Google Consent Mode v2: Basic vs Advanced, and How to Check It Actually Works

02

Basic or advanced Consent Mode?

SafeLaunch's own site uses basic mode: every signal defaults to denied, gtag.js isn't downloaded until the visitor clicks Accept, Reject and the Global Privacy Control signal keep it off, and advertising signals stay denied even after Accept.

03

What should the default snippet look like?

Place this in the page head before any Google tag, so the default is set first:

<script>
  window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];
  function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);}
  gtag('consent', 'default', {
    ad_storage: 'denied',
    analytics_storage: 'denied',
    ad_user_data: 'denied',
    ad_personalization: 'denied'
  });
</script>

Then, when the visitor accepts analytics, call gtag('consent', 'update', { analytics_storage: 'granted' }), and only then load or enable the tag in basic mode. Grant advertising signals only if the visitor accepts advertising.

04

Common Consent Mode mistakes

• The default is set after gtag.js loads, so the first hit goes out with no consent state.
• A second, hard-coded Google tag in the page head ignores the consent setup entirely.
• The banner never calls update, so signals stay denied after Accept, or the code sets granted on load.
• Other trackers aren't covered. Consent Mode controls Google tags only; Meta, TikTok, Hotjar and others need their own gating.

The only reliable test is behavioural. A SafeLaunch paid audit opens your site in clean browser sessions, before any choice, after Reject and after Accept, and records every Google request and cookie. See the real-browser test, or start a free scan.