Google Consent Mode v2 Checker

Google Consent Mode v2 Checker: Check for free if your website complies with Google Consent Mode v2, GDPR regulations, and Digital Markets Act (DMA) requirements. Enter your website URL and receive a detailed report in seconds.

What is Google Consent Mode v2?

Google Consent Mode v2 is a framework developed by Google that allows websites to adjust the behavior of Google tags (Analytics, Ads, GTM) based on user cookie choices. Essentially, Google tags “understand” whether the visitor has accepted or refused consent and automatically adapt their functionality.

From March 2024, Google requires Consent Mode v2 implementation for all websites in the European Economic Area (EEA) using Google services. Without this implementation, conversion and audience data are significantly affected in Google Analytics 4 and Google Ads.

Why is it important?

• Legally required — Digital Markets Act (DMA) requires transparent consent collection for Google services starting March 2024.
• Conversion data — Without Consent Mode v2, Google Ads loses access to conversion data for EEA users, affecting advertising campaigns.
• Data modeling — Consent Mode v2 allows Google Analytics 4 to model missing data (when users refuse cookies), recovering up to 70% of lost data.
• GDPR compliance — Proper implementation ensures compliance with European personal data protection regulations.

What does this tool check?

The GOAI Consent Checker analyzes 22 checks grouped into 5 categories, covering all aspects of Consent Mode v2 implementation. Each category receives a score from 0 to 100.

1. Google Tag Detection

The first category checks if Google tags are present and properly configured on the website. Without these tags, Consent Mode has nothing to control.

• Google Tag Manager (GTM) — Checks for GTM container presence on the page. GTM is Google’s recommended method for centralized management of all tags, including Consent Mode.
• Google tag (gtag.js) — Detects the global Google tag script. This is necessary for direct communication with Google services (Analytics, Ads).
• Measurement ID GA4 — Looks for the Google Analytics 4 identifier (format G-XXXXXXXXX). Confirms that GA4 is configured and collecting data.
• Google Ads Tag — Detects the Google Ads identifier (format AW-XXXXXXXXX). Informational check — not mandatory if you’re not using Google Ads.

2. Actual Consent Mode Implementation

The main category — checks actual Consent Mode implementation. This analyzes whether the website properly declares initial consent state and if it updates after user interaction.

• Consent default call — Checks for the existence of the gtag('consent', 'default', {...}) call that sets the initial state of all consent parameters. This must exist before any other Google tag.
• Consent Mode version — Determines if the implementation is v1 or v2. Version 2 requires the mandatory ad_user_data and ad_personalization parameters, introduced by Google for DMA compliance.
• Default consent values — Analyzes initial parameter values. For GDPR, all advertising and analytics parameters must be initially set to denied until consent is obtained.
• wait_for_update — Checks if a waiting interval (in milliseconds) is configured that allows the CMP to load and obtain consent before tags execute.
• Number of consent parameters — Counts how many of the 7 Consent Mode parameters are configured. Minimum 5 are recommended for complete implementation.
• Consent update call — Checks for the existence of the gtag('consent', 'update', {...}) call that updates consent state after the user interacts with the cookie banner (accept/refuse).

3. CMP (Consent Management Platform) Detection

CMP (Consent Management Platform) is the platform that displays the cookie banner and collects user consent. The tool detects the most popular CMP platforms.

• CMP detected — Checks for the presence of a consent platform. The tool recognizes 14 CMP platforms: Cookiebot, OneTrust, Complianz, CookieYes, Borlabs Cookie, Iubenda, Quantcast, Termly, Usercentrics, Didomi, Osano, My Agile Privacy, Silktide, and generic TCF implementations.
• CMP identification — Reports the name of the detected CMP platform, useful for diagnostics and configuration.
• TCF v2.2 API — Checks Transparency & Consent Framework (TCF) implementation, an IAB Europe standard for consent management in programmatic advertising. Required if using third-party ad networks.

4. Configuration Quality

This category evaluates configuration quality — not just whether Consent Mode exists, but if it’s configured correctly from a GDPR perspective.

