If your site fails a Google Consent Mode (GCM) validation scan, it means the implementation does not meet Google’s required standards for properly setting consent signals. This can result in inaccurate tag behavior or non-compliance with privacy regulations.
Termly helps identify these issues early and provides clear guidance on how to fix them.
Common Reasons for Failure
Understanding the most frequent issues can help you resolve validation failures faster:
1. Consent default signal was not sent
This means your site did not send a required default consent signal at all when the page loaded.
How to fix it:
Make sure the Termly consent banner is installed before any Google tags are loaded. This allows the banner to send the required signal before any data collection begins.
Best practice: Install the Termly script directly on the page, above all Google scripts.
If you're using GTM, install Termly using the official GTM template and trigger it with Consent Initialization – All Pages.
2. Consent default signal was sent too late
This means the default signal was sent, but after Google tags (such as GTM or GA4) had already fired.
How to fix it:
The signal must be sent before any Google-related scripts run.
Ensure that Termly’s script (or GTM template) is triggered at the earliest possible point using Consent Initialization.
Avoid placing Termly’s script below other tag scripts in the page head or body.
3. Consent update values were incorrect
After a user interacts with the banner, the appropriate consent values must be communicated to the Termly tag in Google Tag Manager (GTM) to ensure that tags using Termly triggers behave as expected.
How to fix it:
Ensure that the Termly trigger is correctly assigned to relevant tags in GTM. This allows Termly to control when those tags fire, based on the user’s consent choices.
Need Help?
If you need help, you can click this link and fill up our Contact form to reach our dedicated support team with any questions or concerns, including assistance with missing Consent Mode or TCF signals on Google tags.
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GCM Validation Scan Error Reference
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