# Consent banners and activity tracking setup

*Marketing Cloud Next Consultant Study Guide · Consent · Last updated November 6, 2026 · https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/marketing-cloud-next-consultant/consent/consent-banners-and-activity-tracking-setup*

The four web tracking configurations, with and without a consent banner, on marketing landing pages and external sites, plus republishing, custom domains, third-party platforms, cookies and banner permissions.

- Certification: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Next Consultant
- Exam section: Consent
- Study guide: https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/marketing-cloud-next-consultant

**Official exam objective:**

> Given a scenario, configure a consent banner on marketing landing pages and external pages to support consent collection.

## What the exam expects

- Pick the tracking configuration for a page type and a consent requirement.
- Set up a banner on marketing landing pages, including the republish rule and custom domains.
- Set up external tracking with a website connector and webpage embed code.
- Configure tracking without a banner, including the third-party consent platform route.
- Explain what tracked data shows, including `sfmc_consent` behavior and the first page view.
- Assign the permissions and CMS roles needed to publish a banner.

**Key terms.** *Consent banner*: the prompt, designed in Salesforce CMS, that asks visitors for consent to track. *Marketing Landing Pages site*: the default Experience Cloud site that serves landing pages behind the scenes. *Website connector*: what collects activity data from an external site. *Webpage embed code*: the script that ties a connector, a banner and a campaign to that site. *`sfmc_consent`*: the cookie that records a visitor's tracking choice.

## Key facts

| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Landing page banners | One banner for all marketing landing pages | [Tracking considerations](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mktg_tracking_considerations.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |
| External banners | Can differ across external websites | [Tracking considerations](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mktg_tracking_considerations.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |
| After a banner change | Publish the Marketing Landing Pages site again | [Track landing pages](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mktg_tracking_landing_pages_parent.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |
| Custom domain landing pages | Add a custom URL in Setup with the path /lp | [Track landing pages](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mktg_tracking_landing_pages_parent.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |
| No-banner landing pages | Relaxed CSP, Data Cloud integration, set-consent script in head markup | [Track landing pages](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mktg_tracking_landing_pages_parent.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |
| Third-party consent platform | External pages without a consent banner; not supported by Salesforce | [Configure web tracking](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mktg_consent_tracking_parent.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |
| `sfmc_consent` | Required cookie, 365 days; False means not tracked | [Tracking considerations](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mktg_tracking_considerations.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |
| `_sfid_${domainHash}` | Creates a unique visitor ID, 730 days | [Tracking considerations](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mktg_tracking_considerations.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |
| Cookie level | Subdomain on Salesforce-hosted domains; root domain on a custom domain | [Tracking considerations](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mktg_tracking_considerations.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |
| Publish a banner | Marketing Cloud Manager plus content admin or content manager | [Track landing pages](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mktg_tracking_landing_pages_parent.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |
| Configure external tracking | Marketing Cloud Admin permission set | [Track external sites](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mktg_consent_tracking_external.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |

## Check yourself

- How long does the `sfmc_consent` cookie last?
- Why might a `guest_uuid_essential` cookie appear even though it plays no part in tracking?
- When can a team use the central Salesforce Go tracking page?
- Where do you test a banner on a real page?

## Sources

- [Configure Web Tracking for Marketing](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mktg_consent_tracking_parent.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Track Activity on Marketing Landing Pages](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mktg_tracking_landing_pages_parent.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Track Activity on External Sites](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mktg_consent_tracking_external.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Considerations for Activity Tracking](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mktg_tracking_considerations.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Centralize Your Web Tracking and Consent Banner Setup](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=release-notes.rn_mktg_go_web_tracking.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Manage Preference Pages](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mktg_consent_manage_preference_pages.htm&type=5&language=en_US)

## About the full unit

The "Core concepts", "Exam traps" and "Worked scenario" sections of this unit, its 9 linked practice questions, and unlimited timed mock exams are included with the Marketing Cloud Next Consultant pack (USD $19): https://www.certifyforce.com/practice-exams