How to Install Google Adsense with Google Tag Manager (GDPR ready)

Split the Adsense Ad Unit Code

After you create an ad unit in Adsense, you’ll get a code which looks similar to this:

<script async src="https//forms.omnisrc.com//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>
<!-- Ad unit name -->
<ins class="adsbygoogle"
 style="display:block"
 data-ad-client="ca-pub-xxxxxxxxxxxx"
 data-ad-slot="xxxxxxxxxx"
 data-ad-format="auto"></ins>
<script>
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
</script>

What you need to do is to split it into two codes. The first one consists only of scripts:

<script async src="https//forms.omnisrc.com//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>
<script>
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
</script>

Also, let’s add an additional line of code which will instruct the Adsense script to display personalized ads (or not).

<script async src="https//forms.omnisrc.com//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>
<script>
 (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).requestNonPersonalizedAds =1;
 (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
</script>

And the second one should consist of everything between the <ins> and </ins> tags.

<ins class="adsbygoogle"
 style="display:block"
 data-ad-client="ca-pub-xxxxxxxxxxxx"
 data-ad-slot="xxxxxxxxxx"
 data-ad-format="auto"></ins>

Now, we’ll implement the first code via GTM and you should add the second one directly into the website’s source code.

If you have, say, 5 ad units, you should prepare 5 <ins> codes. They are all different because they contain different information, like ad slot id. As for the <script> codes, all of them are the same on all ad units, therefore we will implement only one code in GTM (which will serve all the ad units).

P.S. I haven’t tested this solution on websites with infinite scroll or websites which dynamically load ad units after browsing for a while so keep that in mind. This solution works properly with regular smaller websites which load all ad units at once.

Install Google Adsense with Google Tag Manager

Step 1. Implement a Cookie consent mechanism on your website via GTM

This blog post will not dive deep into the cookie consent topic because it is already covered here. If you wish, you can use other alternatives, for example, Cookiebot (here’s a guide by Matteo Zambon).

STEP 2. Create a Lookup table Variable

I’ll explain all the further steps if you have implemented the cookie consent mentioned in my guide. If you chose another solution, you might need to do some modifications on your end.

Anyway, after you implement my cookie consent solution (powered by OneTrust), you’ll get a bunch of variables and triggers. The first thing we’ll need is a variable “Marketing cookies allowed” which returns either true or false (depending on visitor’s/user’s consent). In my solution, that variable is called Custom JS – Marketing Cookies Allowed.

The issue that we need to solve is the output of this variable, it returns either true or false. Unfortunately, this is not very useful for us because the modified Adsense <script> code requires to pass either a 1 or 0 (I’m talking about that requestNonPersonalizedAds).

<script async src="https//forms.omnisrc.com//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>
<script>
 (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).requestNonPersonalizedAds = 1;
 (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
</script>

Therefore, we need to do some modifications in GTM. If a visitor accepts marketing cookies (when the value of our Custom JS – Marketing Cookies Allowed equals to true), we need to set requestNonPersonalizedAds to 0. Otherwise, to 1.

And that’s where the Lookup Table variable becomes very handy. It will check the value of the Custom JS – Marketing Cookies Allowed variable and will return 0 or 1 respectively.

Here are its settings:

STEP 3. Create A Custom HTML tag for Adsense code

Let’s create the Custom HTML tag where you need to paste this code:

<script async src="https//forms.omnisrc.com//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>
<script>
 (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).requestNonPersonalizedAds = 1;
 (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
</script>

But instead of a “1” we should insert the aforementioned Lookup table variable. If marketing cookies are accepted, it will insert “1”, if they are declined, then “0”.

<script async src="https//forms.omnisrc.com//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>
<script>
 (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).requestNonPersonalizedAds ={{Lookup - Adsense - Personalized Ads}};
 (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
</script>

If you’re new to inserting variables in the Custom HTML tag, you might find this guide useful.

STEP 4. Assign triggers to the Adsense TAg

If you have installed my GDPR cookie consent solution, here are the triggers you should assign to this Adsense tag:

If you have some other cookie consent solution, let me explain what do these triggers mean.

• First of all, let’s take a closer look at the blocking trigger. It blocks the tag on any interaction as long as the visitor/user hasn’t given the consent to Functional cookies. This means that if a person has declined functional cookies, Adsense banners will not be displayed at all.
• Now, the Custom trigger called Optanon Consent Updated. This trigger fires the tag when a visitor gives any consent to be tracked. But if the consent was not given to Functional cookies, the blocking trigger will be activated, therefore, in the end, the Adsense tag will not fire. But if the consent of functional cookies was given, the tag will fire properly.
• If the consent to Functional cookies was already given in one of the previous pageviews/sessions, then the tag will be fired by the Pageview trigger.

If you want to take a closer look at what are the exact configuration of these triggers, download this GTM recipe, import into an empty GTM container and have a closer look.

Time to test

The final step required to successfully install Google Adsense with Google Tag Manager is … drumroll please… testing! Here is the expected result of this entire implementation:

• A visitor lands on a page and sees the cookie consent notification. No ads are displayed yet because the Adsense tag in GTM hasn’t fired yet (the blocking trigger Blocking – Functional Cookies are Not Allowed is active).
• A user gives a consent to functional cookies. The ads are now displayed (thanks to the Custom – Optanon Consent Updated trigger). If you refresh the page, the ads will be displayed immediately because the consent is already given (and the Pageview – All Pages – Functional Cookies Allowed trigger knows that).
• If a user gives a consent to marketing cookies, personalized ads will be served. If they are declined, then non-personalized ads are displayed.

How can we check whether ads are personalized or not? We’ll do that by checking network requests in a browser (#LetsDiveIntoDeveloperZone).

1. In your browser, open developer tools and go to the Network tab (here are the instructions how you can do that with Chrome)
2. In the filter field, enter ads? and refresh the page with Adsense ads on it.
3. You’ll see at least one filtered request made to the address http://googleads.g.doubleclick.net… Click it.
4. In Headers tab you’ll see a bunch of parameters (Query String Parameters) passed along. Start looking for the npa parameter. If it exists (with the value of 1), ads are served as non-personalized. If npa does not exist, the ads are personalized.

By the way, be very careful if you switch from Network to Elements tab, and when you switch from Headers to Preview or Response. The content of those tabs usually include the AdSense ad link, and click on that link is – click on your own ad.

Install Google Adsense with Google Tag Manager: Final words

So now you know how to install Google Adsense with Google Tag Manager and configure it to respects visitor’s privacy preferences.

• If a visitor agrees to all the tracking cookies, your ads will be displayed normally and as personalized (therefore, more profitable).
• If the consent to marketing cookies is not given, ads are still displayed but as non-personalized (less profitable but better than no ads).
• If no consent is given, ads are blocked.

In order to achieve such result, you have to install a GDPR cookie consent mechanism via GTM (just like this one), then split Adsense ad unit codes into two parts: add one directly to the website’s code and the other one should be implemented as a Custom HTML tag in GTM.

Finally, that Custom HTML tag is implemented to respect visitor’s privacy settings.

That’s it for this time! Have you tried this method to install Google Adsense with Google Tag Manager? Have anything to add? Let me know in the comments below.