Consent mode
Consent mode is Google's mechanism for passing a visitor's cookie consent choices to Google tags, so that analytics and advertising tags change what they store and send depending on whether the visitor agreed.
Also called Google consent mode, consent mode v2
- Last reviewed
- 3 sources, linked
- 4 related terms
What it means
It uses consent types including ad_storage, analytics_storage, ad_user_data and ad_personalization. In basic mode, Google tags do not load until the visitor interacts with the consent banner. In advanced mode, tags load with consent denied by default and update once the visitor chooses.
Google requires advertisers to collect consent from users in the European Economic Area, under its EU user consent policy, to keep using measurement, ad personalization and remarketing features, which is why consent mode spread so widely.
Consent mode is not a HIPAA tool. HHS guidance says a banner asking visitors to accept or reject cookies is not a valid HIPAA authorization, so where health information is involved, the safer answer is usually to keep advertising tags off the page entirely.
Why it matters for your website
For a US treatment center, consent mode is mostly about honesty and state privacy laws, not about making tracking safe. Decide which pages carry advertising tags at all, and keep them off admissions, insurance and contact pages.
If you serve visitors from the European Economic Area, use a consent banner that meets Google's policy and pass the choices through consent mode, or remarketing and audience features will be limited.
Sources
The facts on this page about a law, a regulator, a clinical standard or a platform come from these sources. Each link opens the original in a new tab.
- Google for DevelopersConsent mode overview (opens in a new tab)
- Google Ads HelpUpdates to consent mode for traffic in the European Economic Area (EEA) (opens in a new tab)
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil RightsUse of Online Tracking Technologies by HIPAA Covered Entities and Business Associates (opens in a new tab)
Last reviewed
See how your own site handles it
Send your URL for the free funnel review. Within two business days you get a 3-minute video on the page your traffic lands on, the three places it is losing inquiries, and what ChatGPT and Perplexity say about your center. It is free, and no call is attached.