Consent Mode
Data & TrackingAlso: Google Consent Mode · Consent Mode v2
Quick definition
Consent Mode is Google's system for adjusting how its tags fire based on whether a visitor has agreed to be tracked. When someone declines cookies, Consent Mode tells Google Ads, GA4 and other Google tags to hold back or strip the data they would normally collect. It comes in two flavours: Basic, which blocks the tags entirely until consent is given, and Advanced, which still sends anonymous cookieless signals that Google uses to model the conversions it can no longer measure directly.
Where it shows up in the data
Google tags are blocked completely until the visitor grants consent. No pings are sent when consent is denied, so you measure only consenting users and lose everyone else.
Tags load before the consent choice and send cookieless, anonymous pings even when consent is denied. Google uses these to model the conversions and behaviour it cannot observe directly.
When consent is denied, Google fills the measurement gap with statistical modelling based on the aggregate cookieless signals. More denied-but-pinged traffic means better modelling.
What it actually means
Consent Mode sits between your cookie banner and your Google tags. The banner captures the choice. Consent Mode translates that choice into instructions the tags obey. There are two consent signals it manages: analytics_storage and ad_storage. When a visitor denies, the tags respect it, and in Advanced mode they still send a stripped cookieless ping so Google can model behaviour in aggregate. This matters because privacy law in Europe and the UK requires consent before tracking, and Google now requires Consent Mode v2 to keep audiences and conversion tracking working for Google Ads in those regions.
Consent Mode is the difference between measuring what consenting users do and guessing at everyone else. Advanced mode at least lets Google model the gap.
How it shows up
You see Consent Mode working in the GA4 and Google Ads interfaces as modelled conversions, a distinct line from observed conversions. In tag debugging tools you see the consent state passed with each tag and whether storage was granted or denied.
The Australian context
Australia has no consent requirement equivalent to the European rules yet, so most local advertisers run without Consent Mode. That is changing. The Privacy Act review flagged consent and tracking transparency as areas for reform, so building the plumbing now is cheaper than retrofitting it under deadline later.
Where people get this wrong
Related terms
Common questions
Is Consent Mode required in Australia?
Not currently. Australia has no consent-before-tracking law equivalent to the European rules, so most local advertisers run without it. You do need it if you advertise into the UK or Europe.
What is the difference between Basic and Advanced Consent Mode?
Basic blocks Google tags entirely until consent is granted. Advanced still fires cookieless anonymous pings when consent is denied, which Google uses to model the missing conversions.
Does Consent Mode replace a consent management platform?
No. A consent management platform captures and stores the visitor's choice and shows the banner. Consent Mode is the layer that passes that choice to Google's tags.
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About New Rebellion
New Rebellion is a marketing intelligence consultancy. We build tools, score Australian businesses on how their marketing actually performs, and publish Debrief every day. This dictionary is part of how we work in the open.
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