ad_storage
Governs advertising cookies, which makes it the signal most PECR conversations start with.
Consent Mode v2 that does what the banner says
Consent Mode v2 is how Google tags receive your visitors’ cookie choices, using four signals that your banner has to set correctly. We set it up in GTM with explicit defaults, then test it until accepted and declined both behave.
From £750 ex VATWhat does a proper Consent Mode v2 setup include?
analytics_storage
The same question for analytics cookies, which is why a misfiring banner can show up as a sudden hole in GA4.
ad_user_data
If this is denied, hashed data for enhanced conversions isn’t collected, so a consent fault can look exactly like a tracking fault.
ad_personalization
If this is denied, remarketing doesn’t receive data, so that visitor won’t end up in your audiences.
Defaults that are stated out loud
Google’s own help pages aren’t consistent about default states, so we set them explicitly and leave nothing to interpretation.
Your banner, wired to your tags
Whichever banner you use, its choices have to reach Google’s tags before those tags do anything. We test the order of events as well as the end result.
Getting the mode, the testing and the rules right
Basic or advanced consent mode?
In basic mode, tags are blocked until the visitor interacts with the banner and nothing is sent if they decline. In advanced mode, tags load straight away and send cookieless measurements while consent is denied, which supports more detailed modelling.
- Basic: tags wait for a choice
- Advanced: cookieless measurements while denied
- We’ll talk through which suits you
Tested with every answer a visitor can give
We run the site with accept, decline and no answer at all on a clean browser, then check what actually leaves the page each time. Banners are excellent at looking correct while doing something else entirely.
- Accept, decline and ignore
- Network requests checked
- Defaults confirmed before the banner loads
What UK advertisers have to get right
Google’s EU user consent policy covers visitors in the EEA, the UK and Switzerland, and requires legally valid consent. Under PECR, non-essential cookies need active, clear consent and advertising cookies aren’t exempt. Declined visitors will leave a gap in your reports, which is the rules doing their job.
- Google’s policy covers the UK
- Advertising cookies aren’t exempt
- TCF is an alternative route
What we set up
It’s part of the same fixed-price setup as enhanced conversions and tag gateway, from £750 ex VAT. We’ll explain how we build to the rules, but none of this is legal advice.
What’s included
- Consent Mode v2 in GTM with all four signals
- Explicit defaults, set before any tag runs
- Banner tested on accept, decline and no answer
What we’ll need from you
- Access to GTM and your consent banner tool
- A decision on basic or advanced, which we’ll help you reach
- Your privacy policy, or whoever looks after it
Often paired with
Enhanced conversions and tag gateway
Enhanced conversions set up properly in Google Tag Manager, plus Google tag gateway through Cloudflare or your CDN. A fixed-price setup for UK advertisers.
Tracking Audit
A fixed-price Google Ads tracking audit for UK businesses: GTM, duplicate counting, consent and GA4 gaps, with a traffic-light report and a quote to fix it.