Consent checker
See which cookie banner a site loads, whether Google consent mode is set up before the Google tags, and which tracking tags load ahead of the banner.
Free, no sign-up. Reads the site's public homepage once, the way a search engine does. Works on any site, not just yours.
What a consent setup looks like in the page
A consent banner on its own does not stop anything. What matters is what loads before the visitor chooses, and the page source shows most of it.
- The banner's script. OneTrust, Cookiebot, Usercentrics, CookieYes, Civic Cookie Control and the rest each load from their own address. The checker names the banner from that address, and says when its auto-blocking script is switched on.
- A consent mode default, before the Google tags. Google says consent defaults do not work if they are called out of order, so
gtag('consent', 'default', ...)has to come before the first Google tag. Consent mode v2 addedad_user_dataandad_personalization, and Google's own examples start each type as denied. - Scripts held back. A tag written as
type="text/plain"with the banner's consent category does not run until the banner switches it on. The checker counts them and names the tags inside. - Nothing tracking above the banner. A Meta Pixel or other tracker placed above the banner's script, and not held back, can run before the banner has loaded.
Google describes two ways to use consent mode in its consent mode overview. In basic consent mode, Google tags do not load until the visitor uses the banner. In advanced consent mode they load straight away, with consent denied by default, and send cookieless pings until the visitor agrees.
On Shopify
Shopify's own cookie banner is added after the page loads, so it does not show in the page source. Turn it on, and set the regions, under Settings, then Customer privacy. Shopify says pixels operate based on the consent obtained in those settings, so pixels added through Shopify apps or Customer events follow that. Tags pasted into theme code do not, and Shopify asks for a third party banner to be connected to its Customer Privacy API when one is used.
What this can and cannot tell you
What it reads
- The consent banner, named from its own script address, and whether auto-blocking is on
- Any Google consent mode default in the page, where it sits and what it sets
- Scripts held back as type="text/plain" with a consent category, and the tags inside
- Tracking tags that load above the banner, and the Meta Pixel consent call
What it cannot see
Whether any tag actually waits for the visitor's choice, because we do not click the banner. It cannot see consent settings kept inside Tag Manager or the banner's own dashboard, Shopify's own banner, or what pixels and purchase events send once consent is given. It reads one page, the homepage, and it is not legal advice.
Questions people ask
How do I check if a website uses Google consent mode?
Enter the address above. The checker looks for a gtag consent default in the page, says whether it comes before the first Google tag and lists what each consent type starts as. A default set inside Tag Manager by a consent template does not show in the page, so on your own site, Tag Manager's Preview mode has a Consent tab that shows the state on each event.
What is the difference between basic and advanced consent mode?
In basic consent mode, Google tags do not load until the visitor uses the banner. In advanced consent mode they load straight away with consent denied, and send cookieless pings that Google uses for modelling until the visitor agrees. Google sets out both in its consent mode overview.
Why does it say there is no banner on my Shopify store?
Shopify's own cookie banner is added after the page loads, so it is not in the page source we read. Check Settings, then Customer privacy, in Shopify admin to see whether it is on and for which regions.
What does held back until consent mean?
The script is written with type="text/plain" and a consent category, such as data-cookieconsent="marketing" for Cookiebot. The browser does not run text/plain, so the tag stays off until the banner changes it to JavaScript after the visitor agrees.
Does a pass here mean my site is compliant?
No. The checker reads how the page is put together, not what your banner says, what your policy says, or what happens after a click. For the rules on cookies in the UK, the ICO's guidance on cookies and similar technologies is the place to start.