• Default denied ad_storage — Checks if advertising data storage (Google Ads cookies) is initially set to denied. Mandatory for GDPR — advertising cookies must not be set without explicit consent.
• Default denied analytics_storage — Checks if analytics data storage (GA4 cookies) is initially set to denied. Recommended for strict GDPR compliance.
• Consent default before tags — Checks the order in HTML source code: the consent default declaration must appear before GTM/gtag.js scripts. If tags load first, they may set cookies before Consent Mode blocks them.
• URL Passthrough — Checks activation of the url_passthrough function. When users refuse cookies, attribution data (gclid, dclid) is transmitted through URL parameters instead of cookies, maintaining Google Ads conversion tracking.
• Ads Data Redaction — Checks activation of the ads_data_redaction function. When ad_storage is set to denied, advertising data in Google requests is additionally redacted, providing an extra level of data protection.

5. DMA Compliance

Checks specific to Digital Markets Act — the European regulation that requires Google and other digital “gatekeepers” to obtain valid consent from EEA users.

• Consent Mode v2 (DMA) — Confirms implementation of version 2, mandatory from March 2024 according to DMA requirements transmitted by Google.
• Required v2 parameters — Checks for the presence of ad_user_data (consent for transmitting user data to Google) and ad_personalization (consent for ad personalization) parameters. Both are mandatory for Consent Mode v2.
• CMP present (DMA) — DMA requires transparent consent collection through a certified CMP platform, with clear accept and refuse options.
• Default denied advertising — Checks if all 3 advertising parameters (ad_storage, ad_user_data, ad_personalization) are initially set to denied. DMA requires that no advertising data be collected without explicit consent.

The 7 Google Consent Mode v2 parameters

How does Consent Mode v2 work?

1. Page load – Before any Google tag, the initial state is declared (consent default) with all parameters set to denied.
2. Banner display – The CMP platform (Cookiebot, Complianz, OneTrust etc.) displays the consent banner.
3. User decision – The visitor accepts or refuses cookie categories.
4. Consent update – The CMP sends consent update with new values (granted for accepted categories).
5. Tag adaptation – Google tags automatically adjust their behavior: collect complete data if granted, or send anonymous pings if it remains denied.

Scoring and result interpretation

Each category receives a score from 0 to 100, and the overall score is calculated based on each category’s importance:

• 80–100: Good — Correct implementation, compliance ensured.
• 50–79: Needs improvements — Partial implementation, moderate risks of non-compliance.
• 0–49: Problematic — Missing or incorrect implementation, major risk of data loss and non-compliance.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if I don’t implement Consent Mode v2?

From March 2024, Google no longer processes consent signals from EEA without Consent Mode v2. Consequences: loss of conversion data in Google Ads, incomplete remarketing audiences, disabled data modeling in GA4, and potential legal issues related to GDPR/DMA.

Do I need a CMP (consent platform)?

Yes. Consent Mode v2 works in tandem with a CMP platform that actually collects user consent. The CMP displays the cookie banner and communicates the user’s decision to Google tags through the consent update mechanism.

What CMPs do you recommend?

Our tool detects the most popular platforms: Cookiebot, Complianz, OneTrust, CookieYes, Borlabs Cookie, Iubenda, Usercentrics and others. All these platforms offer native integration with Google Consent Mode v2. The choice depends on budget, website platform, and specific needs.

Does the checker work for any website?

Yes. The tool analyzes the HTML source code of any public website, regardless of platform (WordPress, Shopify, Wix, custom etc.). Analysis is done server-side, without requiring account access or installing any script.

Why do some checks appear as managed by CMP?

Modern CMP platforms (Cookiebot, Complianz etc.) manage Consent Mode v2 through their own external scripts. This means that gtag('consent', 'default/update') calls are executed by the CMP, not from the page’s inline code. Our tool detects these implementations and reports them correctly.

What is TCF v2.2?

Transparency & Consent Framework (TCF) is a standard developed by IAB Europe for consent management in the programmatic advertising ecosystem. It’s required if you use third-party ad networks (Google AdSense, DV360, programmatic networks). It’s not mandatory if you only use Google Analytics and Google Ads directly.

How often should I check?

We recommend checking after each CMP configuration change, CMP plugin update, or Google tag change. It’s also useful to check periodically (monthly) to ensure plugin updates haven’t affected the implementation.