What is cookie consent?

Cookie consent is the act of consenting to, rejecting, or specifying the use of cookies on a website. Some laws, like the GDPR, require that websites give users options for which cookies are used, if any, as they access a site. To comply with the GDPR's cookie consent requirements, your website or app needs a cookie consent function that users see before cookies can be served. The consent function can appear as a banner, popup, or form that users will see and can interact with when they enter your site. You’ll also need to implement a cookie blocking method to ensure that cookies are blocked before you receive explicit user consent to serve cookies.

What is a cookie banner?

A cookie banner, or cookie consent banner, is a notice on your site that informs visitors of your use of cookies. Some cookie banners ask users to consent to the use of cookies on the site or allow them to set their cookie preferences for which types of cookies can be used. These cookie banners help satisfy GDPR and ePrivacy Directive consent requirements. Other cookie banners don’t include consent or preference buttons. Instead, they inform users that cookies are being used but don’t provide any consent or preference settings.

How do you create a cookie consent banner?

You make a cookie consent banner using one of the following methods: A cookie consent banner generator A cookie consent banner plugin A built-in cookie consent banner tool on your website-building platform Remember, you still need to implement cookie blocking to comply with laws like the GDPR, CCPA, and the ePrivacy Directive that require explicit consent before serving cookies. Adding in a consent banner plugin or tool to your website may not be enough for full compliance.

Is a cookie banner required by law?

Some laws, like the GDPR and ePrivacy Directive, require explicit consent from users before a website can serve certain cookies. Using a cookie consent banner that asks users for consent and gives users the option to set their cookie preferences can satisfy this requirement. Other laws may not require cookie consent, but instead require a disclaimer about the cookies you use.

What is cookie blocking?

Cookie blocking is when a cookie script is blocked from running on a given user's browser. Cookie blocking can happen at the browser level or at the website level. Cookie blocking should be done automatically until users consent to non-essential cookies. Some browsers allow cookie blocking to be set from the user’s end. When implementing a cookie consent solution, you’ll need to use a cookie blocking method to ensure all non-essential cookies are blocked before users give consent. Our cookie consent manager gives you the option to use our Auto Blocker. Auto Blocker is a Termly feature that automatically detects, categorizes, and blocks third-party tracking mechanisms from being delivered to your website visitors until they have given their consent. Our cookie consent manager also allows you to manually block cookies or block cookies using Google Tag Manager if you don’t want to use auto-blocking technology.

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GDPR Cookie Consent Manager

Use our cookie consent tool to create a cookie policy, build a cookie banner, and deliver a seamless cookie consent experience while complying with global privacy laws like the GDPR, CCPA, and ePrivacy Directive. Get started for FREE today!

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All-in-One Cookie Consent Solution

Cookie Auto Blocker

Our cookie auto blocker detects and categorizes, and then blocks certain scripts from running based on users’ unique cookie settings.

Cookie Policy Generator

Once your cookies have been categorized, our tool will automatically create a cookie policy perfectly tailored to your business.

Cookie Banner

Easily collect user consent and comply with the GDPR and ePrivacy Directive with our fully customizable cookie consent banner.

Cookie Consent Made Easy

Simplify Compliance With Termly’s Cookie Tool

We want to take the hassle out of cookie tracking, blocking, and consent management so businesses of all sizes can achieve compliance.

To comply with laws like the GDPR, CCPA, and the ePrivacy Directive (EU Cookie Law), you may need to do some or all of the following:

Know which cookies your site uses and which of six categories each cookie falls under
Detail your cookie use in a cookie policy
Collect consents from visitors for all non-essential cookies
Allow users to set cookie preferences by category
Block cookies that haven’t been consented to

Termly’s cookie consent tool makes meeting these compliance requirements fast and easy. Our solutions are trusted by thousands of businesses and organizations worldwide.

Get started with our cookie management tool today for free!

About Our Cookie Consent Solution & Auto Blocker

Achieve the following highly technical feats at the click of a button:

Cookie Scan & Categorization: Our cookie scanner will detect which cookies your site uses and classify them. Plus, our cookie auto scanner lets you schedule scans to run automatically every week, month, or every 3 months.
Auto Blocking: Automatically block non-essential cookies that haven’t been consented to. No coding or custom script blocking required.
Consent & Preference Tracking: We’ll log and track your users’ cookie consent settings, and keep records of consent for you.
Multi-Language Cookie Banner: Our dynamic banner will serve the appropriate language based on each user’s location.

We want to make this process as simple and streamlined as possible so you can achieve compliance with minimal time and effort.

How the Cookie Consent Manager Works

Termly’s cookie consent manager works in just a few steps. You’ll input some information, but most of the work is done behind the scenes. When it comes to banner and preference center installation, we’ll help you out with code snippets you can simply copy and paste onto your website. We also provide an automatic cookie blocking method to simplify the final steps.

Here is a basic overview of the cookie consent manager installation process:

1. Cookie scan and classification

It’s as easy as inputting your website’s URL into the cookie scanner and starting the scan. Our software will find, review, and compile a list of your website’s cookies.

