How to Configure Consent Mode v2 with CookieYes

Cos’e la Consent Mode v2 di Google

Dal 6 marzo 2024 Google ha reso obbligatoria la Consent Mode v2 for all advertisers operating in the European Economic Area (EEA). It’s a fundamental update that changes the way Google tags (Analytics, Ads, Floodlight) collect and process user data based on the consent expressed through the cookie banner.

In practical terms, Consent Mode v2 introduces two new consent parameters: ad_user_data and ad_personalization, which are added to the pre-existing analytics_storage and ad_storage. Without this configuration, Google Ads conversions are no longer tracked correctly, with a direct impact on the performance of your advertising campaigns.

Why CookieYes Is the Right Choice

CookieYes is one of the most widely used consent management platforms (CMPs) in the world, with over 1.5 million active websites. Its native integration with Google Consent Mode v2 makes it particularly well suited for those who want to be GDPR compliant without complicating their WordPress site’s technical infrastructure.

Compared to alternatives like Iubenda or Cookiebot, CookieYes offers a functional free plan for sites with up to 100 pages, an intuitive interface, and clear technical documentation. For WordPress sites, the official plugin installs in less than 5 minutes.

Step-by-step guide: configuring Consent Mode v2 with CookieYes

Step 1: Installa e attiva CookieYes

Dal pannello WordPress, vai su Plugin > Aggiungi nuovo and search for “CookieYes”. Install the official plugin (over 1 million active installations) and activate it. Sign up on cookieyes.com and connect your domain by inserting the script provided in the dashboard.

Step 2: Configura le categorie di cookie

CookieYes automatically runs a scan of the site to identify all active cookies. Make sure they’re categorized correctly:

• Necessari — cookie tecnici (sessione, sicurezza, CSRF)
• Funzionali — preferenze utente (lingua, tema)
• Analitici — Google Analytics, Hotjar, Clarity
• Pubblicitari — Google Ads, Meta Pixel, LinkedIn Insight

Step 3: Abilita Google Consent Mode v2

In the CookieYes dashboard, go to Integrazioni > Google Consent Mode. Enable “Consent Mode v2” and make sure all four parameters are mapped correctly:

• analytics_storage → Analytics category
• ad_storage → Advertising category
• ad_user_data → Advertising category
• ad_personalization → Advertising category

Step 4: Configura il comportamento predefinito in GTM

Se utilizzi Google Tag Manager, devi impostare il default consent state. Create a tag of type “Initialization – Consent” that sets all parameters to denied on page load. CookieYes will automatically update the status when the user gives consent.

The default code to insert before any Google tag is the following:

gtag('consent', 'default', {
  'analytics_storage': 'denied',
  'ad_storage': 'denied',
  'ad_user_data': 'denied',
  'ad_personalization': 'denied',
  'wait_for_update': 500
});

Step 5: Verify the configuration

To verify that everything is working correctly, use Google’s Tag Assistant or the browser console. Look for the events consent_update in the dataLayer and check that the parameters change from denied a granted after the user accepts cookies.

Another useful tool is the Consent Monitor of CookieYes itself, available in the dashboard under “Consent Logs”.

Modalita Base vs Modalita Avanzata

La Consent Mode v2 puo funzionare in due modalita:

• Modalita Base — Google tags don’t fire until the user accepts. No data is sent before consent. It’s the safest choice from a legal standpoint.
• Modalita Avanzata — tags fire anyway, but only send anonymous pings (cookieless) when consent is denied. Google uses this data for conversion modeling, estimating lost conversions. This mode recovers up to 70% of conversion data that would otherwise be lost.

For most Italian SMBs, the modalita avanzata represents the best trade-off between GDPR compliance and data quality. CookieYes supports both modes natively.

Errori comuni da evitare

• Not setting the default state — without a default value, Google assumes implied consent, violating the GDPR
• Dimenticare ad_user_data e ad_personalization — these are the two new mandatory parameters as of 2024
• Not testing after implementation — 40% of the sites I audited had an incomplete configuration that invalidated conversion tracking
• Usare piu CMP contemporaneamente — it creates conflicts in the dataLayer and unpredictable behavior

Impatto sulle performance pubblicitarie

After configuring Consent Mode v2 on over 15 client sites, the data is clear: those who use the advanced mode recover on average 65% of conversions that would otherwise be lost due to missing consent. In a market like Italy, where the cookie acceptance rate hovers around 70-75%, this means a significant impact on Google Ads’ ability to optimize campaigns.

Without Consent Mode v2, Smart Bidding campaigns lose data that is essential for machine learning, with an average CPA increase of 20-30%.

Need help with the setup?

If you’re not sure your site is configured correctly, I can run a free tracking audit in less than 24 hours. I check your Google Tag Manager setup, Consent Mode v2, and the correct data flow to Google Analytics 4 and Google Ads.

Contattami su WhatsApp al +39 378 064 9050 oppure book a free call direttamente dal mio calendario.