP running at the same time and overwriting each other's signals.

Frequently asked questions

Is Consent Mode v2 a cookie banner?

No. Consent Mode is the infrastructure that passes the decision made in the banner to Google tags. You still need to set up the banner that shows visitors their options.

Does Google Ads work without Consent Mode?

For traffic from Turkey, ads keep running. But for visitors in the EU and the UK, remarketing and personalised advertising features are limited without v2 signals.

Does advanced mode mean tracking users who didn't consent?

No. Without consent, tags don't write cookies and send identifier-free signals. Google uses these signals for aggregate modelling. Even so, it's advisable to update your privacy notice accordingly before choosing advanced mode.

How do you set up Consent Mode on Shopify?

According to Google's own help page, if you use Shopify's Google & YouTube app for conversion tracking and have connected your cookie banner to Shopify's customer privacy settings, Consent Mode works automatically. You can use Shopify's own banner or a consent app integrated with the customer privacy settings. We explain the setup step by step in our server-side tracking and Consent Mode guide.

Let's check your Consent Mode setup together

Working out whether Consent Mode is working correctly means looking at the banner, the tag order and the Google Ads diagnostics together. If you'd like to review your store's measurement and consent setup, get in touch through our Shopify technical support page.