This article is for you if you integrated Axeptio via Google Tag Manager. Using a different method? Check the guide for: hard-coded integration · CMS integration — Learn more about integration methods

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Google Consent Mode v2 is a mechanism offered by Google that adjusts the behavior of their tags (Google Analytics 4, Google Ads, etc.) based on your visitors' consent choices. Without it, your Google services cannot adapt their behavior to your visitors' choices, which leads to deterioration of measurements in Google Analytics and Google Ads.

In concrete terms:

If the visitor accepts: tags work normally, cookies are set, complete data is sent to Google.
If the visitor refuses: tags do not set cookies, but send pings to Google — minimalist signals (consent status, user agent, timestamp) without individual identification of the visitor. These pings allow Google to model unobserved conversions.

To learn more about the concepts: Consent Mode — official Google documentation 💉 Need a refresher? Check out our blog article

Consent Mode signals

Consent Mode v2 is based on 4 required signals:

Signal	Role
analytics_storage	Authorizes Google Analytics to measure visitor behavior on the site
ad_storage	Authorizes Google to save advertising information on the visitor's device
ad_user_data	Authorizes sending the visitor's activity data to Google for targeted advertising
ad_personalization	Authorizes personalization of Google ads displayed to the visitor

Google also defines 3 optional signals (functionality_storage, personalization_storage, security_storage) that you can configure if your use case requires it. For most sites, the 4 signals above are sufficient.

Configuration takes place in 2 steps — both are mandatory:

1. Define the default signals (in your GTM tag or your code snippet) These values are transmitted to Google as soon as the page opens, before any visitor interaction with the banner. For European visitors subject to GDPR, the 4 signals must be set to denied by default. 2. Enable the Consent Mode v2 screen in your Axeptio banner This screen allows the update of signals after the visitor has made their choice. Without it, the signals remain locked to their default values — even if the visitor accepts everything, Google will continue to receive denied. The Axeptio registry will be correct, but Google tags will never receive the granted signal.

⚠️ These 2 steps are inseparable. One without the other produces an invalid implementation.

Basic or advanced mode: which one to choose?

Before configuring anything, choose your mode — it directly determines how your Google tags should be triggered.

	Basic mode	Advanced mode
Loading of Google tags	Blocked until banner interaction	Immediate upon page opening
Data sent to Google before consent	None — not even a ping	Pings without cookies (consent status, user agent, timestamp)
Google modeling	Generic model (less precise)	Advertiser-specific model (more precise)
Conditioning logic	Google tags blocked until consent	Google tags triggered systematically

Depending on the mode you choose, you will need to adapt your conditioning logic (in GTM or in your code).

Basic mode: Google services (GA4, Google Ads) must be present in your Axeptio banner — they control the blocking/unblocking of tags. Advanced mode: only the Consent Mode v2 screen is necessary in the banner — no need to add Google services to it.

Basic mode

Google tags do not load until the visitor has interacted with the banner. No data is transmitted to Google before this interaction — not even a consent ping. If the visitor refuses or ignores the banner, Google receives nothing.

In return, Google modeling is based on a generic model (global population, less precise than in advanced mode).

For conditioning logic, rely on our documentation:

With Google Tag Manager: Google Tag Manager Interface
With Gtag.js: Integration / custom synchronization

Advanced mode

Google tags load as soon as the page opens, before any interaction with the banner. From that moment on, they send cookie-less pings to Google — minimalist signals (consent status, user agent, timestamp) that do not allow individual visitor identification, but that allow Google to build a modeling model specific to your site (more precise than in basic mode).

When the visitor accepts: cookies set, complete data transmitted.
When the visitor refuses: cookie-less pings only, no individual targeting.

