What is Google Consent Mode v2 and how can you use it with Sypher?
by Cristian Badea - February 15, 2024
If you are looking for a way to optimize your website performance and comply with data privacy regulations, you might have heard of Google Consent Mode v2. This is a new feature that Google launched in 2022 to help website owners measure and improve their site analytics and advertising without compromising user consent. But how can you implement it on your website? And what are the advantages of using it with Sypher, a leading consent management platform in Europe? In this article, we will show you how to use Sypher to easily integrate Google Consent Mode v2 on your website and enjoy its benefits.
Google Consent Mode v2 is an updated version of the original Consent Mode developed by Google. It’s basically a tool which allows websites to communicate users’ cookie consent choices to Google Tags more effectively. Google requires all websites serving ads to or monitoring the behavior of EU/EEA users to implement Google Consent Mode v2 by March 2024. Two of the most popular Google products for website owners, Google Analytics and Google Ads have built-in consent checks and behavior based on consent state. It is designed to enhance alignment with European privacy and consumer protection laws, such as the GDPR and the DMA.
Activating Google Consent Mode support in Sypher
If you are using Google Services to track the online behavior of your visitors and use Sypher as your Cookie Management Platform, then the implementation is simple and effective, without coding or complex configuration. It can be activated for your website from Advanced settings on your website dashboard.
Sypher takes care of the mapping of signals to Google, according to the following logic:
| analytics_storage | Analytics cookie category |
| ad_storage | Marketing cookie category |
| ad_user_data (new in v2) | Marketing cookie category |
| ad_personalization (new in v2) | Marketing cookie category |
Basic mode vs Advanced Mode
Google refers to two implementation modes: basic and advanced. This creates confusion among website owners, as there is no actual basic or advanced mode in Google Consent. Basic implementation is basically regular behavior of blocking third party scripts until consent is given by the user and after that, if consent is give for analytics or ads, unblock Google scripts and send the proper consent states. Advanced implementation is the way of Google telling you not to block their scripts before consent is given and let the website communicate anonymously user data, thus improving the data that Google has in specific scenarios (like the conversion rates seen in Google Analytics).
To achieve the two modes with Sypher is just a matter of blocking/not blocking Google scripts. This translates to this summary table:
| Basic mode | Advanced mode |
|---|---|
| Block third party scripts is on and includes Google scripts |
Block third party scripts is disabled. Block third party scripts is enabled but does not include Google scripts |
| Google Consent Mode v2 active in Sypher | Google Consent Mode v2 active in Sypher |
To configure auto-blocking of third-party scripts, access the cookie banner widget customization page on your website dashboard.
If you are using Sypher Cookie Consent, just follow the steps above to configure Google Consent Mode v2.
If you are not using Sypher Cookie Consent, you can start using it for free and bring your website into compliance with data protection regulations. Sypher also offers other features to simplify and organize your GDPR compliance work, such as data flow mapping, DPIA support, smart monitoring, and robust controls.
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Photo by Edho Pratama on Unsplash
