Google vs Microsoft Consent Mode: A Side-by-Side Comparison

June 26, 2025

Author: Rimsha Zafar

Google or Microsoft Consent Mode—which one truly fits your business needs? This might be the question every compliance team finds itself asking. With increasing enforcement of GDPR, DMA, and other privacy laws, ensuring user consent isn’t just a checkbox—it’s a strategic necessity.

Both Google and Microsoft have developed their Consent Mode frameworks to help advertisers remain compliant while still gathering meaningful ad performance data. However, their functionalities, implementation styles, and compliance capabilities vary significantly.

In this blog, we’ll break down both Consent Modes side by side—exploring consent parameters, setup workflows, platform compatibility, and the impact on ad performance—so you can choose the right solution for your tech stack and business goals.

What Is Consent Mode Trying to Solve?

The Common Challenge

With privacy regulations like GDPR, businesses are legally obligated to get user consent before collecting data. Without it, advertising and analytics lose accuracy. Consent Mode helps bridge this gap by adjusting tracking behaviour based on consent signals.

This allows advertisers to:

Maintain analytics and ad campaign insights
Avoid legal penalties linked to non-consensual tracking
Deliver clear, consent-based transparency to your audience

Both Google Consent Mode and Microsoft Consent Mode are solving this challenge, each through its own mechanics, scope, and parameters.

Google’s Approach

Google Consent Mode adjusts how Google tags behave depending on user consent. It offers two modes:

Basic: Tags are blocked until consent is granted.
Advanced: Tags fire with anonymised, cookieless pings. Data is later modelled if consent is denied.

This approach helps advertisers retain partial performance insights even when users decline tracking cookies.

Microsoft’s Approach

Microsoft Consent Mode also adapts tag behaviour based on user consent, using Universal Event Tracking (UET). It supports two modes:

Basic: Tags remain inactive until consent is given.
Advanced: Sends anonymised signals even without consent, though it lacks conversion modelling.

UET is initially configured to a denied state and updates dynamically through JavaScript once consent is granted. This helps advertisers meet compliance while maintaining a lightweight implementation for Microsoft Ads.

Consent Parameters and Signals

How Google Handles Consent

With Consent Mode v2, Google introduced enhanced parameters that integrate well with Google Tag Manager (GTM) or gtag.js:

ad_storage: Controls ad-related storage
analytics_storage: Governs analytics cookies
ad_user_data: Manages consent for ad data collection
ad_personalization: Handles consent for personalised ads

These parameters are updated via a certified Consent Management Platform (CMP), making it a core part of how Google Consent Mode works.

Before user consent is given, a denied state is set by default using the following snippet:

Code Display

// Default denied state before user consent
gtag('consent', 'default', {
  ad_storage: 'denied',
  analytics_storage: 'denied',
  ad_user_data: 'denied',
  ad_personalization: 'denied'
});

Once the user accepts consent, the tag updates are triggered automatically:

Code Display

// After the user accepts consent
gtag('consent', 'update', {
  ad_storage: 'granted',
  analytics_storage: 'granted',
  ad_user_data: 'granted',
  ad_personalization: 'granted'
});

This real-time signal update ensures that tags align dynamically with the user’s privacy preferences.

How Microsoft Handles Consent

Microsoft takes a structured, JavaScript-based approach to managing user consent, offering flexibility and clarity for advertisers using Microsoft Ads.

It supports two key parameters:

ad_storage: Similar to Google consent mode, controlling ad cookie storage
asc (advanced consent): Determines consent depth for tracking

Like Google, Microsoft also starts from a consent-denied state. Before consent, the following settings apply:

Code Display

mstag.consent.default = 'denied';
uetq.push('consent', {
  ad_user_data: 'denied',
  ad_personalization: 'denied'
});

Once the user accepts marketing cookies, Microsoft updates consent signals automatically:

Code Display

mstag.consent.update({
  ad_storage: 'granted',
  analytics_storage: 'granted'
});

uetq.push('consent', {
  ad_user_data: 'granted',
  ad_personalization: 'granted'
});

This JavaScript-based transition ensures advertisers remain GDPR-compliant while still enabling necessary ad and analytics tracking for Microsoft Ads.

Consent Parameter Comparison
Consent Parameter	Google Consent Mode	Microsoft Consent Mode
ad_storage	Yes	Yes
analytics_storage	Yes	Yes
ad_user_data	Yes	Yes
ad_personalization	Yes	Yes
Conversion Modelling	Yes (Advanced Mode)	No
JavaScript Consent API	gtag/gtm update	mstag.consent / uetq.push

Compliance and Regulatory Alignment

Google’s Regulatory Alignment

Google complies with GDPR, DMA, and DSA, and its Consent Mode v2 has been mandatory since March 2024. While it provides advanced tools for privacy-focused tracking and modelling, Google still faces regulatory scrutiny, particularly around concerns of potential fingerprinting techniques.

