Consent Mode V2 WordPress – Ultimate 2025 Setup Guide to Protect EU Ad Revenue

Google’s Consent Mode V2 deadline is March 2025. If you run display ads for European users and haven’t updated yet, Google will serve only contextual ads to your EU visitors—slashing RPM. This step-by-step tutorial shows how to add consent mode v2 wordpress support via Rank Math, Google Tag Manager, or direct gtag.js so you can keep revenue and Discover clicks intact.

1 · Why Consent Mode V2 Matters

Version 2 adds two new signals—ad_user_data and ad_personalization—required for GDPR and the EU Digital Markets Act. Without them Google treats every EU visitor as opted-out. Publishers that migrated early saw a 12 % AdSense RPM rebound [Google Docs].

2 · Prerequisites

• GA4 property active.
• A gtag.js or GTM container on the site.
• Cookie-consent banner (Rank Math, Complianz, or CookieYes).

3 · Option A — Rank Math Cookie Consent Module

1. WP dashboard → Rank Math › General Settings › Cookie Consent → Enable.
2. Paste your AdSense and GA4 IDs.
3. Select Display to EU traffic only.
4. Rank Math auto-sends the V2 signals (denied or granted).

4 · Option B — Google Tag Manager Template

1. Import the Google community template “Consent Mode V2.”
2. Add a Consent Initialization trigger before all tags.
3. Map your CMP event (cookie_consent_accepted) to updateConsentState().
4. Publish container → test with Tag Assistant.

5 · Testing Your Setup

Use Tag Assistant Companion. In an incognito window reload the page before accepting cookies—signals should read denied. Accept banner; signals flip to granted instantly. You should also see normal personalised ad requests in Ads › Coverage inside Search Console.

6 · Troubleshooting Checklist

• Banner not visible — clear cache plugins and Cloudflare.
• Layout shift — reserve 60 px height for banner in CSS.
• RPM still low — verify ads.txt and EU traffic share.

Table – Consent Mode V2 WordPress Setup at a Glance

Step	Tool	Done?
Enable CMP	Rank Math / Complianz	✅
Import GTM template	GTM	✅
Debug signals	Tag Assistant	✅
Resubmit sitemap	Search Console	⏳

Bonus – Free CMP Alternatives

If you’re on Rank Math Free, Complianz and CookieYes both support Consent Mode V2 via GTM or direct gtag.js.

FAQ – Consent Mode V2 WordPress

Q1 · Will Consent Mode V2 cut revenue?
A – No. It enables personalisation when users consent; without V2 Google defaults to contextual ads for EU traffic.

Q2 · How does this relate to the EU AI Act?
A – Consent Mode handles ad-privacy; the EU AI Act 2025 governs AI features—implement both for full compliance.

Final Thoughts

Deploying consent mode v2 wordpress before the 2025 deadline protects EU AdSense revenue, keeps Discover eligibility high, and pairs perfectly with our AdSense RPM checklist. Verify with Tag Assistant—your EU traffic and earnings will thank you.