Google launches Consent Mode to help advertisers leverage better privacy management capabilities
Google announced last week that it is introducing a new solution for advertisers providing them more flexibility in how they use Google tags alongside their user consent tools. The announcement comes at the heels of its integration with IAB Europe’s Transparency and Consent Framework (TCF) v2.0.
Consent Mode introduces two new tag settings that manage cookies for advertising and analytics purposes for advertisers using the global site tag or Google Tag Manager. These two settings can be used to customize how Google tags behave before and after users make their consent decisions – helping advertisers more effectively measure conversions, while respecting user consent choices for ads cookies and analytics cookies.
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With Consent Mode, advertisers can get better insights into conversion data while also ensuing that Google tags helping them measure conversions are reflecting users’ consent choices for ads cookies. In a blog post, Scott Herman, product manager, Google Tag Manager, writes, “Once Consent Mode is implemented, advertisers will have access to a new tag setting, “ad_storage,†which controls cookie behavior for advertising purposes, including conversion measurement. If a user does not provide consent for ads cookies, Google tags will not use cookies for advertising purposes.â€
For instance, if a user visits a website and makes their consent selection for the use of ads cookies on the cookie consent banner, with consent mode, Google tags will be able to determine whether or not permission has been given to the site to use cookies for advertising purposes for that user. If a user consents, conversion measurement reporting continues normally. If a user does not consent, the relevant Google tags will adjust accordingly and not use ads cookies, instead measuring conversions at a more aggregate level.
With Consent Mode, marketers can update Google tag behavior based on the user consent selection.
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With Consent Mode, campaigns running on Google Ads, Campaign Manager, Display & Video 360, and Search Ads 360 will be able to continue reporting conversions – while respecting users’ consent choices for ads cookies. And because marketers will be able to retain conversion measurement in campaign reporting, they will be able to continue attributing conversion to the right campaign and optimize their campaign bidding efficiency.
Measuring Conversions With Consent Mode
Consent Mode also works with Google Analytics. This means that Analytics will be able to understand and respect user consent for ads cookies. For example, when the “ad_storage†tag setting is disabled for unconsented users, Analytics will not read or write ads cookies, meaning that optional features that rely on Google signals, like remarketing, will be disabled.
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In addition to the “ad_storage†tag setting, Consent Mode provides advertisers with a new tag setting, “analytics_storage,†which controls analytics cookie usage. For instance, if an advertiser requests consent for both analytics and as cookies from users on their website, they can use Consent Mode to update Google tag behavior based on user consent for of the “ad_storage†and “analytics_storage†settings. For example, if a user does not provide consent for ads cookies (and therefore advertising purposes are disabled), but does provide consent for analytics cookies, advertisers will still be able to measure site behavior and conversions in Analytics as the “analytics_storage†setting will be enabled.
Google has said the Consent Mode is available beta to a limited number of advertisers that operate in Europe and already use the global site tag or Tag Manager.