Consent Initialization vs Initialization vs Page View in GTM

Google Tag Manager (GTM) is a free tag management system by Google that allows marketers, developers, and business owners to manage tracking codes (tags) on their website or mobile app without editing the source code every time.

With GTM, you can:

Speed up deployment while reducing dependency on developers.Google Tag Manager (GTM) provides multiple triggers that look similar but serve very different purposes. Among them, three often confuse marketers and developers alike:

Add and update Google Analytics, Google Ads, Facebook Pixel, LinkedIn Insight Tag, and more.

Set up events, remarketing, and conversion tracking easily.

Use triggers and variables to control when and how tags fire.

  • Consent Initialization – All Pages
  • Initialization – All Pages
  • Page View – All Pages

Understanding the differences, order of execution, and best practices for these triggers is essential for:

  • Marketers → Accurate analytics, ad tracking, and legal compliance
  • Developers → Proper script execution order and cleaner code management
  • Businesses → Reliable insights without legal risks under GDPR or CCPA

In this guide, I’ll cover everything you need to know about these three triggers, with real-world examples, diagrams, and FAQs.

What Are GTM Triggers?

In Google Tag Manager, triggers define when a tag should fire.
For example:

  • A Page View trigger can fire Google Analytics on every page load.
  • A Click trigger might fire an event tag when someone clicks a button.

Among triggers, Consent Initialization, Initialization, and Page View are part of the Page Lifecycle Triggers. They all fire on every page load but at different stages of execution.

Order of Execution: Consent Initialization → Initialization → Page View

When a user lands on a webpage, GTM loads triggers in this order:

  1. Consent Initialization – All Pages
    • Fires first before any scripts.
    • Purpose: Set/check consent for cookies and tracking.
  2. Initialization – All Pages
    • Fires immediately after Consent Initialization.
    • Purpose: Prepare environment, dataLayer, or critical scripts.
  3. Page View – All Pages
    • Fires last, after GTM container is ready.
    • Purpose: Fire standard analytics and marketing tags.

👉 Analogy:

  • Consent Initialization = Asking permission before entering a house.
  • Initialization = Setting up tools once inside.
  • Page View = Starting the actual work.

1. Consent Initialization – All Pages

Definition

The Consent Initialization trigger runs before anything else in GTM. It ensures tracking complies with privacy laws (GDPR, CCPA, ePrivacy) by checking or setting user consent.

Use Cases

  • Loading a Consent Management Platform (CMP)
  • Setting Google Consent Mode defaults (e.g., ad_storage=denied)
  • Preventing analytics/ads from running before consent is granted

Example

A user in Germany visits your website:

  • Consent Initialization blocks GA4 and Ads tags until the user clicks “Accept Cookies.”
  • Once accepted, GTM updates consent and allows analytics to run.

👉 Best Practice: Always use this trigger for compliance scripts if your business targets the EU, UK, or California.

2. Initialization – All Pages

Definition

The Initialization trigger fires right after Consent Initialization. It’s designed for critical scripts and dataLayer setup that must run early but don’t depend on consent.

Use Cases

  • Pushing user role, login state, or ecommerce data into the dataLayer
  • Loading essential third-party libraries before Page View tags fire
  • Running custom JavaScript required for later tags

Example

Suppose you want to track if a visitor is a subscriber or a guest:

  • Use Initialization to push userType = 'subscriber' into the dataLayer.
  • Later, when GA4 fires on Page View, it automatically records userType.

👉 Best Practice: Keep Initialization tags lightweight — avoid heavy tracking scripts here.

3. Page View – All Pages

Definition

The Page View trigger is the most common in GTM. It fires after Initialization, once GTM and the page are ready.

Use Cases

  • Google Analytics 4 Configuration tag
  • Google Ads remarketing or conversion tags
  • Facebook Pixel PageView event

Example

On your blog:

  • Page View trigger fires GA4 config to log the pageview.
  • Simultaneously, it fires the Facebook Pixel PageView event for remarketing.

👉 Best Practice: Use Page View for the majority of your tracking.

Best Practices for Using These Triggers

✅ Use Consent Initialization for privacy compliance (CMP + Consent Mode).
✅ Use Initialization for preparing environment and pushing data.
✅ Use Page View for analytics and advertising tags.
✅ Test everything in Preview Mode before publishing.
✅ Keep early-stage triggers lightweight to avoid slowing down page loads.

FAQs About GTM Consent Initialization, Initialization, and Page View

1. Which GTM trigger fires first?

The Consent Initialization trigger fires before all others.

2. Do I need to use all three triggers?

Not always. Most businesses use Page View for standard tags, but if you operate in GDPR/CCPA regions, you must use Consent Initialization. Use Initialization when you need to prepare the environment.

3. Should I fire GA4 config on Initialization?

No. GA4 should typically fire on Page View. Initialization should only prepare supporting data.

4. What happens if I skip Consent Initialization?

Your site may load tracking scripts before consent is granted, which can lead to legal risks under GDPR/CCPA.

In A Nut Shell

While they may look similar, Consent Initialization, Initialization, and Page View triggers in Google Tag Manager serve distinct purposes:

  • Consent Initialization → Handle compliance and consent.
  • Initialization → Prepare critical scripts and dataLayer.
  • Page View → Fire analytics and advertising tags.

By structuring your GTM setup with these triggers properly, you ensure:

  • Compliance with privacy laws
  • Accurate analytics and remarketing data
  • Smooth script execution without conflicts

👉 Pro Tip: For GA4 + Google Ads + Consent Mode, always follow this order:

  1. Consent Initialization → Set consent defaults
  2. Initialization → Push key data into dataLayer
  3. Page View → Fire GA4 + Ads tags
TriggerWhen It FiresPurposeExample Use Case
Consent Initialization – All PagesFirst, before any tagsSet/check consentBlock GA4 until cookies accepted
Initialization – All PagesAfter consent, before pageviewPrepare scripts/dataLayerPush user role into dataLayer
Page View – All PagesAfter Initialization, when GTM is readyFire standard tagsGA4 config, Ads, Pixels