Cookies: the best WordPress plugins

Cookies: the best WordPress plugins

If you have a website, you have to contend with privacy regulations such as the European Union GDPR and the California CCPA, the latter coming into effect on January 1, 2020.

These policies require the consent of users who browse your pages to track their behavior . Basically, cookies can perform various functions, including monitoring sessions, storing information on specific configurations regarding users accessing the server or facilitating the use of online content. For example, their use may include the tracking of items in the shopping cart of an ecommerce or information used to fill in a computer form.

In order for your WordPress site to meet the requirements and comply with the regulations, you can install a specific plugin for consenting to the use of cookies.

Types of cookies

The classification is based on two macro categories:

technical cookies, which are only used to "carry out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network, or as strictly essential for the provider of an information society service to perform the service specifically requested by the contractor or user."

profiling cookies , used to trace specific behaviors to users in order to group the different profiles to modulate the sending of targeted advertising messages, i.e. in line with the preferences and actions expressed by the user while surfing the net.

Obtain consent: the Banner Cookie

The online consent acquisition mechanism takes place through the presentation of a banner visible at the first access and whose dimensions must also be evaluated in relation to the different devices. This banner must:

present a command, i.e. the one marked by an X usually positioned at the top right, which is equivalent to rejecting cookies;

contain a minimum information relating to the fact that the site uses cookies or other technical tools and may, after obtaining consent, lend itself in the manner indicated;

include the link to the privacy policy, or to an information accessible with a single click and usually placed in the footer;

provide a command through which it is possible to express one's consent by accepting all cookies or any other tracking tools;

include a link to another area in which the user can analytically choose the desired features, third parties and cookies, as well as revoke their consent or update their tracking preferences at any time.

What are the best WordPress cookie plugins?

We present, below, the most used plugins on WordPress in compliance with current regulations.

Cookiebot CMP

This plugin offers transparency and control over all cookies and similar tracking technologies of your site, integrating three fully automatic and easy to implement functions: consent, monitoring and control of cookies.

Cookiebot provides a banner with customizable design and functionality, created to improve the user experience by focusing on transparency and usability.

Cookie Yes

This plugin is one of the best of WordPress: in full compliance with the GDPR, it provides a series of useful features to customize the banner in line with the style of the website.

Choose the colors, the fonts, the style of the consent buttons, the position of the banner on the page and even how it appears and disappears.

Complianz

If you don't know where to start, this plugin offers a wizard that makes it really easy to set up compliance features on your site.

With the premium version of Complianz, you can automatically redirect visitors to the consent policy adhering to the country of residence (the free version only allows you to create a consent rule) and allows you to carry out A / B tests so you can test which banners obtain the highest consensus ratios.

Cookie Notice

This plugin provides an intuitive banner, which allows users to accept or deny consent to the use of cookies.

The warning message is customizable and may include links to the Privacy Policy page or to other legal pages. Furthermore, the plugin is SEO friendly.