Consent mode

Q: How much conversion data do I lose with consent mode v2?

It depends on how many visitors decline; Google publishes no fixed loss rate. Google Ads Help says that, on average, modelling recovers more than half of the ad-click-to-conversion journeys lost, and advanced settings about twice as much.

Q: Does consent mode v2 affect Smart Bidding?

Yes, through the conversions it learns from: declined consent means fewer observed conversions, and modelling fills part of the gap. Modelling needs traffic; one Google Ads Help page names 700 ad clicks over 7 days per country and domain, another applies its click threshold to basic mode only.

Q: How do I implement Google consent mode v2 for Google Ads conversions?

Set a default consent state on every page before any tag sends data, then update it when the visitor chooses. Then pick basic mode, where tags wait for the banner, or advanced mode, where they load with denied defaults.

Q: Do I need consent mode v2 for Google Ads in Europe?

Yes, for measurement, ad personalisation or remarketing on EEA traffic: Google Ads Help says you must collect consent from EEA end users and share consent signals with Google. Full Signal Tracking is GDPR-ready: it respects Consent Mode v2 and hashes customer data before it leaves our server.

Consent mode is a Google tag and Google Ads feature that passes each visitor’s cookie and data consent choices to Google, so tags adjust what they collect.

By Berend Vrakking, founder of Product Metrics. Updated 13 November 2026.

Consent mode example

One visitor declines every consent type
What happens	Basic consent mode	Advanced consent mode
Google tags load	Only after the visitor uses the banner	When the page opens, with defaults set to denied
Sent to Google while declined	Nothing, not even the consent state	The consent state and measurements without cookies
Conversion modelling in Google Ads	A general model	An advertiser-specific model

Neither mode writes advertising cookies for this visitor; they differ in what Google can model. Illustrative data.

Put it into practice

Calculate it: POAS calculatorCompare profit and revenue on the same ad spend.
Read the guide: Enhanced conversions vs server-side trackingHow consent fits each way of sending purchases.

Consent mode: one product and the whole account

Consent mode v2 has four consent types: ad_storage and analytics_storage for advertising and analytics cookies, plus ad_user_data (sending user data to Google for advertising) and ad_personalization (personalised advertising), added in v2. Google Ads Help says ad_user_data is required for measurement such as enhanced conversions.

For one order, consent decides what the tag may send: with ad_user_data denied, conversion pings go out without cookies. Across an account, Google fills part of the gap with conversion modelling; modelled conversions appear in the Conversions column and feed bidding.

Full Signal Tracking reads the visitor’s consent choice before sending anything and respects Consent Mode v2: ad_storage, ad_user_data and ad_personalization. Declined consent stays declined. It is GDPR-ready: customer data is hashed before it leaves our server.

Consent mode: common mistake

Treating consent mode as a consent banner. Google Ads Help says it provides no banner: you collect the choice with a banner or consent management platform, and consent mode passes it on.

Consent mode: questions

How much conversion data do I lose with consent mode v2?

Does consent mode v2 affect Smart Bidding?

How do I implement Google consent mode v2 for Google Ads conversions?

Do I need consent mode v2 for Google Ads in Europe?

Sources

Keep reading

Enhanced conversionsHashed customer data that needs ad_user_data.
Smart BiddingBid strategies that learn from modelled conversions.
Full Signal TrackingGDPR-ready purchases to Google Ads and Meta, with consent.
Shopify server-side trackingShopify Customer Privacy choices reach Google Ads as Consent Mode v2 signals.
Shopware 6 server-side trackingChoices in Shopware’s cookie manager reach Google Ads as Consent Mode v2 signals.