It is not super easy to do this, but it’s not rocket science, either. All you need is some coffee and focus time. (We believe in you!)
Please note that you can install Google Consent Mode v2 in different ways, such as via Google Tag Manager, a WordPress plugin , or by inserting the script on the page. However, you can only install one with a proper Consent Management Platform (CMP).
Regardless of how you have implemented Google Consent Mode v2, the method for checking whether you have implemented the basic or advanced versions is the same.
How to check if you have installed the advanced version of Consent Mode v2?
So, when you begin this “investigation,” you need to keep the following in mind: If you have the basic version installed, it may look like you don’t have Consent Mode v2 installed at all when you look at the so-called network requests.
This means it may look like you “only” have a CMP in place that does its job by the book , meaning it blocks signals to Google when a visitor denies consent and sends them when consent is granted.
Therefore, the first thing you need to do is see if Consent Mode v2 is installed.
Have you installed Consent Mode v2?
To determine whether you have installed Consent Mode v2, open your web page in incognito mode. I will guide you through this using the Chrome web browser.
Right-click on the webpage and select “Inspect.”
Go to the Sources tab and go to scripts and look for the consent mode parameters.
Go to the Sources tab and go to scripts and look for the consent mode parameters.
But how do I know if it is Google Consent Mode v2 and not the previous version of Google Consent Mode?
The code snippet has fewer parameters if it’s the outdated version of Consent Mode v2; meaning it will only have ad_storage and analytics_storage.
If it’s the updated version of Consent Mode v2, it will have 2 additional parameters, the two at the end here:
ad_storage,
analytics_storage,
ad_uster_data,
ad_personalization.
analytics_storage,
ad_uster_data,
ad_personalization.
I cannot find the flags, even though I should
If your site does not have data layers, you won’t be able to find the flags as described above; chances are you can then find them in the Google Tag Manager container. To find out, go to (or stay in) the Sources tab and scroll down to find www.googletagmanager.com, and then look for the flags.
When you have Cookie Information's CMP
Also note that if you have installed Cookie Information with our latest Consent Mode v2 integration—where the link to Google’s Business Responsibility site is displayed on the consent-banner—then you can verify that you have Consent Mode v2 by searching for (pressing F5 or Command+F on Mac) data-gcm-version= “2.0” in the Sources tab. If it’s there, then you got Consent Mode v2.
Which version of Consent Mode v2 is it then? Basic or advanced?
Now that you know that you have Consent Mode v2 installed, it’s time to see if it’s the basic version or the advanced version.
Follow these 7 steps to get to the bottom of this.
1. Open the Website
- Launch Google Chrome and navigate to your website in incognito mode.
2. Access Developer Tools
- Right-click on the webpage.
- Select “Inspect” to open
3. Chrome Developer Tools
- Go to the Network Tab
- Click on the “Network” tab in the Developer Tools panel.
- If not visible, click the double arrow (>>) to find it.
4. Clear Existing Logs
- Click the circle with a slash icon or right-click in the log area and select “Clear.
5. Refresh the Page
- Refresh the webpage by pressing F5 or clicking the refresh button.
6. Decline Cookies (If Prompted)
- When the cookie consent prompt appears, choose to decline cookies.
7. Monitor Network Activity
If you, like me, don’t really know what a network request is, here’s how I explain it to myself:
It’s like sending a letter to a friend asking for information. When you visit a website, your computer sends these “letters” to the website’s friend, a.k.a. server, and asks for the pictures, texts, and all the information needed to show the webpage. The server then replies by sending all that information back to your computer so you can see the website as intended.
Anyway, you need to look at the tab with all the network requests now. Use the filter box to search for specific requests for Google Analytics or Google Ads. Type keywords like gtag, gtm, analytics, or ads.
Now look for requests with URLs containing for example google-analytics.com, googletagmanager.com, or googleadsservices.com, or anything that indicates consent mode.
In our example we found gtm-default-consent-mode.js. Click on that and go to the Preview part of the right-window.
Look for these parameters:
ad_storage,
ad_user_data,
ad_personalization,
analytics_storage
ad_user_data,
ad_personalization,
analytics_storage
If you see them, you have installed an advanced version of Google Consent Mode. If you do not see them, it is most likely the basic version. If you have set it up correctly, they should all be “denied”.
If you click the cookie banner again, press accept, and inspect the parameters again, they should all be set to “granted.”
Summary
First, ensure you have Google Consent Mode v2 by looking for the script via the web browser’s developer tool. If you find it, you can proceed to step 2.
Now look for the so-called network requests for Google Analytics or Google ads. You have the basic version if there are no requests when consent is denied. If all the parameters show up, you have the advanced version.
Also read: Is my Consent Mode v2 working?
Please also note, that in order to be compliant with Google’s requirements the first layer of the cookie-banner needs to link to Google’s Business Data Responsibility Site.
Now what?
In the world of web development things are seldom super straightforward. Follow up questions will arise. Especially if you can’t find the tags.
But fear not.
We have developed a tool for you, that checks if you have Consent Mode v2 installed or not. It will take you, at least, half-way!
