Implement and test Consent Mode

1. Inventory the existing setup

List the consent platform, Google tags, other marketing tags, checkout domains and any server-side route. Record which integration controls each tag. Check for a second script or plugin that could run outside the intended consent flow.

2. Document the intended behavior

Decide the regional scope and how the interface represents choices. Record the intended behavior for each relevant consent state and destination. The people responsible for privacy must review the specific purposes, wording and applicable requirements. This guide provides implementation planning, not a legal determination.

3. Set defaults before affected events

Follow Google’s current implementation instructions for the chosen integration. Defaults must precede relevant configuration or events. In GTM, use the consent APIs described by Google. Do not treat a later banner update as a way to correct information already sent under the wrong initial state.

4. Apply and retain changes

Test what happens when a visitor accepts, rejects or changes a choice. Check that updates occur in time for the current page journey and that returning visits use the intended preference. Include the checkout route and any server path in the same design; the banner’s visible state alone is not enough.

5. Create an evidence matrix

• Scenario and region tested.
• Initial choice and saved preference state.
• Observed consent status in the debugging tools.
• Relevant tag behavior and destination diagnostics.
• Expected result, actual result and unresolved issue.
• Implementation version, test date and accountable owner.

6. Maintain the implementation

Recheck after consent-platform, checkout and tagging changes. Review requirements independently for the actual EU, UK or other market implementation. Keep technical test evidence and the privacy review together, while stating what each check establishes. A successful configuration should never be described as an automatic compliance certificate.

Record expected behaviour for each customer journey

Use a test sheet that separates the visitor’s choice from the technical state expected by the agreed implementation. Include a first visit, a returning visit and a changed preference. For each journey, record the banner behaviour, the state supplied to tags and the collection observed at the relevant destination. This makes a discrepancy easier to discuss with the correct owner.

Prioritise the routes customers actually use, including checkout transitions and market-specific versions where relevant. A successful check on the homepage does not establish correct behaviour across a store. Keep screenshots or technical test records inside the business’s controlled environment if required; public publication is unnecessary. The agency’s technical review and the business’s privacy review serve different purposes. Confirm both responsibilities explicitly, and repeat the agreed checks when either the banner or collection setup changes.

• Describe expected behaviour before running the tests so a result can be assessed.
• Log discrepancies with the affected route, state and responsible person.
• Retest after changes and preserve the approved implementation record.

Understand Consent Mode →