9 Ways to Check if Consent Mode is Enabled [+ Screenshots]

With the introduction of Google’s Consent Mode v2 in March 2024, if properly set up, you can remain compliant with privacy regulations while tracking user behavior and optimizing advertising campaigns effectively.

In this article, we’ll explore how to check if Consent Mode v2 is enabled and working correctly on your website.

What Is a Consent Mode?

Consent mode is a way to control how data is collected and used based on what users agree to. 

The first form of a Consent Mode was introduced in 2015 by Google, called the EU User Consent Policy (EU UCP). It was updated to Consent Mode v1 in 2020 and then to Consent Mode v2 in Fall 2023, which became mandatory in March 2024.

What Is Google Consent Mode v2?

Google Consent Mode v2 is an updated version of Google’s tool for managing user consent preferences for data collection and processing on websites. 

It was developed to help website owners respect visitor consent choices while minimizing data loss in Google Analytics and Ads.

In March 2024, Google made Consent Mode v2 obligatory for websites serving users located in the European Economic Area (EEA) and the United Kingdom, ensuring compliance with the Digital Markets Act (DMA). Later, in July 2024, Switzerland adopted this privacy measure as well.

What Is the Difference Between Consent Mode Version 1 and 2?

The difference between Consent Mode v1 and v2 is the introduction of two new parameters in version 2:

• ad_user_data: This parameter sets consent for sending user data related to advertising to Google.
• ad_personalization: This parameter enables consent for the use of personalized advertising.

The March 2024 deadline for compliance led many PPC marketers to scramble to ensure the Consent Mode was properly configured.

Unfortunately, a significant number of advertisers have not yet adopted Consent Mode, putting their accounts at risk of penalties.

9 Ways to Check if Consent Mode is Enabled

1. Check Consent Mode Status in Google Ads

Start by navigating to Tools and Settings > Measurement > Conversions > Diagnostics in your Google Ads account. Here, you can view the Consent Mode status:

Your consent mode is active!: Indicates that Google is successfully reading and recording consent statuses.

This step is crucial for confirming whether Consent Mode is working correctly in your Google Ads account. However, since the information isn’t available in real-time, you’ll need to wait for the status to update if you’ve recently implemented Consent Mode or encountered a disruption.

2. Review Consent Mode Status in Google Analytics 4

You can also check the Consent Mode status in Google Analytics 4 by following these steps:

1. Select Admin.
2. Navigate to Data Collection and modification.
3. Choose Data Streams.
4. Click on your website data stream and access the Consent settings drop-down.

If Consent Mode is implemented correctly, you should see two green checkmarks next to the following options:

• Ads measurement consent signals active
• Ads personalization consent signals active

Similar to checking Consent Mode in Google Ads, the status in GA4 is also not displayed in real-time. If you’ve recently implemented Consent Mode or experienced a disruption, you’ll need to wait for the status to update.

3. Verify Consent Mode Using Google Tag Manager

To begin, activate Preview mode in Google Tag Manager. Select the event that is used to trigger the tag in the sidebar and then check the Consent tab.

It shows real-time updates to consent statuses based on the preferences configured in the preview’s main window.

If the preferences you selected in the Preview’s main window don’t match what’s displayed in the Preview’s Consent tab, it indicates that the consent banner isn’t functioning properly.

4. Validate Consent Mode Using Google Tag Assistant

If you already use the Google Tag Assistant extension in Chrome, you can easily check if Consent Mode is enabled correctly.

Go to the GTM tag, navigate to the Data Layer tab, and scroll to Consent: Update event.

Remember to refresh the page after selecting your consent preferences before checking the status in the extension.

5. Chrome Extensions For Consent Mode Verification

There are several Chrome extensions available to help monitor and verify Consent Mode settings directly within your browser, no technical skills required.

One such add-on is the Consent Mode Inspector by InfoTrust. 

This lightweight extension offers real-time insights into key Consent Mode configurations, enabling users to effortlessly view the status of consent signals.

6. Google Consent Mode Checker by Cookiebot

If you use Cookiebot as your CMP, you can easily verify your Google Consent Mode setup using the Google Consent Mode Checker tool in the Cookiebot administration panel. 

