9 most common mistakes of IAB TCF CMP implementation

02 February 2021

Google has enforced the IAB TCF 2.0 policy on 15th Jan 2021. Publishers have not prepared for it have already seen the impacts on advertising revenue.

We have found nine most common mistakes of IAB TCF CMP implementation by analysing some top global websites. Just installing an IAB TCF CMP doesn’t mean you have the correct CMP implementation, it is compliant with GDPR, CCPA and no revenue loss.

9 most common mistakes of IAB TCF CMP implementation - UniConsent

1. No certified IAB TCF 2.0 CMP installed on the website
2. Google Ad Manager Limited Ads is not supported
3. Google additional consent mode is not supported
4. Poor loading performance of the CMP
5. Poor reliability of the IAB TCF consent manager
6. Not support the whole ecosystem Google and Header bidding
7. Installed a CMP not supporting IAB TCF 2.1 after the deadline
8. Not disclosing the cookies on the website
9. Other implementation errors

1. No certified IAB TCF 2.0 CMP installed on the website

Some websites choose not to participate IAB TCF even Google has enforced the policy for EU audiences either because their EU audiences are minimum or the publishers may not understand EU IAB TCF. These websites give up the advertising revenue from EU audiences. The examples are some top sites in Australia.

UniConsent is a certified IAB TCF CMP, compliant with both IAB TCF 2.0 AND IAB TCF 2.1.

2. Google Ad Manager Limited Ads is not supported

Google Ad Manager Limited Ads allows you to serve advertising without using personal data if the user has not rejected the required legitimate interest options which are allowed by default.

Some CMPs which not support Google Ad Manager Limited Ads may limit their ads serving and displaying blank advertising. It happens when the consent choice meets the criteria of Google Ad Manager Limited Ads requirements.

UniConsent has the native integration with Google Ad Manager Limited Ads tech spec so you can enable the option in your account if you choose to trigger your advertising tags with UniConsent javascript API.

3. Google additional consent mode is not supported

Some CMPs only support the IAB vendors but not support Google’s Additional Consent Mode.

The publishers installed these CMPs may see reduced advertising revenue because of the CMP.

4. Poor loading performance

Some CMPs require loading multiple large javascript files to generate the consent signals before serving ads. It harms the viewability of advertising on the website.

Block the web pages with blocking and slow loading CMP may also harm the user experience and SEO.

UniConsent CMP is well-engineered for large publishers with multiple million users running advertising, fast loading and not blocking your pages. Most publishers can see the revenue growth and SEO benefit after changing to UniConsent CMP.

5. Poor reliability of the IAB TCF consent manager

One major free CMP has more than 10 hours downtime during December 2020. It had an impact on the revenue of some publishers.

Compared with the CMP with no uptime guarantee. UniConsent CMP offers the SLA for the large publishers and advertising networks which are relying on displaying advertising.

6. Not support the whole ecosystem: Google and Header bidding

The CMP you have chosen may not have supported and integrated correctly with all the demand partners, tech vendors such as Google Ad Manager, Amazon, Prebid.js etc.

UniConsent is working with high traffic publishing websites and the top advertising tech vendors to ensure the integration is optimised to avoid revenue loss caused by the CMP integration issues.

7. Installed a CMP not supporting IAB TCF 2.1 after the deadline

IAB TCF 2.1 deadline was 31th Jan 2021. Some CMPs may not support IAB TCF 2.1 yet.

You can find more about IAB TCF 2.1 at IAB TCF 2.1 Update: Background, Keypoints and Deadline

8. Not disclosing the cookies on the website

Some CMPs doesn’t help with disclosing the cookies on the website. Transparency by disclosing the cookies on the website is essential for GDPR compliance.

Find more about the story related to cookies compliance Grindr is fined €10M by Norwegian DPA for GDPR consent violations

9. Other IAB CMP implementation errors

Because of the complexity and fast-moving global privacy legislation and tech spec changes, it is hard to keep up from technical integration and compliance perspective without external support from privacy vendors like UniConsent.

We provide technical support for the migration and high available SLA. We can help with fixing the errors in your Google Ad Manager account.

About UniConsent

UniConsent is a part of Transfon User Experience Platform serves tens of millions of users per day to provide a seamless privacy experience for both users and publishers in the age of post GDPR. Contact us to know more: [email protected]