Debug mode
Check that ConsentBit is set up correctly on your website: that Google's consent settings load before your Google tags, and that your tags respect your visitors' choices.
Debug mode shows a small panel on your own screen with a list of checks. It is only visible to you, in the browser tab where you turn it on. Your visitors never see it.
Turn debug mode on
Open any page of your website and add ?consentbit_debug=1 to the end of the address:
https://www.example.com/?consentbit_debug=1
If the address already contains a ?, add it with & instead:
https://www.example.com/pricing?ref=ads&consentbit_debug=1
After a couple of seconds the ConsentBit debug panel appears in the top-right corner. Debug mode stays on while you browse other pages in the same tab.
Other ways to turn it on
If you can edit your site's code, you can instead add data-debug="true" to the ConsentBit script tag. Remember to remove it when you are done, because it turns debug mode on for everyone who opens the page.
<script id="consentbit" data-debug="true" src="https://manager.consentbit.com/consentbit/YOUR-SCRIPT-ID/script.js"></script>
Turn debug mode off
Add ?consentbit_debug=0 to the address, or close the browser tab. Clicking × on the panel hides it for the current page only.
Reading the panel
The top of the panel shows a summary: all checks passed, or the number of issues found. Each line below it has a label:
LabelMeaningPASSThis part of your setup is correct.WARNSomething needs your attention. Follow the How to fix link under the message.INFOUseful information. Nothing to fix.
What each check means
Consent default
Google's tags need to know your visitors' consent status before they start. ConsentBit sends this starting status (the "consent default") as soon as it loads. By default, advertising and analytics are set to denied until the visitor makes a choice.
MessageWhat to doPASS Set before any Google tag.Nothing. The values shown (for example ad_storage=denied) are the starting status your Google tags received.WARN A Google tag ran before ConsentBit loaded, so it started without consent settings.Your Google tag is loading too early. See Fixing a Google tag that loads too early.WARN Google tag commands were queued above ConsentBit. The default was moved in front of them…ConsentBit corrected the order for you on this visit, but your setup should not depend on that. See Fixing a Google tag that loads too early.WARN Google tag commands ran before the consent default.See Fixing a Google tag that loads too early.WARN No consent default found on this page.Check that the ConsentBit script is installed on this page, then see Fixing a Google tag that loads too early.INFO Set by the ConsentBit GTM template on Consent Initialization.Nothing. You installed ConsentBit through Google Tag Manager, which sets the starting status itself. You can see it in the Consent tab of GTM Preview mode.
Script order
The ConsentBit script must be placed above your Google tag in your page's <head>.
MessageWhat to doPASS ConsentBit loads before your Google tags.Nothing.WARN A Google tag is placed above the ConsentBit script.Move the ConsentBit script above it. See Fixing a Google tag that loads too early.
This check does not appear when ConsentBit is installed through Google Tag Manager, because the template controls the order for you.
Google requests
This check looks at the data your Google tags actually sent from the page, and confirms each request carried the visitor's consent status.
MessageWhat to doPASS 1 request sent with a consent state.Nothing. The code shown, for example gcs=G100, is the consent status Google received. G100 means advertising and analytics were denied; G111 means both were granted.WARN … sent before the consent default was set.A Google tag sent data before ConsentBit loaded. See Fixing a Google tag that loads too early.WARN … sent without a consent state.A Google tag sent data without any consent status. See Fixing a Google tag that loads too early.INFO None sent yet.Nothing. With the ConsentBit IAB TCF banner, Google tags wait until the visitor gives consent before they send anything ("basic mode"). Accept the banner and the check updates.
TCF API (IAB TCF banner only)
If you use the ConsentBit IAB TCF banner, Google's tags read your visitors' choices through the TCF API (__tcfapi). It must be available before Google tags start.
MessageWhat to doPASS Ready. Google tags are waiting for consent.PASS Ready before Google tags started.Nothing. cmpId=502 is ConsentBit's registered IAB CMP ID.WARN A Google tag started before __tcfapi was available.See Fixing a Google tag that loads too early.WARN __tcfapi was not found on this page.Check that the IAB TCF banner is enabled for this site in your ConsentBit dashboard, and that the ConsentBit script is installed on this page.
Consent update
Each time a visitor makes or changes a choice in the banner, ConsentBit sends Google the new status (a "consent update"). Make a choice in the banner and this line shows the latest values, for example analytics_storage=granted. Try Accept and Reject and watch it change.
Google tags
Lists the Google tag IDs found on the page, for example G-XXXXXXXXXX (Google Analytics), AW-… (Google Ads) or GTM-… (Google Tag Manager). If a tag you expect is missing, it may not be installed on this page.
Fixing a Google tag that loads too early
When debug mode flags a Google tag as late, work through these steps in order.
Step 1. Check whether the tag uses Google tag gateway
Google tag gateway serves your Google tags from your own website's address instead of from Google's. It is usually switched on through Cloudflare, another CDN, or Google Cloud.
Signs that your site uses it:
- Your Google tag script loads from your own domain, for example
https://www.example.com/abcd/gtag/js?id=G-…, instead ofhttps://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-…. - You or your developer turned on Google tag gateway in Cloudflare, your CDN, Google Tag Manager or Google Ads.
If your site uses Google tag gateway, follow the Google tag gateway guide instead of the steps below. If it does not, continue with Step 2.
Step 2. Put ConsentBit first
The ConsentBit script must be the first script in your page's <head>, above every Google tag.
<head>
<!-- 1. ConsentBit: first -->
<script id="consentbit" src="https://manager.consentbit.com/consentbit/YOUR-SCRIPT-ID/script.js"></script>
<!-- 2. Google tag: after ConsentBit -->
<script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-XXXXXXXXXX"></script>
<script>
window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];
function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);}
gtag('js', new Date());
gtag('config', 'G-XXXXXXXXXX');
</script>
</head>
Where to change this, by platform:
- Webflow: Site settings → Custom code → Head code. Put the ConsentBit script at the very top. If you use Webflow's built-in Google Analytics integration (Site settings → Apps & integrations), Webflow places that tag above your custom code. ConsentBit moves its consent default in front of it automatically, but debug mode will still show a warning. For a clean setup, turn off the built-in integration and add your Google tag in Head code, below the ConsentBit script.
- Framer: Site settings → Custom code → "Start of <head> tag". Make the ConsentBit snippet the first one, above the Google tag snippet.
- Hand-coded site: edit the
<head>of your page template as shown above. - Google Tag Manager: do not paste the ConsentBit script into the page. Add the ConsentBit CMP tag template in GTM with the Consent Initialization - All Pages trigger. It runs before every other tag in your container.
Step 3. Do not load ConsentBit with async or defer
The ConsentBit script tag should not have async or defer. Those attributes let the page run your Google tag first. Your Google tag itself can keep async.
Step 4. Check for a second copy of your Google tag
Plugins, themes, website builders and old code snippets sometimes add their own copy of Google Analytics or Google Ads. Look for any other Google tag installation on the page and either remove it or make sure it also loads after ConsentBit.
Step 5. Check again
Publish your changes, then open the page with ?consentbit_debug=1 in a new tab. Every PASS line should now appear. For a second opinion, you can also use Google Tag Assistant: the first consent event should show every consent type as denied until you accept the banner.
Still seeing a warning? Contact ConsentBit support and include the page address and a screenshot of the debug panel.