Configuring Consent Mode in 7.0.0
You can also use Google Site Kit with Complianz and Consent Mode, more information here. If you want to use Google Consent Mode for most of the services on your website, please read the implementation below for Google Tag Manager.
Can’t find the Consent Mode settings in the Complianz Wizard?
If you’re using a different GTM or Analytics plugin (e.g. GTM4WP or MonsterInsights), disable the Integrations with such plugins under Complianz -> Integrations -> Plugins. This will allow you to configure GTM with Consent Mode in Complianz (Wizard -> Consent -> Statistics & Statistics – configuration) instead.
Possible configurations
Below you will find the possible configurations for Consent Mode. It might be possible to use Consent Mode while you’re using another plugin to add Google Tags, but these are not supported by default and you should verify it as explained below.
Site Kit by Google Integration
When you’re using Site Kit with Complianz, you can only use Advanced Consent Mode – this is where the Google Tags are loaded directly and use a tracking mechanism based on consent preferences.
Under Complianz → Wizard → Statistics, indicate that you’re using either Google Analytics or Google Tag Manager.
Complianz fully supports integrating both Google Tag Manager and Google Analytics through Site Kit, with complete compatibility for Google Consent Mode v2. For a full step-by-step walkthrough, see:
Configuring Google Tags with Complianz
Configuring for a Google tag is rather straight forward in Complianz. You only need to enable Consent Mode and decide if you want to use particular parameters to be set before you can add manual configurations. If you want to consent mode for Google tag with Complianz, you’re required to fill in your GA4 tag ID. Your configuration of Complianz will set the default consent state, and updates accordingly.
1. Blocking Google Tags
The question “Do you want to block all Google Tags before consent?” is default set to “No”, or configured in Advanced Mode. This means the Google Tags will be released on page load and depending on the consent states pushed through the layer will adapt its tracking mechanism accordingly. For example, on pageload a Google Tag will be set to use parameters only, without cookies. It will still connect to the Google servers.
If you block Google Tags before consent, Consent Mode will work after consent only. This is the non-hybrid, or ‘basic’ model of Consent Mode.
2. What is url_passthrough?
When a user lands on your website after clicking an ad, information about the ad may be appended to your landing page URLs as a query parameter. In order to improve conversion accuracy, this information is usually stored in first-party cookies on your domain.
However, if ad_storage is set to denied, this information will not be stored locally. Read more
2. What is ads_data_redaction?
When ads_data_redaction is true and ad_storage is denied, ad click identifiers sent in network requests by Google Ads and Floodlight tags will be redacted. Network requests will also be sent through a cookieless domain.
3. Adding Google Tags
You’re required to at least use one Google Tag, under statistics to enable Consent Mode. Other tags are optional and are split between Statistics and Marketing categories.
The additonal tag field can be used with a variety of tags, comma separated for example.
Configuring Google Tags with Tag Manager
You can configure Google Tag Manager and Consent Mode by using our GTM template. First, configure Tag Manager in Complianz by indicating “Yes, with Google Tag Manager” under Wizard → Consent → Statistics, and then configuring the relevant questions for Consent Mode and entering your GTM Container ID.
For a complete, up-to-date walkthrough of this setup, including screenshots and troubleshooting tips, please see our Simplified Guide to Google Consent Mode v2 dedicated article.
If you know about another implementation, or have a plugin that works out-of-the-box, please let us know so we can add it to our documentation.
Verifying Consent Mode
Verifying that Consent Mode is working should be done in the browser, as you’re not able to measure if consent mode is working from your Analytics dashboard, as the type of Consent Mode en mechanism of modelling might differ.
1. Check datalayer log
To verify that Consent Mode is working, visit your site in incognito mode and do not give consent in the cookie banner yet. Then paste this JavaScript code into your browser’s console to log the consent states directly.
You should see that only security_storage and functionality_storage are set to granted.
Now return to your site, click Accept All in the banner, and run the code again in the console. This time, every consent state should show as granted.
2. Check network request parameters
If you have done the above and have granted full consent you should find the network requests of your Google Tags in your browser, under network and check for parameters. Go to your browser console – network – (reload your website if needed) – filter on collect?v= and select the URL, you will something similar to:
https://region1.google-analytics.com/g/collect?v=2&tid=G-LGQ705GW2J>m=45Pe39i0&_p=828970855&gcs=G111&gdid=......You can continue under the tab payload and look for the parameter gcs, but in the above example your will quickly see gcs=G111. Depending on your input you should find the following parameters, in the above example G111 means full consent.
| Parameter | ad_storage | analytics_storage | Category | Cookies | Data Collection on Consent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Default State | G100 | denied | denied | Functional, Preferences | Cookieless pings will be sent to Google Analytics for basic measurement and modeling purposes | Anonymous Data |
| Updated State | G110 | granted | denied | Marketing | Advertising cookies are set, no analytics cookies | Ads data collected, no statistics data |
| Updated State | G101 | denied | granted | Statistics | Analytics cookies are set, no advertising cookies | Based on settings in Google Analytics |
| Updated State | G111 | granted | granted | Statistics + Marketing | Yes | Not Limited |
Decrypting the &gcd= parameter
When Google Consent Mode is active, Google Ads and Google Analytics automatically append a parameter called gcd to their tracking requests. This parameter encodes the consent state for the four Google Consent Mode signals (ad_storage, analytics_storage, ad_user_data, ad_personalization) at two moments: the default state on page load, and the updated state after the user interacts with the consent banner.
The parameter follows this structure: &gcd=XY[ad_storage]Y[analytics_storage]Y[ad_user_data]Y[ad_personalization]Z
Here, X is a leading identifier (usually the number 1), Y is a separator character (often 1 or 3), and Z is a closing delimiter (often 5). These surrounding characters can vary slightly between websites and don’t affect the consent reading itself – what matters is the letter assigned to each of the four signals.
Each signal is represented by a single letter that combines its default state (before consent) with its updated state (after consent). Here’s what the most common letters mean:
| Letter | Default state | Updated state | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| l | not set | not set | Consent Mode was not detected |
| p | denied | not set | Default sent, no update received yet |
| q | denied | denied | Default sent, user declined consent |
| t | granted | not set | Default sent, no update received yet |
| r | denied | granted | Default sent, user accepted consent |
| m | not set | denied | No default sent, user declined consent |
| n | not set | granted | No default sent, user accepted consent |
| u | granted | denied | Default sent, user later declined consent |
| v | granted | granted | Default sent, user accepted consent |
For example, &gcd=13r3r3r3r5 tells you that all four signals were denied by default and then granted after the user gave consent. A parameter like &gcd=13l3l3l2l2, on the other hand, indicates that Consent Mode wasn’t active at all.
You can find this parameter by opening your browser’s developer tools, going to the Network tab, filtering for collect?v= (Google Analytics) or the relevant Google Ads request, and inspecting the query string.
Troubleshoot Google Consent Mode with Tag Assistant
You can also debug Google Consent Mode with Google’s Tag Assistant, please see Google’s official documentation:
https://developers.google.com/tag-platform/security/guides/consent-debugging