Google Consent Mode v2 on Shopify, and what it means for server-side tracking
How Google Consent Mode v2 works on Shopify, which consent signals Google needs, and how consent should travel with server-side conversions.
Short answer: Consent Mode v2 tells Google what each visitor agreed to, through four signals. On Shopify, the store's cookie banner collects the choice and the Customer Privacy API exposes it to pixels and apps. Server-side tracking has to forward that same choice with every conversion, and leave out user data when consent for it is missing.
The four signals
| Signal | What it covers |
|---|---|
ad_storage | Cookies for advertising |
analytics_storage | Cookies for analytics |
ad_user_data | Sending user data to Google for advertising (v2) |
ad_personalization | Personalised advertising such as remarketing (v2) |
How it works on Shopify
- The cookie banner, Shopify's own or a consent app, records the visitor's choice.
- The Customer Privacy API makes that choice readable to the theme, pixels and apps.
- Web pixels only load when the visitor has given the consent the pixel requires.
- With Google tags from the Google & YouTube app, Shopify passes consent to Google. Tags you add yourself need their own consent setup.
Server-side events
A conversion sent from a server does not see the cookie banner, so the consent state has to travel with the event. Two rules keep it right: send the shopper's actual choice, and do not attach hashed email, phone or address when the shopper has not allowed it.
How TRACK ATLAS handles consent
- The TRACK ATLAS pixel reads Shopify's marketing consent for each visitor and forwards it as granted, denied or unknown.
- For Google, when consent is unknown for a buyer in the EEA, UK or Switzerland, user identifiers are left out and only the conversion is sent.
- For Pinterest, an explicit opt-out is passed through as such.
Questions
What does v2 add to Consent Mode?
Two signals on top of ad_storage and analytics_storage: ad_user_data, consent to send user data to Google for advertising, and ad_personalization, consent to personalised advertising.
Does Shopify set Consent Mode for me?
Shopify's cookie banner passes consent to Google when Google tags are installed through the Google & YouTube app. Tags added another way, such as a custom pixel, need their own consent handling.
Do server-side conversions need consent too?
Yes. A server event should carry the consent the shopper gave in the browser, and user data such as hashed email should only be sent when that consent allows it.
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