Complying with privacy laws and regulations is essential for any website owner, especially those using WordPress, the most popular platform. A crucial aspect of this compliance is adding a cookie popup to your website to obtain user consent for data collection via cookies. In this article, we will explore why a cookie popup is necessary for your WordPress website and provide step-by-step instructions on how to add one, making the process straightforward and manageable.
What is a WordPress cookie popup?
WordPress cookie popups are notification banners that appear on WordPress websites to inform visitors about the use of cookies and to obtain their consent before any cookies are placed on their devices.
The cookie consent popups provide details on the cookies used, such as essential cookies for site functionality and non-essential cookies for analytics and marketing. They also explain the purpose of these cookies, helping users understand why their data is being collected. Users are typically given options to accept all cookies, reject non-essential cookies, or customize their preferences, ensuring compliance with data privacy laws like GDPR and CCPA while promoting transparency and user trust.
What are the types of WordPress cookies?
WordPress uses various categories of cookies.
User cookies
These are cookies used mainly for authentication purposes.
- WordPress_[hash]: This cookie stores your authentication details upon login and is limited to the admin area.
- wordpress_logged_in_[hash]: This cookie enables the interface to recognize you as a logged-in user and determine which account and preferences to use for various features.
- wp-settings-{time}-[UID]: This cookie facilitates customizing your view of the admin and main site interfaces. The number UID is the individual user ID from the user database table.
Commenters cookie
When visitors comment on your blog, WordPress stores cookies on their computer. It allows them to post additional comments without re-entering their information.
- comment_author_{HASH}: This cookie remembers the commenter’s name
- comment_author_email_{HASH}: This cookie remembers the commenter’s email address
- comment_author_url_{HASH}: This cookie remembers the commenter’s website URL.
WordPress Test cookie
The wordpress_test_cookie checks if your browser supports cookies. If it fails, you’ll see: “Cookies are blocked or not supported by your browser.” Delete cookies and clear the server cache after moving your site to fix this.
Language cookie
The wp_lang session cookie stores your selected language during login, ensuring all translatable strings are displayed in your chosen language.
Other than these, plugins and third-party tools, such as Google Analytics, YouTube, etc., that you use on the site may also use cookies to provide their services.
Cookie popups are essential for WordPress websites for several reasons:
- Legal compliance: Cookie popups ensure your site adheres to privacy laws like GDPR, CCPA, LGPD, etc., which mandate explicit user cookie consent for data collection and processing. Without this consent, collecting personal data is illegal, potentially leading to hefty fines and legal actions.
- Transparency: By informing users about the cookies your site uses and their purposes, you promote transparency. Users appreciate knowing how their data is being used and are more likely to trust a website that openly communicates its data practices. This trust can lead to increased user engagement and loyalty.
- User control: Cookie popups empower users to accept or decline non-essential cookies. This control over personal information is crucial in a privacy-conscious world and enhances user satisfaction by respecting their preferences.
- Enhanced user experience: Cookies play a significant role in personalizing the browsing experience. They store user preferences and login details and track user behaviour to improve website functionality. Users can enjoy a more seamless and tailored experience on your site by allowing cookies.
- Avoiding penalties: Non-compliance with data privacy laws can result in severe penalties, including fines and legal actions. Implementing cookie popups helps mitigate this risk, protecting your business from financial and reputational damage.
Components of a WordPress cookie popup
Here are the main components of a WordPress cookie popup:
- Cookie notification banner: This is the visible part that appears on the website, typically at the top, bottom, or as a modal in the centre of the screen.
- Disclosure section: This section describes the types of cookies used and their purposes. It often includes a link to the website’s full cookie policy for more detailed information.
- Consent options: Users can usually accept all cookies, decline non-essential cookies, or customize their preferences. This may include options for accepting only essential cookies or enabling/disabling specific categories of cookies.
- Consent request: A statement that informs users that the website uses cookies and requires their consent to store them on the browser.
How to add a cookie popup to your WordPress website?
The most efficient way to add a cookie popup to your WordPress website is by using a dedicated WordPress cookie consent plugin. These plugins handle the technical complexities and offer user-friendly interfaces for customization. We recommend using the CookieYes cookie notice plugin for easy cookie consent management.
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Here is the step-by-step guide:
Step 1: Install the CookieYes plugin
- Navigate to your WordPress Dashboard
- Go to Plugins > Add New
- Search for CookieYes
- Click Install Now and then Activate
Step 2: Configure the plugin
Access the CookieYes plugin settings from the WordPress Dashboard and follow the setup wizard to configure your cookie popup. This includes selecting the cookie categories and setting up the consent options. You must also ensure the compliance settings are enabled to meet relevant regulations like GDPR and CCPA. Add a privacy policy page using the free tool to enhance privacy compliance.
Step 3: Customize your cookie popup
Go to the CookieYes plugin’s customization options to select a design and layout that matches your website’s aesthetic and personalize buttons, text, and content colours to align with your brand.
Step 4: Test the cookie popup
Visit your website to see the cookie popup in action. You must ensure the popup appears correctly and the consent options work as intended. Verifying that the cookies are not set before user consent is obtained is crucial.
Connect to Web App (optional, not mandatory)
While not strictly necessary, connecting your WordPress website to the CookieYes app significantly enhances the plugin’s capabilities.
The Web App integration provides access to advanced features and automates certain processes:
- Cookie scanning
- Scan cookies behind login pages
- Advanced customizations such as CSS
- Store historical consent log
- Other integrations include Google Consent Mode v2, IAB TCF, DMA, etc.
- Generate a tailor-made cookie policy
- Advanced account management
Web App has a “Popup” layout, which differs from the regular cookie consent banner layout. Once chosen, this layout is positioned in the centre of your web page but can be closed using a close button or when users accept or reject cookies.
Step 5: Monitor and maintain compliance
Check the CookieYes plugin regularly for updates to ensure compliance with the latest regulations. Additionally, monitor user interactions with the cookie popup to optimize the user experience and compliance rate.
Conclusion
Adding a cookie popup to your WordPress site is crucial in ensuring compliance with data protection laws and building trust with visitors. A plugin like CookieYes makes this process straightforward and user-friendly, even for those with limited technical knowledge. Following the steps outlined in the article, you can implement a compliant and effective cookie popup on your website.
FAQ on WordPress cookie popup
WordPress automatically uses cookies for various purposes, such as user authentication, managing commenters’ profiles, session management, etc. Plugins and themes installed on a WordPress website may also automatically set cookies that may require user consent.
To display a WordPress cookie notice without using plugins, you can manually add a custom cookie notice script to your theme. However, this method requires coding skills and ongoing maintenance. The theme updates can overwrite it and need thorough testing for browser compatibility, responsiveness, and script conflicts. Ensuring GDPR compliance and other cookie laws and security adds complexity, making plugins a more practical choice for most users.
You can use Consent Management Platforms like CookieYes. The web app lets you install a cookie banner on your WordPress website without using a plugin in simple steps.
You can enable a cookie popup in WordPress by using a cookie consent plugin or app like CookieYes. Either of these services will enable you to add a cookie popup to your website and manage cookie consent from website visitors.
