Consent Mode v2 done properly for EU and UK traffic
Google Ads conversions dropped after March 2024 and your CMP banner is either blocking everything or nothing. I wire Consent Mode v2 into your CMP and tags so you stay compliant and keep modelled conversions.
The problem you're seeing
Since March 2024 Google requires Consent Mode v2 for EEA and UK traffic. Without it, Google Ads cannot use your audience data and conversion modelling stops. Many stores installed a banner and assumed that was it.
The usual result is one of two failures. Either tags fire before consent and the site is non-compliant, or the banner blocks GTM entirely and Google gets nothing, not even the anonymous pings that drive modelling.
Why it happens
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A CMP installed from a plugin that was never connected to GTM’s consent settings.
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Default consent state not set before the GTM container loads, so the first page view fires with no consent signal at all.
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Tags with no consent checks configured, or the wrong ones, so Google Ads tags fire on analytics consent and Meta fires on nothing.
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The advanced versus basic mode decision never made, so there are no cookieless pings and no modelling.
What I do
01
Check what your CMP sends, when it sends it, and whether GTM’s consent overview shows every tag with the right checks.
02
Set the consent defaults in the page head before GTM loads, region-scoped so US visitors are not shown an EU banner unless you want them to be.
03
Connect the CMP to GTM through its consent template or a custom listener so updates push to all tags immediately.
04
Configure advanced consent mode so Google receives cookieless pings when consent is denied and can model the missing conversions.
05
Test every consent state with the GTM consent debugger and Tag Assistant, and record the behaviour so you have proof for compliance questions.
What you get
A consent setup that passes Google’s Consent Mode v2 checks in Google Ads and GA4, correct banner behaviour per region, every tag in GTM with the right consent checks, and a short compliance note documenting the configuration.
Who this is for
Any store with EU or UK customers running Google Ads, and agencies who have seen client conversions fall off a cliff and need to prove the fix.
Questions I get asked
Which CMP do you recommend?
Cookiebot, Cookieyes, Usercentrics and Iubenda all work. The choice matters less than the configuration. If you already have one, I will make it work rather than make you switch.
Is advanced consent mode compliant?
Advanced mode sends cookieless, non-identifying pings when consent is denied. Google’s position is that this is compliant and most EU DPAs have not objected, but it is a legal question for your counsel. I configure whichever mode you decide on.
Why did Google Ads conversions drop in early 2024?
Google started enforcing Consent Mode v2 for EEA traffic. Without consent signals, Ads could not attribute conversions from consented or modelled users. The fix is configuration, not more spend.
Does Consent Mode cover Meta too?
Not by itself. Consent Mode is Google’s framework. I set Meta tags to respect the same CMP categories so the whole stack behaves consistently.
Will this affect US visitors?
Only if you want it to. Consent defaults are region-scoped, so you can show the banner only to EEA and UK visitors and let everyone else through.
Find out what's actually broken.
A tracking audit tells you exactly which events are wrong, why, and what it takes to fix them. No pitch deck, just the findings.