What Consent Mode is

Google Consent Mode lets you tell Google tags whether a visitor has given consent for cookies and data use. Google tags then adjust their behavior based on that consent state.

ConsentBit sets the default consent state when a page loads. When the visitor makes or changes a choice in the banner, ConsentBit sends an update with the visitor's choice.

Google's own documentation: Consent mode overview and Set up consent mode on websites.

The consent settings

ConsentBit sets the following Consent Mode settings. The descriptions are Google's.

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ConsentBit also sets these additional settings:

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Default state: before the visitor makes a choice, every setting is denied except security_storage, which is granted.When the visitor accepts or saves preferences, ConsentBit sends a consent update, setting each value from the matching banner category.

Basic vs. Advanced Consent Mode

Google describes two ways to implement Consent Mode:

Which one to use is your decision. ConsentBit supports both.

Configure Advanced Consent Mode (ConsentBit default)

Option 1: ConsentBit script installed directly on your site

1. Add the ConsentBit script as the first script in your <head>, above Google Analytics, Google Ads, or Google Tag Manager: <script src="https://manager.consentbit.com/consentbit/YOUR_SCRIPT_ID/script.js"></script>
2. Leave your Google tag (gtag.js) or Google Tag Manager snippet as normal. Do not change its type to text/plain.
3. Publish your site.

ConsentBit sets the denied default before your Google tags run, lets them load, and sends the update when the visitor chooses.

Option 2: Google Tag Manager (ConsentBit CMP template)

1. In GTM, go to Tags → New → Tag Configuration and choose ConsentBit CMP from the Community Template Gallery.
2. Paste your Script ID (Dashboard → Install).
3. Optional: set default consent states by region in the Default consent state table.
4. Set the trigger to Consent Initialization – All Pages.
5. Leave your Google tags (GA4, Google Ads, Floodlight, Conversion Linker) on their normal triggers. Google tags have built-in consent checks and adjust automatically.
6. Submit / Publish the container.

Configure Basic Consent Mode

In Basic mode, Google tags must not load until the visitor gives consent.

Option 1: ConsentBit script installed directly on your site

1. Add the ConsentBit script as the first script in your <head> (same as above).
2. Mark your Google tag so that ConsentBit holds it until consent. Change type to text/plain and add a category, on both the loader script and the inline config script:

<script type="text/plain" data-consentbit-category="analytics" async
       src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-XXXXXXX"></script>
<script type="text/plain" data-consentbit-category="analytics">
 window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];
 function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);}
 gtag('js', new Date());
 gtag('config', 'G-XXXXXXX');
</script>


For Google Ads or Floodlight tags, use data-consentbit-category="marketing". See also Manual script tagging.

3. Publish your site.

ConsentBit loads these scripts only after the visitor grants the matching category, then sends the consent update.

Option 2: Google Tag Manager

1. Add the ConsentBit CMP tag on Consent Initialization – All Pages (same as Advanced steps 1–4).
2. For every Google tag in the container, open Advanced Settings → Consent Settings, choose Require additional consent for tag to fire, and add the matching settings:
   • GA4 tags: analytics_storage
   • Google Ads / Floodlight tags: ad_storage, ad_user_data, ad_personalization
3. Add a Custom Event trigger with event name consentbit_consent_update to these tags, so they can fire after consent is given.
4. Submit / Publish the container.

Check that it works

1. Open your site in Google Tag Assistant (or GTM Preview), or add ?consentbit_debug=1 to the address (see Debug mode).
2. In Tag Assistant, select the first event and open the Consent tab. You should see On-page Default with the denied values listed above.
3. Click Accept in the ConsentBit banner. A Consent event should appear with On-page Update showing granted.
4. Advanced: Google tags appear before you click Accept. Basic: no Google tags fire until after you click Accept.

If you use Google tag gateway, see Using ConsentBit with Google tag gateway.

To set up a banner that meets Google's requirements, see Create a banner that meets Google's requirements.

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