GOXA Consent Mode — Google Tag Manager integration

GOXA · Technical documentation

GOXA Consent Mode connects GOXA Consent Manager with
Google Tag Manager Consent Mode v2. GOXA Consent Manager
remains the consent source of truth; the GTM template acts as the controlled
transport layer between the visitor’s consent state and Google Tag Manager.

Documentation
RC3
Applies to
GOXA Consent Manager 3.0.0-dev12.3.4
Gallery status
Pre-submission

Community Template Gallery status
The template is not currently published in the Google Tag Manager Community
Template Gallery and must not be described as Google-certified or Google-approved.

Overview

The template uses the Google Tag Manager APIs:

  • setDefaultConsentState
  • updateConsentState

It is designed to transport the consent decisions managed by GOXA Consent Manager
into Google’s Consent Mode environment without creating a second independent
consent authority.

Requirements

  • GOXA Consent Manager installed and configured in WordPress.
  • Google Consent Mode v2 enabled.
  • A Google Tag Manager web container.
  • One clearly defined Consent Mode owner.
  • No competing CMP or independent consent-default implementation.

The recommended architecture uses a single GOXA Consent Mode tag with two triggers:

  • Consent Initialization – All Pages
  • Custom Event: goxa_consent_update

Installation

  1. Open the target web container in Google Tag Manager.
  2. Go to Templates → Tag Templates → New.
  3. Import the GOXA Consent Mode template.
  4. Run all included template tests.
  5. Create a tag based on the imported GOXA Consent Mode template.
  6. Attach the required initialization and update triggers.
  7. Validate the complete implementation using Preview / Tag Assistant.

Default consent policy

On a first visit, before the visitor provides a decision, non-essential consent
signals remain denied.

Consent type Initial state Purpose
analytics_storage denied Analytics storage
ad_storage denied Advertising storage
ad_user_data denied Advertising user data
ad_personalization denied Personalised advertising

Regional defaults

The current pre-submission template intentionally does not expose editable regional
defaults. This is a controlled design decision intended to keep the template
zero-configuration while validation is still in progress.

Regional behaviour remains governed by the GOXA Consent Manager configuration and
the active consent architecture on the website.

Consent updates

When a visitor changes consent in GOXA Consent Manager, the integration emits: 

goxa_consent_update

The GOXA Consent Mode tag processes that event and sends the current consent state
to Google Tag Manager using updateConsentState.

Returning visitors

For visitors who already have a stored consent decision, GOXA Consent Manager
restores that state. The GTM integration must reflect the stored decision without
showing or inventing a new consent state.

Returning-visitor behaviour must be verified in Preview / Tag Assistant before
Gallery submission.

Consent Mode v2 signals

The integration supports all four Consent Mode v2 signals used by Google:

  • analytics_storage
  • ad_storage
  • ad_user_data
  • ad_personalization

Pre-production validation

Completed template validation

✓
The GOXA Consent Mode template has been imported into the real Google Tag Manager
Template Editor.

✓
All 7 of 7 template tests completed successfully.

Template validation fingerprint:
aee9607d6390

Remaining live validation

The following checks must still be completed using Preview / Tag Assistant:

  • Fresh visitor before any consent decision.
  • Accept all.
  • Reject all.
  • Granular / custom consent selection.
  • Change of an existing consent decision.
  • goxa_consent_update event handling.
  • Returning visitor with previously stored consent.
  • Correct ordering of default state and subsequent consent updates.

Troubleshooting

The GOXA tag does not fire

  • Confirm that the GOXA Consent Mode tag exists in the correct GTM container.
  • Verify the Consent Initialization – All Pages trigger.
  • Verify the custom event trigger for goxa_consent_update.

Consent values do not change

  • Confirm that GOXA Consent Manager is the active consent source.
  • Check whether another plugin or script is independently setting Consent Mode.
  • Review the consent events in Tag Assistant.

Multiple Consent Mode owners are detected

Do not run competing consent-management implementations. Resolve ownership before
enabling the GTM transport layer.

Privacy and security

The template does not provide its own user interface and does not independently
collect consent. User choices are handled by GOXA Consent Manager.

The GTM template’s role is limited to translating the current consent state into
Google’s Consent Mode APIs.

Domain scope

This implementation may be validated on
dr.cieslik.ch.

The canonical public technical documentation for the GOXA Consent Mode integration
is maintained at:

GOXA Consent Mode — Google Tag Manager integration


Legal responsibility

Website operators remain responsible for determining which legal basis and consent
configuration apply to their services, users and jurisdictions.

Technical implementation of Consent Mode does not by itself establish legal
compliance.

Community Template Gallery status

The template is currently in the pre-submission stage.

Completed:

  • GOXA GTM Consent Mode template package prepared.
  • Gallery category included.
  • Seven automated template test scenarios included.
  • Real GTM Template Editor validation completed: 7/7 PASS.
  • Public technical documentation published.

Still required before final submission:

  • Complete manual Preview / Tag Assistant validation.
  • Accept the applicable Google template terms.
  • Perform the final GTM template export.
  • Create the public GitHub repository.
  • Add the Apache 2.0 LICENSE.
  • Enable a public issue-reporting path.
  • Finalize metadata.yaml.
  • Reference a real Git commit SHA.
  • Submit the template to the Community Template Gallery.

Until the template has actually been accepted and published by Google, it must not
be described as Google-certified, Google-approved or available in the Community
Template Gallery.

Official Google references

GOXA Consent Mode technical documentation · RC3 · GOXA Consent Manager
3.0.0-dev12.3.4