ConsentGuard Insights

Expert insights on consent mode, GDPR compliance, and digital privacy. Stay ahead with the latest best practices and industry updates.

May 4, 2026 • 4 min read • Mihai Brehar

Server-side GA4 (sGTM) is no longer a blind spot for ConsentGuard

ConsentGuard now detects server-side GA4 traffic flowing through first-party sGTM endpoints and runs the full Google Consent Mode check (gcs, gcd, dma) against it. If your previous report came back clean on a site that runs sGTM, it's worth a fresh scan.

server-side tracking sgtm google consent mode ga4 product updates first-party tracking

Apr 17, 2026 • 5 min read

Forbidden Cookies Before Consent: Why _ga, _gcl_au, FPID and Friends Should Not Be in the Browser Yet

If ConsentGuard flags _ga, _gcl_au, FPID, FPAU, MUID or _uetvid as set before the user has interacted with the banner, your Consent Mode defaults are firing too late. Here is what is happening and how to fix it.

google consent mode v2 forbidden cookies gdpr

Apr 15, 2026 • 6 min read

Beta pricing ends May 1st (and what took us so long)

On May 1st, Professional and Agency plans are going up. Starter stays the same. Subscribe before then and you keep current pricing for the next 2 years. Here's the honest story of why the beta prices end now, and what we built that we didn't expect to have to build.

pricing beta announcement

Apr 13, 2026 • 3 min read

IAB TCF support is here, plus a lot of false positives squashed

ConsentGuard now validates IAB TCF setups in addition to Google Consent Mode, catches PII leaks to ad networks, and stops flagging library loads as tracking violations. If you got a low score before, it's worth running a fresh check.

iab tcf consent mode product updates

Feb 28, 2026 • 4 min read

The 'l' in GCD: Fixing Unset Consent Signals in Manual gtag Implementations

Implementing Google Consent Mode v2 manually with gtag.js? If you see an 'l' in your GCD parameter, your implementation is incomplete. Here's how to fix your code order and signal list.

google consent mode v2 gtag.js gcd parameter

Feb 28, 2026 • 5 min read

The 'l' in GCD: Why Your GTM Consent Mode Signals are Missing (and How to Fix Them)

Seeing a lowercase 'l' in your GCD parameter? It means your Google Consent Mode signals aren't being set. Learn the 3 most common causes in GTM and how to restore your tracking and attribution.

google consent mode v2 gtm gcd parameter

Jan 20, 2026 • 3 min read

ConsentGuard now validates Microsoft UET (Bing Ads) consent setups

ConsentGuard is expanding beyond Google. We've rolled out beta support for Microsoft UET, the tracking pixel behind Microsoft / Bing Ads, and we're asking early users to help us validate the new logic on real sites.

microsoft uet bing ads consent mode

Nov 27, 2025 • 4 min read

ConsentGuard now has an API — automate your Consent Mode checks

ConsentGuard now offers a REST API and webhooks, so agencies and developers can automate Consent Mode validation across many websites instead of clicking through the dashboard one by one.

api webhooks agencies

Nov 5, 2025 • 4 min read

Demystifying the url_passthrough Parameter — or How to Improve Your Tracking in 2 Minutes

Missing url_passthrough in your Consent Mode setup can quietly break ad attribution for users who reject cookies. This quick guide explains what it does, how to test if it works, and how to enable it — all in just a few minutes.

url_passthrough google ads consent mode

Oct 17, 2025 • 2 min read

First Bug Fixes Thanks to the Community

Community feedback helped us identify and fix several critical bugs in ConsentGuard's early release. Learn about the latest improvements including false positive fixes and better error messages.

bug fixes community feedback consent mode

Oct 14, 2025 • 1 min read

Free checks opened for everyone - Help us improve ConsentGuard before launch

We're opening free and unlimited Consent Mode v2 checks for everyone before ConsentGuard's official launch. Help us improve the tool while ensuring your website's consent implementation is working correctly.

consent mode gdpr google ads