Consent Signals in Google Ads – How to Configure Them

Consent Signals in Google Ads – How to Configure Them Correctly

If Google has notified you that "Consent signals have not been configured correctly" on your website, it means Google is not receiving correct information about whether your visitors have granted or denied consent to cookies and data collection. Without correct consent signals, Google cannot determine whether it is permitted to use cookies and user data – and therefore restricts functionality such as remarketing, conversion measurement and audience targeting.

What are consent signals?

Consent signals are the technical communication between your website and Google that informs about the visitor's consent status. They tell Google which types of data processing the user has approved or denied. Google supports two methods for sending consent signals:

1. Google Consent Mode – Google's own API that integrates with your CMP (Consent Management Platform) and communicates consent status directly to Google's tags.
2. Transparency and Consent Framework (TCF) – IAB Europe's standard for managing consent, supported by most CMP solutions and advertising networks.

Why are you getting this error?

The most common reasons consent signals are not configured correctly:

• Consent Mode is completely missing – The website has a cookie banner but sends no signals to Google.
• Incorrect default configuration – Consent Mode v2 requires you to set default values for all consent types before the user interacts with the banner. If these are missing, Google sees no signals.
• CMP and Consent Mode are not connected – The CMP handles consent but the Consent Mode update command is not implemented.
• Old version of Consent Mode – You are still running Consent Mode v1 which lacks the new parameters ad_user_data and ad_personalization required in v2.
• TCF integration is misconfigured – If you use TCF instead of Consent Mode, the TC String may not be sent correctly to Google.

How to fix it: Google Consent Mode

Step 1: Set default consent

Add a consent default command in your GTM container (or directly in the code) that runs before all other tags. All four parameters must be included:

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

In Google Tag Manager, you do this via a Consent Initialization trigger and a custom HTML tag, or via your CMP's built-in Consent Mode support.

Step 2: Connect your CMP to Consent Mode

When the user interacts with the cookie banner, your CMP should update the consent status via an update command:

gtag('consent', 'update', {
  'ad_storage': 'granted',
  'ad_user_data': 'granted',
  'ad_personalization': 'granted',
  'analytics_storage': 'granted'
});

Most modern CMPs (Cookiebot, OneTrust, Usercentrics, CookieYes) have built-in support for Google Consent Mode v2. Activate it in your CMP's settings.

Step 3: Verify with Tag Assistant

Open Google Tag Assistant (tagassistant.google.com) and navigate to your website. Verify that:

• You see "Consent" in the timeline with correct default values
• After consent is given, you see a "Consent Update" with updated values
• All four parameters (ad_storage, ad_user_data, ad_personalization, analytics_storage) are visible

How to fix it: TCF integration

If you prefer to use IAB's Transparency and Consent Framework instead:

1. Verify that your CMP is IAB-certified and registered in the TCF list.
2. Ensure the TC String is generated correctly and that Google Advertising Products (vendor ID 755) is included.
3. Validate the TCF implementation with IAB's CMP Validator tool.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Only adding the banner without technical integration – A visual cookie banner without a connection to Consent Mode makes no difference for Google.
• Missing region settings – If you set consent default to 'granted' globally and then update it for EU users, the timing may be wrong. Use the region parameter to differentiate.
• Not testing every consent scenario – Test that signals work correctly when the user accepts, denies and changes their choices.

Need help?

Configuring consent signals requires technical knowledge of Google Tag Manager, consent APIs and CMP integrations. Incorrect implementations can lead to lost advertising data or GDPR violations. At Growth Hackers, we have implemented consent solutions for hundreds of websites and can help you get everything in place quickly.

Book a free review of your consent setup, or read more about our measurement and analytics services.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I use Google Consent Mode or TCF?

Google recommends Consent Mode, and it is the simplest path to compliance. TCF is an alternative that also covers other advertising networks beyond Google. Many businesses use both – TCF for broader compliance and Consent Mode for communicating directly with Google's services.

Does Consent Mode work with all CMPs?

Most modern CMPs have built-in support for Consent Mode v2. Google lists compatible CMP partners on their help page. If your CMP does not support Consent Mode directly, you can implement it manually via GTM.

How long does it take to fix?

With a modern CMP that already has Consent Mode support, it can take from one hour to one day to configure correctly. More complex websites with many third-party scripts may take longer. We recommend not waiting until the last minute, as Google needs time to validate your changes.