Consent Mode is a feature in Google Analytics that accounts for user consent regarding data collection. If consent is denied, data is either not collected or processed in a limited way, which can affect key metrics like attribution accuracy, conversions, and other performance indicators.
While it’s important to respect user choices, it’s also useful to get a rough idea of how much data you’re missing. You can do this by exporting data to BigQuery.
Here’s How It Works:
1. Consent Check: GA4 records whether users consented to cookies in a special privacy_info[dot]analytics_storage, field, which can show:
• granted — consent given.
• denied — consent denied.
2. Conversion Events: We focus on conversion events like purchase to assess how consent affects the number of purchases.
3. Data Grouping: We count the number of events associated with users who consented versus those who didn’t.
4. Time Filter: We limit the data to a specific period to make the analysis more relevant.
Why Does It Matter?
This way, you’ll get a clearer picture of actual conversions and how much Consent Mode impacts your data. It helps you understand how refusal to consent affects your metrics and lets you adjust your marketing and analytics strategies accordingly.
How to Adjust for Lost Data?
Exporting data to BigQuery lets you dive deeper into the losses and assess their scale. Check out the SQL query shown in the image to see how much data is tied to consent versus denials.
If you work with GA4 to BigQuery exports, be sure to check out my SQL cheat sheet.
