Basic vs Advanced Google Consent Mode: Complete Guide

Ever wondered how websites balance privacy compliance with the need to track data for ads and analytics? With laws like GDPR and the Digital Markets Act (DMA) getting stricter, businesses must be extra careful about how they collect and use user’s personal data. That’s where Google Consent Mode v2 comes in.

Google now offers two ways to handle user consent: basic consent mode and advanced consent mode. But which one is right for your website? Should you prioritize strict compliance or find a way to gather insights while respecting user privacy?

In this guide, we will break down how each mode works, their key differences, and when to use them—so you can make the best choice for your business. Let’s dive in!

Basic Consent Mode offers a simplified consent management solution for website owners, requiring minimal customisation for Google Tags. It automatically blocks Google Tags until users grant consent via a consent banner.

Basic Consent Mode is suitable for businesses that prioritise compliance over tracking capabilities. It ensures that no Google Tags are fired unless a user explicitly grants consent, making it ideal for websites that need to adhere to GDPR, ePrivacy Directive, and other privacy regulations.

Best suited for

• Websites that need full legal compliance (GDPR, DMA, etc.)
• Businesses looking for a simple and low-maintenance consent implementation
• Organisations that do not require detailed analytics or behavioural tracking

Scenario 1: User first visits (before consent decision) 

When a user initially lands on the page in Basic Consent Mode, before they’ve made any consent decision:

• Google Tags are completely blocked from loading.
• No data is transmitted to Google and no cookies are set for any categories.
• No pings, cookieless or otherwise, are sent.
• The consent banner appears, asking for the user’s privacy preferences.

The site waits for user interaction with the consent banner before taking any further action related to Google tags.

Scenario 2: User grants consent

When a user provides consent, Consent Mode immediately signals this approval to the tags. This action triggers the unblocking and activation of the tags, effectively restoring their normal functionality. As a result, the website can continue collecting and processing data as per the user’s consent.

Scenario 3: User rejects consent

A Consent Management Platform like CookieYes implements blocking measures when a user declines to consent. 

• analytics_storage: Stops collecting analytics data.
• ad_storage, ad_user_data, and ad_personalisation: Stops collecting ad-related data.

In short, if a user doesn’t give consent, no data is collected at all, including their consent status.

Key features of Basic Consent Mode include:

1. Simple implementation: Requires less customisation of Google Tags functionality, making the setup process easier.
2. Easy maintenance: Requires minimal ongoing management. Updates and changes to consent requirements are often handled automatically through Google’s updates.
3. Streamlined Google tag management: Automatically adjusts the behaviour of Google tags based on user consent, ensuring that non-essential Google services (like analytics and advertising) are disabled when consent is not given while allowing essential functionalities to continue.
4. Compatibility with most websites: Easily integrates with a wide range of website structures and content management systems without requiring significant changes to existing website architecture.

Compared to the Advanced Consent Mode, the Basic Consent Mode has several disadvantages:

1. Limited customisation: Offers a streamlined consent interface with standard options for users to manage their cookie preferences. While compliant with regulations, it provides fewer customisation options compared to Advanced Consent Mode, which may limit the ability to tailor the consent experience to specific business needs or complex user preference scenarios.
2. Insufficient behavioural modelling: Blocks behavioural modelling in Google Analytics for unconsented users, leaving gaps in understanding user behaviour and hindering website optimisation efforts.
3. Standardised compliance approach: Basic Consent Mode possesses a simplified structure, which may require additional considerations for businesses operating under complex or rapidly evolving regional data protection laws. Limited customisation options may impede the effective meeting of future regulatory requirements.
4. Reduced analytics insights: Limits data collection when users reject cookies, impacting the accuracy and depth of analytics insights. Conversion modelling in Google Ads and Google Analytics relies on basic modelling techniques, potentially reducing precision.

Advanced Consent Mode offers a more refined approach to consent management, requiring additional customisation of Google Tags functionality.  It’s suitable for complex digital environments, especially beneficial for large enterprises with multiple domain consent needs. 

While Advanced Consent Mode is an optional feature, it allows granular control over tag and cookie behaviours based on different consent states. This flexibility helps meet specific regulatory requirements and user preferences. However, both Basic and Advanced modes remain relatively straightforward to implement.

Advanced Consent Mode is ideal for businesses that require detailed tracking and analytics while still complying with privacy regulations. Unlike Basic Consent Mode, Google Tags load immediately, but they adjust their behaviour based on the user’s consent status. This allows for cookieless tracking and behavioural modelling, improving ad targeting and data accuracy.

• Businesses that rely on Google Ads, analytics, and behavioural tracking
• Websites with global traffic and diverse consent requirements
• Organisations that want to optimise ad targeting while maintaining compliance

Scenario 1: User First Visits (Before Consent Decision) 

When a user first visits the page:

• Google Tags load with default consent states.
• No cookies are set for analytics or ads.
• Only necessary, cookieless pings are allowed.
• The consent banner appears, asking for the user’s privacy preferences.

Scenario 2: User Grants Consent

When a user grants consent, the tags operate with their standard functionality. This allows for normal measurement and reporting of user conversions, providing valuable data for website owners and marketers.

Scenario 3: User Rejects Consent

When users decline to consent, the tags adjust their behaviour to respect their privacy preferences:

• Analytics Storage: Do not use cookies for analytics.
• Ad Storage: Do not use cookies for ads.
• Data Transmission: Uses cookieless pings for essential data.
• User Data for Ads: Stops sending user data to Google.
• Ad Personalisation: Disables personalised ads.

Key features of Advanced Consent Mode include:

1. Flexible data collection: Website owners can load Google Analytics in various configurations based on user consent preferences, including full functionality, reduced functionality, or no functionality.
2. Improved modelling: Advanced Consent Mode enables conversion modelling in Google Analytics and Google Ads and behavioural modelling in Google Analytics.
3. Enhanced user experience: By giving users more control over their data privacy preferences, Advanced Consent Mode helps improve the overall user experience and fosters trust with website users.
4. Cross-domain consent management: Better suited for managing consent across multiple domains, supporting an integrated privacy strategy for large, diverse digital ecosystems

Compared to the Basic Consent Mode, the Advanced Consent Mode has several disadvantages:

1. Higher technical requirements: Demands more extensive technical expertise and additional resources for consent mode implementation.
2. Advanced knowledge prerequisites: Website owners must possess an in-depth understanding of Google Analytics 4.
3. Potential for data inconsistencies: Configuring Google Analytics for various consent preferences can be complex and may lead to inconsistencies in data collection and reporting.
4. Increased complexity: More intricate setup process compared to Basic Mode, which requires careful management to ensure accurate data handling across different consent scenarios.

Choose Basic Consent Mode if…

• You prioritise privacy compliance over ad optimisation.
• You need a simple, low-maintenance setup.
• You’re okay with limited conversion modelling.

Choose Advanced Consent Mode if…

• You want better conversion tracking and behavioural modelling.
• You need data for Google Ads while respecting consent choices.
• You have the technical expertise to customise consent settings.

To ensure compliance with data privacy regulations, it’s essential to implement a compliant cookie consent banner on your website. This can be achieved through a Consent Management Platform (CMP). CookieYes, being a CMP certified by Google, is an excellent choice for ensuring compliance with data privacy regulations.

Basic Google Consent Mode

Advanced Google Consent Mode

This advanced feature enables dynamic adjustment of Google tags based on user consent choices. Before implementing the Advanced Consent Mode, ensure the Basic Consent Mode is already implemented.