Understanding consent signals and vendor behavior

When a user interacts with the CookieHub consent dialog, their choices are stored locally and translated into consent signals. These signals are:

  • Sent to third-party vendors
  • Used to control script execution and service behavior

Understanding these signals is key to ensuring compliance with regulations and vendor requirements.

Types of consent signals

CookieHub generates and sends multiple types of signals:

Signal Type Purpose Example Format
TC string Vendor consent under IAB TCF 2.2 tcString (base64)
GPP string US state privacy preferences gppString + section ID
US Privacy string Legacy opt-out signal (pre-GPP) usprivacy=1YNN
Google Consent Mode Signals for Google Ads, Analytics, etc. ad_storage=granted
Google AC string Additional consent for non-GVL Google vendors 1~1.35.41
UET Consent Mode Consent status for Microsoft Ads tracking { 'ad_storage': 'denied' }

These signals are transmitted to supported vendors via in-page variables, APIs, or structured tag behavior.

When signals are generated

CookieHub generates consent signals automatically when:

  • A user submits preferences in the consent dialog
  • A framework applies to the user’s region (e.g., TCF or GPP)
  • A Global Privacy Control (GPC) signal is received
  • Default values are required at page load

No manual setup is needed for supported frameworks.

How vendors use signals

Vendors interpret consent signals to decide:

  • Whether scripts or cookies can run
  • If user data may be shared or personalized
  • Which features (e.g., ad personalization) are allowed

Examples:

  • Google Ads uses Consent Mode and the Additional Consent string
  • Meta, Amazon, and other ad platforms use TCF or GPP strings
  • Older vendors may rely on the US Privacy string

Blocking vs signaling

CookieHub enforces consent differently based on implementation:

Method Behavior
HTML implementation

✅ Sends signals to vendors

✅ Blocks scripts by category
GTM implementation

✅ Sends signals to vendors

❌ Does not block scripts automatically

In GTM, tag behavior depends on whether the tag supports Consent Mode or similar APIs.

For unsupported tags, you can configure additional consent logic to block execution.

Frameworks and signals

Framework Signals sent by CookieHub
CookieHub Choices Internal category-based logic
IAB TCF 2.2 TC string + Google Additional Consent (AC) string
IAB GPP GPP string + legacy US Privacy string
Google Consent Mode Consent Mode v2 parameters (e.g., ad_storage )
Microsoft UET Optional ad_storage parameter based on consent
GPC (Global Privacy Control) Interpreted locally as an opt-out trigger

Summary of behavior

Consent Action Vendor Communication Local Script Control
Consent submitted ✅ Signals sent ✅ Categories enforced
GPC received ✅ Signals updated ✅ Local opt-out
Unsupported vendor tag ❌ Manual setup may be required ✅ Block via category or GTM