How to Check Google Consent Mode v2 (Step-by-Step Guide)

Step 1: Open DevTools

Open your website in a new incognito/private window (important - this simulates a new user). Press F12 (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Option+I (Mac) to open DevTools.

Step 2: Check the Console Tab

Go to the Console tab. Look for any errors related to consent or gtag. You should see Consent Mode initialization messages if it's working. However, many sites don't log anything, so this alone isn't definitive.

Step 3: Check the dataLayer

In the Console, type dataLayer and press Enter. You should see an array. Look for objects that contain event: 'gtm.init' or consent-related data.

What to look for:

• An object with gtagConsent or gtm.consentMode
• Default states showing ad_storage: 'denied' and analytics_storage: 'denied'

If you don't see consent data in the dataLayer, Consent Mode v2 likely isn't initialized.

Step 1: View Page Source

Right-click on your page and select "View Page Source" (or press Ctrl+U / Cmd+U).

Step 2: Search for Consent Mode Code

Press Ctrl+F (or Cmd+F) and search for:

• gtag('consent', 'default'
• ad_storage: 'denied'
• analytics_storage: 'denied'

What you should see:

gtag('consent', 'default', {
  'ad_storage': 'denied',
  'analytics_storage': 'denied',
  'wait_for_update': 500
});

If this code exists in your page source, Consent Mode v2 is at least initialized. However, this doesn't tell you if it's firing at the right time or if consent updates are working.

Step 1: Open Network Tab

In DevTools, go to the Network tab. Make sure "Preserve log" is checked (so requests don't disappear when the page loads).

Step 2: Filter for Google Requests

In the filter box, type google to see only Google-related requests. Look for requests to:

• google-analytics.com
• googletagmanager.com
• google.com/pagead

Step 3: Check Request Parameters

Click on a Google Analytics or Google Ads request. Go to the "Payload" or "Query String Parameters" tab. Look for parameters like:

• gcs (Google Consent State) - should show consent signals
• gcd (Google Consent Default) - should show default denied states

If you see these parameters with 'denied' values initially, and they change to 'granted' after accepting consent, Consent Mode v2 is working. If you don't see these parameters at all, Consent Mode v2 isn't active.

Step 1: Monitor dataLayer Before Accepting

Before clicking "Accept" on the consent banner, open the Console and type:

window.__consentUpdates = [];
window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];
const originalPush = window.dataLayer.push;
window.dataLayer.push = function(...args) {
  const item = args[0];
  if (item && item.gtagConsent) {
    window.__consentUpdates.push(item.gtagConsent);
  }
  return originalPush.apply(this, args);
};

This intercepts consent updates so you can see them.

Step 2: Accept Consent

Click "Accept" or "Allow" on your consent banner.

Step 3: Check for Updates

In the Console, type window.__consentUpdates and press Enter.

You should see an array with at least one object containing:

{
  ad_storage: 'granted',
  analytics_storage: 'granted'
}

If the array is empty, consent updates aren't firing. This means Consent Mode v2 is initialized but not updating - which breaks conversion modeling. This is exactly what our diagnostic scan detects automatically.