Microsoft’s Alignment with Regulations

Microsoft aligns with GDPR and DMA. Enforcement began May 5, 2025, in EEA, UK, and Switzerland, with a strong focus on pseudonymised data handling. Its implementation emphasises user transparency and low-complexity integration across Microsoft Ads, making it ideal for advertisers looking to meet privacy standards with minimal technical overhead.

Platform Scope and Use Cases

When to Use Google Consent Mode

If your business is running ads on Google Ads, Google Analytics, or Floodlight, and you require advanced tracking performance. Google Consent Mode is designed to support you with robust measurement features:

Deep conversion modelling that works even when consent is denied
Seamless cross-platform measurement across Google services

This makes it an ideal choice for data-driven advertisers seeking both compliance and insight.

When to Use Microsoft Consent Mode

If your business relies exclusively on Microsoft Ads, Microsoft Consent Mode presents a streamlined, low-lift solution tailored for advertisers seeking simplicity and compliance without added complexity.

It’s particularly suited for businesses that:

Prefer minimal integration effort and straightforward implementation.
Require a simple and fast setup with fewer technical dependencies
Operate within a Microsoft Ads-centric environment
Prefer a solution with low maintenance overhead

This makes Microsoft Consent Mode a practical option for those seeking compliance without complex configurations or multi-platform integrations.

Looking Ahead: Future Outlook and Strategic Insights

Consent Modes are evolving fast as privacy laws become stricter. Google is expected to boost its cookieless tracking and advanced conversion modelling. These updates aim to help advertisers maintain data insights, though scrutiny around fingerprinting may increase.

Microsoft will likely enhance its signal flexibility and introduce smarter analytics, all while keeping implementation simple. This direction supports advertisers using Microsoft Ads who prefer minimal setup and strong compliance.

Ultimately, your choice depends on your tech stack and campaign goals. Google offers more depth and flexibility, while Microsoft focuses on simplicity. No matter which platform you choose, staying aligned with user privacy expectations is essential for long-term success in today’s privacy-first digital landscape.

Simplify Consent Management in Just a Few Clicks

Staying compliant shouldn’t slow you down. Whether you're leaning towards Google or Microsoft Consent Mode, Seers AI has you covered. Seamlessly integrate either option in just a few clicks—no manual coding required. Stay compliant, optimise performance, and simplify consent management with Seers AI’s powerful, privacy-first platform.

Get Started Now

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Google Consent Mode supports advanced features like conversion modelling, cross-platform tracking, and detailed consent parameters. Microsoft Consent Mode offers a simpler setup, primarily for Microsoft Ads, with fewer features but faster implementation. The key difference lies in Google’s data modelling capabilities versus Microsoft’s straightforward privacy-first approach.

A Consent Management Platform (CMP) is necessary to capture and manage user consent correctly. Both Google and Microsoft require a CMP to pass consent signals that dictate how tracking tags behave. Without a CMP, you risk non-compliance with GDPR, DMA, and other privacy laws.

Yes, you can implement both consent modes if your site uses Google Ads and Microsoft Ads together. With a properly configured CMP, both systems can receive accurate consent signals, allowing you to comply with privacy regulations while running campaigns across multiple ad platforms.

If users deny cookies, Google Consent Mode (advanced) still sends anonymised pings and later uses conversion modelling. Microsoft Consent Mode sends minimal anonymised signals without modelling. Neither platform stores identifiable data, helping businesses stay GDPR-compliant while retaining partial insights for analytics and ad performance.

Yes, tracking accuracy may be affected when users deny consent. However, Google’s advanced Consent Mode compensates with conversion modelling to estimate performance data. Microsoft’s mode doesn’t offer modelling but ensures compliance with basic anonymised tracking. Using either helps balance privacy and performance.

Consent Modes are not mandatory, but they help automate compliance with GDPR and similar laws. They ensure tracking scripts behave based on user consent, reducing legal risks. For businesses relying on ad data, implementing Consent Mode is a best practice to remain both compliant and data-informed.

Rimsha Zafar

Rimsha is a Senior Content Writer at Seers AI with over 5 years of experience in advanced technologies and AI-driven tools. Her expertise as a research analyst shapes clear, thoughtful insights into responsible data use, trust, and future-facing technologies.