Data and Tracking

Since the consent requirement, half your conversions are missing

Q: What is the difference between basic and advanced consent mode?

Google names both implementation routes explicitly (Source: Google Tag Platform, Einwilligungsmodus). The difference lies in whether tags load before consent. Which one is permissible is decided by your legal assessment.

Google steers measurement via consent parameters: ad_storage and analytics_storage, plus, since November 2023, ad_user_data and ad_personalization g-consent. Anyone using consent mode sends these in addition to the two older parameters g-consent. It can be implemented basic or advanced g-consent. Missing conversions almost never come from the parameter itself, but from consent dialog and tags not speaking the same language.

What we do: We measure the current state, wire all four consent parameters to the dialog, decide the implementation path with you and your legal team and check again after the rebuild; what may be measured gets measured, and the automation learns on more signal.

By Robin Kardinal, Chief Operation Officer (COO)

Last updated on 5 October 2026

What it is about and when it becomes relevant

What the parameters do

They tell Google's tags what may be stored and used for what. Named are ad_storage, analytics_storage plus, added in November 2023, ad_user_data and ad_personalization g-consent. Anyone using consent mode must send the two newer ones as well g-consent.

Basic or advanced

Google names two implementation routes, basic and advanced consent mode g-consent. The difference lies in whether tags load at all before consent. Which one fits is a trade-off between data volume and legal assessment and belongs decided with your legal team, not with your agency alone.

When it becomes relevant

As soon as a noticeable share of visitors declines and the ad platforms get less signal because of it. Then not only the reported numbers sink but also the quality of automated bidding, because the steering learns on less data.

Common mistakes and how you spot them

Only the two old parameters set

How you spot itad_user_data and ad_personalization are missing from the data stream although consent mode is active g-consent. In the platforms it shows as a warning, in the account as less signal.

Dialog and tags contradict each other

How you spot itThe dialog reports consent, the tags still run in restricted mode. Checkable with the Tag Manager preview on a test page.

Consent does not cover all domains

How you spot itAfter a switch to the checkout on another domain, measurement starts over, and conversions are missing exactly where they happen.

The drop is read as market conditions

How you spot itThe drop coincides with the day the dialog was changed, not with any shift in the market.

How we go about it

Measure the current state before changing anything
We establish which parameters are sent today and how high consent actually is. Without that baseline, no later improvement can be proven.
Wire all four parameters cleanly
ad_storage, analytics_storage, ad_user_data and ad_personalization belong wired consistently to the dialog g-consent.
Decide the implementation route together
Whether basic or advanced consent mode g-consent is a call we settle with you and your legal team. We build what was decided, and do not judge it legally.
Reconcile after the rebuild
We compare consent rate, measured conversions and platform signals before and after, so the effect is proven.

Frequently asked questions

Which consent parameters does Google require?

ad_storage and analytics_storage plus, added in November 2023, ad_user_data and ad_personalization g-consent.

What is the difference between basic and advanced consent mode?

Google names both implementation routes explicitly g-consent. The difference lies in whether tags load before consent. Which one is permissible is decided by your legal assessment.

Do I lose conversions without consent mode?

Above all you lose signal for the automated steering. Fewer measured conversions also means less basis for bids, and that weighs heavier than the missing line in the report.

Does consent mode replace a consent tool?

No. The tool collects the consent, consent mode passes it to the tags. Both have to fit together, otherwise you measure past the consent.

Is this exactly where you are stuck?

Write to us about where it is stuck. Robin Kardinal and the team will look at what is concretely behind it in your case, and tell you where the biggest lever sits.

Book a meeting

Sources

Every statement about ad products comes from the official documentation of the respective platform, with the date we retrieved it. Products change; if something looks outdated to you, write to us and we will check it.