Once you’ve scanned your website, you’ll need to classify your cookies. Our scanner does most of the classification for you – just review and edit as needed, and make sure to categorize any unclassified or missing cookies. Assigning the correct cookie categories is vital so your users can give consent for individual categories. For example, a user might consent to analytics cookies but decide to reject advertising cookies.

2. Cookie consent banner customization

We know that matching your website’s branding is essential, which is why we have multiple customization options: select colors, fonts, display style, cookie banner position, and more. You can also use our built-in themes.

You can even use our live preview feature to view customization changes before you implement them. Check out some of the options below:

termly-consent-banner-settings-screenshot

If you don’t want to fully customize your banner, no problem! Select from a few built-in themes at no charge.

Beyond the style and placement, we also offer customization options for text, location, and language.

First, answer a few simple questions to make sure you’re displaying the right information for your unique website.
Next, review the consent settings for different countries so you can comply with the relevant laws for your website — or stick with our default settings.
Finally, review which languages you want to use. We can display your cookie banner in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese (BR). Select as many as you need — languages will be auto-detected based on visitor IP address.

3. Cookie consent banner and preference center installation

Once you’re ready to install your consent banner, simply copy the auto-generated code snippet and paste it onto your website.

Don’t forget a preference center! Preference centers allow visitors to change their cookie preferences at any time, which is required under some privacy laws. We’ll generate the code snippet for you, and you can paste your preference center as a link or onto a button on your website.

4. Cookie policy and auto updates

Some laws require websites to publish a cookie policy along with their cookie consent banner and preference center. Our cookie consent manager makes adding a cookie policy easy. After you complete your cookie scan and classification, we’ll generate the cookie policy for you! Simply add it to your site using HTML, a code snippet, or a URL.

5. Consent Logs, "Do Not Sell" link, and Data Subject Access Request form

Some laws, like the GDPR, require user consent before collecting personal information. You’ll need to store these user consent logs in case of an audit. You also likely need to provide ways for users to contact you about the use of their information. The CCPA requires a “Do Not Sell My Personal Information” link to be displayed on your website to allow users to request that you no longer sell their personal information.

In addition, the GDPR and CCPA both require you to give users a way to contact you about their data. A Data Subject Access Request (DSAR) form is a way to let your users submit requests to opt out of the sale of data, request their information be deleted, and more. Consent logs, a “Do Not Sell” link, and a DSAR form are all available in your Termly dashboard.

Cookie Policy Basics

Privacy Laws Requirement

Some laws, like the GDPR, ePrivacy Directive, CCPA, etc., require websites to document their cookie use in a format that is available to end users. One easy way to do this is by publishing a cookie policy.

Cookie Policy

A cookie policy is a document that provides information about the cookies your website uses. It also explains what those cookies do, and what users can do to control their cookie preferences.

Cookie Usage

Cookies are used to store and recall information about users. These, along with other tracking mechanisms, can also perform operational functions. For example, cookies are often used to remember online shopping cart options, track how users interact with a website for analytics purposes, allow embedded videos and other features to function correctly, and more.

Termly’s Cookie Consent Manager

When you use our cookie consent tool, creating a cookie policy is easy. If you use our automated scanner we’ll build the cookie policy for you! You’ll simply need to review the information and cookie classifications and then place the cookie policy on your site where your visitors can easily access it.

Cookie Consent FAQ

What are the different types of cookies?

First-party cookies are cookies that are set by your own website. For example, they may track visitors’ login status or shopping cart items. Third-party cookies are set by service partners that you include on your website. They may be used in ad tracking, by analytics services like Google Analytics, or in tools like embedded YouTube videos.

The different types of cookies include:

Essential cookies
- These cookies are necessary for your website’s functionality. Essential cookies cannot be disabled by users.
Performance and functionality cookies
- These cookies are used to enhance the performance and functionality of your website but are not essential to its use. However, without these cookies, certain functionalities (like videos) may become unavailable.
Analytics and customization cookies
- These cookies collect information that is used to help you understand how your site is being used, how effective your marketing campaigns are, or to help you customize your website.
Advertising cookies
- These cookies are used to make advertising messages more relevant to users. They prevent the same ad from continuously reappearing, ensure that ads are properly displayed for advertisers, select advertisements that are based on a user’s interests, and more.
Social networking cookies
- These cookies allow users to share pages and content that they find interesting on your website through third-party social networking and other websites. These cookies may also be used for advertising purposes.
Unclassified cookies
- These are cookies that have not yet been categorized and need to be classified with your assistance. Review your cookie scan report to check if you have any unclassified cookies.

Are cookies considered personal data?

Yes, cookies used to identify individuals are considered personal data (e.g., a cookie ID). Many regulations, including the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), control how businesses use cookies and other personal information. Cookies that are not considered personal data are still subject to requirements set out in the ePrivacy Directive that governs the use of cookies more generally.

Free GDPR Cookie Consent Tool

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GDPR Cookie Consent Manager