# The four consent categories explained

> The four fixed consent categories: necessary, analytics, marketing, and preferences, and how their defaults behave.

Author: OptinStack Team  
Published: 2026-06-28  
Page: https://community.optinstack.com/articles/the-four-consent-categories-explained  
Markdown: https://community.optinstack.com/llms.md/articles/the-four-consent-categories-explained

OptinStack uses four fixed consent toggles\. Trackers in your inventory map into these categories \(plus unclassified in the inventory UI, which is not a fifth visitor toggle\)\.

## Necessary

Always allowed\. Essential for security and core site function\. Visitors cannot turn this off\. Never classify marketing or analytics scripts as necessary\.

## Analytics

Measurement and performance tools\. Defaults depend on banner mode \(denied in opt\-in, allowed in opt\-out until the visitor changes them\)\.

## Marketing

Advertising, retargeting, and similar commercial tracking\. Maps to Google Consent Mode ad signals when Consent Mode is active\.

## Preferences

Functionality and personalization that is not strictly necessary\. Maps to functionality\_storage and personalization\_storage in Consent Mode v2\.

> **Tip:** Unclassified trackers appear in inventory until you assign a category. They are not a separate banner toggle—classify them before relying on enforcement.

## Defaults and GPC

Defaults come from the active mode\. A Global Privacy Control signal typically forces optional categories to false until the visitor chooses otherwise \(with plan\-level customization on Business and Enterprise\)\.

### Can I add a fifth consent category?

No. The four toggles are fixed across the product. Map trackers into necessary, analytics, marketing, or preferences.

### How do categories relate to Google Consent Mode?

marketing maps to ad_storage, ad_user_data, and ad_personalization; analytics maps to analytics_storage; preferences maps to functionality_storage and personalization_storage; necessary maps to security_storage.