Website administrators who store cookies on their readers' computers for analysis, market research or advertising purposes must obtain the active consent of their visitors. The cookie law is contained in Royal Decree-Law 13/2012 of March 30, 2012, published in the BOE on March 31, 2012 and in force since April 1 of the same year (it is mandatory under penalty sanction). For more information, see the article The cookie law and its application in Spain..
This guide presents the best plugins of cookies to create a WordPress cookie notice in accordance with the law.
On WordPress web pages, cookie notices are usually created by means of plugins . Since opt-in solutions for cookies are now mandatory in many countries, there are a number of excellent plugins available for this purpose..
It is of central importance that the user accepts the use of cookies , for example, by clicking on the "Accept cookies " button. The default checkboxes, in which the website administrator has already placed a check mark, do not count as "active consent". In addition, it is important that the visitor receives the relevant information on the use of the data that will be collected before giving their consent.
The banners of cookies with foreclosure notices or simple message windows , which merely inform the visitor of the website they're putting cookies, no longer meet the legal requirements.
There are different types of cookies . The basic information of our article What are cookies? deepens in What is a cookie session? and in What are First-Party-Cookies ?..
The administrators of WordPress pages cannot ignore cookies , especially if they have been operating their website for a long time. Some WordPress themes and many plugins use cookies , often without the administrator of the website is really aware of it. Those who use Google Analytics or connect their WordPress website to Facebook, YouTube or Twitter almost always use additional cookies from these providers, with which they send data about their visitors to these companies.
WordPress also uses cookies . In general, these are technical cookies that are not affected by the mandatory opt-in . However, when a user posts a comment, WordPress saves their name and email address, as well as the website where the comment was made, in order to facilitate re-registration. WordPress offers the possibility to set a separate checkbox in which interested persons can consent to the storage of data when registering to be able to comment.
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To determine if a website uses cookies and what they are, there are several online cookie scanners , such as Cookieserve or CookieMetrix. You just have to type the web page and you will receive a relatively reliable list of the cookies it uses.
The easiest way to create a cookie legal acceptance notice on WordPress websites is by using a plugin . Today there are several providers that already provide the necessary functionality to create these notices:
It is important that plugins of cookies WordPress meet all the technical requirements to set up a warning cookies legally valid on the website. The website administrator is solely responsible for the content and, therefore, for compliance with all legal provisions.
A good plugin of cookies must have two characteristics: it should be designed to meet the legal requirements and the same time, encourage the largest possible number of visitors to accept the use of cookies .
The WordPress plugins featured here have the best user reviews. What they all have in common is that they allow the design of ads . Whether or not a cookie complies with the law depends mainly on the configuration that the administrator makes in the plugin . The plugin of cookies WordPress you choose should depend, ultimately, on the following factors:
Borlabs is a German provider that leaves only a few requirements unfulfilled in its premium version . Borlabs Cookie is now available in version 2.1, with which you can create a legally compliant cookie consent for WordPress . According to the company, the plugin is compatible with any WordPress theme and all cache plugins . The cookie codes of popular applications such as Google Analytics, AdSense or Facebook are already pre-installed and can be easily activated using a tracking identifier.
Borlabs is also highly suitable for professional use, that helps administrators in designing banners of opt-in for the greatest possible number of visitors actively accept the use of cookies tracking.
The program's user interface offers extensive configuration options. It is the responsibility of the website administrators to design the cookie notice in such a way that it complies with the respective legal regulations in force.
To manage the different types of cookies , Borlabs allows them to be grouped into as many groups as necessary. Visitors to your website can then choose to accept or reject the use of a particular set of cookies .
In addition to managing the? classic cookies ?, Borlabs Cookie also offers a content blocker for social networks such as Facebook, Twitter or YouTube. If these social networks are embedded in a website (for example, in the form of a YouTube video), it can be ensured that the visitor's IP address is only forwarded to the company after they have consented to it.
Complianz is a good alternative to Borlabs, especially aimed at those with little experience . This plugin is free in the basic version and can be installed from the plugins section of the WordPress backend .
Another advantage of Complianz is the setup wizard , which makes all adjustments much easier. In this context, the integrated cookie scanner also has an extremely positive effect, as it determines by itself where an action is required. However, for security reasons, you should check for the presence of cookies with an external scanner.
In the As in many other areas, the banner of cookies from Complianz also has numerous configuration options that can be used to create a warning cookie s in WordPress that complies with the law.
Cookiebot is a cloud-based solution that periodically checks a website for cookies . Cookiebot also offers the prerequisites for designing banners opt-in complying with the law . It promises, like all other good cookie plugins, that all cookies are blocked when the website is accessed, as long as the visitor does not explicitly allow them .
As a cloud solution , Cookiebot works on virtually every website . To use Cookiebot, install the plugin from the WordPress backend . You also have to register your WordPress page with Cookiebot. The user account is also used for the main configuration.
In the field of monthly analysis, Cookiebot automatically divides the cookies used into different categories (the unknown can be assigned by hand). The decisive factor in this case is that cookies are automatically blocked as long as the visitor does not actively consent to their use.
With over one million downloads, Cookie Notice remains one of the plugins of cookies WordPress most popular and freely available. However, it only fulfills the most basic functions of an opt-in plugin and the design has become a bit dated. However, its advantages are precisely its simplicity and the fact that it is permanently available for free . It is especially a good option for private web pages.
With free plugins like Cookie Notice, updates are sometimes only done at irregular intervals . After installation, you should always carefully check if the Cookie Notice fulfills the purpose for which you are using it.
Cookie Notice can be configured in a few steps:
Step 1. Open settings, define cookie information and button texts, make essential settings. Once the plugin is installed , you will find the button? Cookie Notice? in the left sidebar in the area of? Settings? from the WordPress backend . Click on it and you will go directly to the page where you can make adjustments. At first, you create a text that accompanies the cookie notice (the text of the message). The names of the different buttons are also defined. The decisive factor in designing an opt-in solution is that the "Reject consent" section is activated first.
Step 2. In the field? Block script? You write the third party cookie codes present on the site. Then delete these cookie codes from your website. This step is decisive. In order for the opt-in function to work correctly, the codes for the cookies in question must only be found in the field? Block scripts? of the plugin . To do this, simply copy the codes of the cookies already present in the header or body of the website into the corresponding fields of the script blocker . Thanks to the plugin , the cookie codes will only be activated if the website visitor gives their consent.
You can also determine how long the settings specified by the visitor are stored or when a new permission for the use of cookies should be obtained .
Step 3. Finally, scroll down and configure the cookie notice design . You can decide, for example, if the notice should appear at the top or bottom of the screen and what color the text will have. Clicking on? Save changes? you will confirm the settings.
Step 4. When you have finished the configuration, it is convenient to check how the notice works in different browsers.
The plugins presented in our selection can be very different from one another, but they share the possibility of designing a cookie notice in such a way that it complies with legal requirements. Ultimately, deciding on one or the other depends on the demands that each operator has on their project and if they are willing to pay something to use it.
The plugins of cookies WordPress are useful whenever it is configured to act in line with current regulations. And since both the technical and legal conditions are constantly changing, in addition to checking their operation when they are configured, it should also be done periodically.
Please, take into account the legal notice related to this article.