For conditioning logic:

In Google Tag Manager: load your Google tags with the "All Pages" trigger
With Gtag.js: load the script directly, without conditions

Note — Google modeling requires sufficient traffic volume to activate. Thresholds vary by product: for GA4, you need a minimum of 1,000 consenting visitors per day over 7 consecutive days; for Google Ads, 700 ad clicks over 7 rolling days. Below these thresholds, advanced mode remains valid but without modeling benefits. For details: Behavioral modeling — GA4 · Conversion modeling — Google Ads.

Activate the dedicated screen in your banner

With Axeptio, you control Consent Mode signals directly from your cookie banner. In just a few clicks, you can activate a dedicated screen for managing Consent Mode v2.

To do this, go to your widget configuration.

Under the "classic" screens, you will find the option "Enable Consent Mode v2 (step)":

By checking this option, a new screen will be added to your widget, with the 4 parameters of Google Consent Mode:

Once the option is checked, don't forget to republish your project!

Without this screen, signals are never updated. The default values (e.g., denied) remain in place for all visitors, including those who accept. Google never receives the granted signal.

Compliance with Google requirements

For a CMP to be recognized as compatible by Google, your banner must meet three requirements:

Inform visitors that data is being collected for personalization and advertising effectiveness measurement purposes
Include a link to Google's privacy policy: https://business.safety.google/privacy/
Provide an explicit acceptance button (Accept button or equivalent clearly visible)

When you add Google Analytics 4 or Google Ads to your Axeptio banner, the dedicated Consent Mode v2 screen is automatically activated. This screen presents the 4 Consent Mode parameters with the information and link required by Google — the three requirements above are thus satisfied without any additional action.

Set Consent Mode default parameters

Here, you will set the default values of Consent Mode, that is, for each parameter, whether it will be accepted or refused before any user choice.

This configuration must be done in the same place where you load Axeptio.

For example, if you load Axeptio via our WordPress module, the configuration will be done in this module. If you load Axeptio directly via our hard-coded script, then the modification will be done directly in the script. And if you load Axeptio via GTM, it will be done in GTM.

Denied or granted by default: choosing the signals The default signals you must define depend on the regulations applicable to the region of your visitors. For example, for visitors from countries in the European Union (and therefore subject to GDPR), you must set the 4 parameters to denied by default.

▶️ Do you prefer a video explanation? Watch our tutorial here.

Open your Axeptio CMP tag in GTM. If you haven't created it yet, first follow Integrate Axeptio via Google Tag Manager.

In the Google Consent Mode v2 section, check Activate Google Consent Mode v2. New fields appear:

Here we will be able to define the default values of Consent Mode, depending on the region.

Click on "Add a row".

In the "Region" field, enter the region code for which these default parameters will apply. If you leave this field empty, it will apply to everyone. This field should be filled in according to the ISO 3166-2 standard, for example for France, the code to enter is "FR".

You then have a dropdown menu for each of the 4 Consent Mode v2 parameters. For each parameter, you can set whether it will be Granted (accepted) or Denied (refused) by default.

Once the various fields are filled in, you can validate the addition of your row.

Note that it is possible to create multiple rows to have different configurations per region.

Regarding the last two options "Redact Ads Data" and "Pass through URL parameters", these are additional operating options that are explained when hovering over the "?" next to the option. For their complete description, see Axeptio CMP GTM template parameters.

Consent Mode is now well active on your site! Congratulations

Verify Consent Mode v2 implementation

You can verify the proper implementation of Consent Mode v2 by following one of the following tutorials:

About the old Axeptio Consent Mode v2 tag model

🚧 If you followed the old documentation on implementing Consent Mode v2 via the "Axeptio Consent Mode v2" model in Google Tag Manager, you do not need to update your current implementation.

Also, you do not need to enable the special Consent Mode screen in your cookie widget, as the Axeptio Consent Mode v2 model is based on the acceptance of Google Analytics and Google Ads directly. So make sure you have these two services filled in your cookie widget.

The Axeptio Consent Mode v2 model will continue to work, but may not be maintained if updates to Consent Mode were to arrive. If you wish, you can update your implementation to the new method starting today, but it is not mandatory.