Implicit consent explained

With implicit consent switched on, Consent Studio records a consent decision for a new visitor as soon as the banner loads, before the visitor clicks a button. This article explains where to find the setting and exactly what it does.

Where to configure it

1. In the top bar, open the Web CMP dropdown and click Behaviour.

2. Open the Tracking Technologies section.

3. Switch on Enable Implicit Consent.

4. Check Default Selection in the same section. These are the categories that implicit consent records.

5. Click Save & Publish.

To stop using implicit consent, switch off Enable Implicit Consent and click Save & Publish.

What happens when it's on

• Only for new visitors. Implicit consent only applies to visitors who haven't made a choice on your website yet. Visitors who already made a choice keep it.

• It records your Default Selection. Consent Studio records consent for exactly the categories selected under Default Selection, nothing more. Functional is always included and can't be deselected. If only Functional is selected, the visitor is recorded as not consenting to Analytics and Marketing.

• The banner stays on screen on the first page. On the page where the consent was recorded, the banner stays visible, so the visitor can still change the choice. From the next page on, the banner is hidden, just as it is for any visitor who already made a choice.

• Your tags act on it right away. The recorded decision is handled like any other consent decision, so your scripts, Consent Modes (such as Google Consent Mode) and integrations follow it.

• It's marked as implicit. Consent Studio records that the consent was given implicitly.

Global Privacy Control comes first

If a visitor's browser sends a Global Privacy Control (GPC) signal and your GPC Behaviour is set to Pre-select opt-out toggles or Auto-reject and hide banner, the GPC behaviour applies and no implicit consent is recorded for that visitor. See Global Privacy Control.

Is implicit consent allowed for my website?

That depends on the laws that apply to your website and your visitors. The dashboard notes: "Implicit consent may not be allowed in some regions. It may also depend on which categories you have selected by default."

Common questions

Will implicit consent increase my Google Analytics data?

Only if Analytics is part of your Default Selection. Implicit consent records exactly your Default Selection. With only Functional selected, new visitors are recorded as not consenting to Analytics, and from their second page on the banner no longer asks them. That can lower the number of visitors you can measure.

Implicit consent is on and my analytics stopped receiving data

Go to Web CMP > Behaviour > Tracking Technologies and check your Default Selection. If Analytics isn't selected, new visitors are recorded as declining analytics. Either add Analytics to your Default Selection, if that's appropriate for your visitors, or switch off Enable Implicit Consent.

Is there a "scroll to consent" option?

No. Consent Studio has no setting that records consent when a visitor scrolls or clicks elsewhere on the page. Implicit consent is recorded when the banner loads, as described above.

How does it relate to "Hide Categories Without Tracking Technologies"?

They're separate settings in the same section. Hide Categories Without Tracking Technologies hides the toggle of a category that has no tracking technologies. Enable Implicit Consent records your Default Selection for new visitors.

Still unsure? Contact us and include your domain.