> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://cmp.docs.sirdata.net/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://cmp.docs.sirdata.net/en/advanced-features/tcf-publisher-restrictions.md).
# TCF Publisher Restrictions
Impose a legal basis on a TCF vendor, or forbid it a purpose, with the standard Publisher Restrictions mechanism.
## Definition
In IAB Europe's Transparency & Consent Framework (TCF), each vendor declares, in the Global Vendor List (GVL), the purposes it pursues and the legal basis it uses for each of them: consent or legitimate interest. A purpose may also be declared **flexible**: the vendor has a default legal basis, but accepts that the publisher imposes the other one.
**Publisher Restrictions** are the TCF's standard mechanism that lets you, as a publisher, restrict what a vendor is allowed to do on your site. For one purpose and one or several vendors, three restrictions are available:
| Restriction | Effect for the vendors concerned |
| ------------------------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Not allowed** | The purpose is removed for this vendor: the CMP no longer displays it for the vendor and transmits no legal basis. |
| **Use consent as legal basis** | The purpose, declared under legitimate interest by the vendor, is requested under consent. Only works if the vendor declared the purpose as flexible; otherwise the purpose is simply removed for this vendor. |
| **Use legitimate interest as legal basis** | The purpose, declared under consent by the vendor, moves to legitimate interest. Same flexibility conditions. TCF policies forbid legitimate interest on purposes 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6: the CMP ignores such a restriction. |
The restriction is reflected in the CMP user interface and encoded in the TC String sent to every vendor. The TCF requires CMPs to support this mechanism: it is available in every compliant CMP.
{% hint style="info" %}
A restriction only concerns TCF vendors (Global Vendor List). It has no effect on non-TCF partners or on Google Additional Consent providers.
{% endhint %}
## When to use it
The most common case: a vendor declares a purpose under legitimate interest while your implementation expects consent for that purpose, for instance a tag condition that tests purpose 2 in the consent vector. By imposing consent on that vendor, the purpose is again present in the consent vector when the user accepts it.
{% hint style="warning" %}
First check that the vendor declares the purpose as **flexible** in the GVL. A "Use consent" restriction on a non-flexible purpose removes the purpose for that vendor instead of changing its legal basis.
{% endhint %}
## Enabling a restriction
From the [abconsent](https://www.abconsent.com/) portal, open the configuration concerned in **My CMP configurations**, then the **Purposes** step.
**Step 1.** In the **Partner's purposes** tab, click **Modify purposes**. On the row of the purpose to restrict, open the actions menu (⋮) and choose **Apply restrictions**. The "Restrictions for the Purpose N" panel appears.
"Modify purposes", then "Apply restrictions" on purpose 2
**Step 2.** In that panel, click **Add a restriction**.
The "Restrictions for the Purpose 2" panel
**Step 3.** In the "Add a restriction for the purpose N" window:
* select the **restriction type**;
* search for the vendor(s) concerned, by name or TCF ID, and tick them;
* click **Validate**.
Consent imposed on Microsoft Advertising (1126) for purpose 2
**Step 4.** Save the configuration.
The vendors offered depend on the restriction type: for "Use consent", only vendors declaring the purpose under legitimate interest are listed; for "Use legitimate interest", only those declaring it under consent. Only the vendors of your configuration appear.
{% hint style="info" %}
The "Only allow consent as a legal basis for processing" checkbox, at the top of the Purposes step, imposes consent on **all** vendors for **all** their flexible purposes. It is strongly discouraged: prefer a restriction targeted at one vendor and one purpose.
{% endhint %}
## Propagation and existing choices
The change is delivered with the usual cache delay of the CMP scripts, within one hour at most (see [Sirdata Script Cache Management](/en/install/cache-systems-exclusion/sirdata-script-cache-management.md)).
Choices already recorded by your visitors are not modified. A visitor whose choice contains no consent for the purpose concerned will be shown the CMP again once the delay set by your **display rules** (Settings step of the configuration) has elapsed.
## Checking
The restriction is visible in the `TCData` object of the `__tcfapi` API, under `publisher.restrictions`, keyed by purpose ID then by vendor ID, with the restriction type as value: `0` not allowed, `1` consent required, `2` legitimate interest required.
```javascript
window.__tcfapi('getTCData', 2, function (tcData, success) {
if (!success) return;
console.log(tcData.publisher.restrictions); // e.g. { "2": { "1126": 1 } }
console.log(tcData.purpose.consents[2]); // true after "Accept all" if the restriction applies
});
```
See [How the CMP API works](/en/cmp-api/how-it-works.md). In mobile apps, the same information is published in the `IABTCF_PublisherRestrictions{ID}` keys (see [Sharing consent with vendor SDKs](/en/mobile-apps-native-sdk/mobile-sdk/sharing-consent.md)).
## Example: Microsoft Advertising and purpose 2
Since GVL version 175, published on 3 September 2026, Microsoft Advertising (TCF vendor 1126) declares purpose 2, "Use limited data to select advertising", under legitimate interest instead of consent. The purpose is still declared flexible.
On a configuration where Microsoft Advertising was the only vendor requesting consent for purpose 2, that purpose no longer appears in the consent vector after "Accept all": it is present under legitimate interest. Conditions that test consent for purpose 2 then stop firing.
Two possible answers:
* adapt the condition so it no longer tests consent for purpose 2 (consent for purpose 1 and for the vendor is what is needed to set and read cookies);
* add the **Use consent as legal basis** restriction on purpose 2 for the vendor **Microsoft Advertising (1126)**, as described above.
{% hint style="warning" %}
The restriction remains effective as long as Microsoft Advertising declares purpose 2 as flexible. That declaration may change again, without notice, in a future GVL version. Removing purpose 2 from your firing conditions remains the most durable fix.
{% endhint %}
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