This tool is designed to quickly identify any immediate risks associated with your consent mode implementation by scanning your domain and providing a detailed report.

Here’s how to use it:

1. Log into the Cookiebot CMP Admin.
2. Go to Domains and Aliases.
3. Select the domain you want to check.
4. Scroll down to the Google Consent Mode Check section.
5. Click on the Start GCM check button to begin the scan.

The check takes roughly 10-15 seconds to complete, offering insights into any potential risks affecting your domain.

The report is shown right below the Start GCM check button and remains available for 30 days, and you can re-run the scan anytime if changes have been made to your setup. 

If you’re having issues with your current CMP solution, consider switching to Cookiebot. It’s Google-certified, and implementing Consent Mode is as easy as toggling a switch in its WordPress plugin or in Google Tag Manager.

7. Consent Mode Revision in Chrome Using Developer Tools

This approach doesn’t need any extra tools. You can check if Consent Mode is enabled correctly directly within your browser.

Follow these steps:

1. Open the website you want to check in Chrome’s Incognito Mode.
2. Interact with the consent banner.
3. Enable Developer Tools (right click > Inspect or F12).
4. Go to Console tab.
5. Type “dataLayer” and press Enter.

As you already interacted with the consent banner, you should see 2 events logged in the dataLayer.

1. Default Consent Event: Shows the initial consent values when the website is first opened, before any interactions with the consent banner.
2. Update Consent Event: Displays the updated consent status after interaction with the consent banner.

Click the arrow next to the update consent event to view the values of each consent parameter and verify they are correctly set according to the preferences you selected in the consent banner.

8. Consent Mode Verification Via Chrome Bookmark

Did you know you can use JavaScript as a URL within Chrome bookmarks? Simply create a new bookmark and paste the code below as its URL.

javascript: (() => {
    let l = s => s === undefined ? "" : s ? "granted" : "denied";
    if (!window["google_tag_data"]) {
        alert("No Consent Mode data found");
        return;
    }
    var g = "ics" in google_tag_data ? google_tag_data.ics.entries : null;
    let i = "",
        u = "",
        message = "";
    for (var a in g) {
        i = l(g[a][ % 27
            default % 27
        ]);
        u = l(g[a][ % 27 update % 27]);
        if (i === "" && u === "") continue;
        message += a.toUpperCase() + ":\n" + (i !== "" ? " Default: " + i + "\n" : "") + (u !== "" ? " Update: " + u : "") + "\n";
    }
    if (message === "") {
        alert("No default Consent settings found");
    } else {
        let foundAdStorage = false,
            foundAnalyticsStorage = false,
            foundAdUserData = false,
            foundAdPersonalization = false;
        for (var a in g) {
            if (a === "ad_storage") {
                foundAdStorage = true;
            } else if (a === "analytics_storage") {
                foundAnalyticsStorage = true;
            } else if (a === "ad_user_data") {
                foundAdUserData = true;
            } else if (a === "ad_personalization") {
                foundAdPersonalization = true;
            }
        }
        if (foundAdStorage && foundAnalyticsStorage) {
            message += "\n**Consent Mode v2 detected**";
        } else if ((foundAdStorage || foundAnalyticsStorage) && !(foundAdUserData || foundAdPersonalization)) {
            message += "\n**Consent Mode v1 detected**";
        }
        alert(message.trim());
    }
})();

The bookmark configuration will appear as shown in the image below.

When you click the bookmark on any website, a popup will display the current consent parameter values and indicate whether Consent Mode v2 is enabled.

9. Consent Mode Check Using a Google Ads Script

To streamline the process of checking your Consent Mode implementation, including regular audits, consider using the Consent Mode V2 Checker script created by Bernt Muurling and Quint van der Meer.

This script automates the analysis of your website’s parameters on MCC level and sends email notifications if any issues are detected. The authors recommend running it weekly.

Here’s a glimpse of the report delivered to your email.

Conclusion

With these methods, you can confirm whether Consent Mode v2 is enabled on your website. Some options are simple and don’t require technical expertise, while others are more technical. Choose the one that works best for you to stay aligned with privacy regulations.