Cookies are small pieces of data stored in a user’s browser, often used to improve website functionality, track visitor behavior, or deliver personalized content. While they’re essential for many modern websites, they also raise important privacy concerns.
In response, laws such as:
- The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in Europe
- The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) in California
- The Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) in Canada, etc.
require websites to disclose how cookies are used and, in many cases, to obtain user consent before placing them on users’ devices — especially for non-essential cookies. These and other privacy laws are designed to give users more control over their personal data and continue to evolve worldwide (e.g., LGPD in Brazil, APPI in Japan, etc.).
This is what’s known as cookie compliance.
Whether you’re running an e-commerce store, a blog, or a business website, cookie compliance is no longer optional. If your visitors come from regions covered by these laws, your site must meet specific legal standards. That means showing a cookie banner, offering opt-in choices, and maintaining a clear cookie policy.
In this article, we’ll explain what cookie compliance involves, which tools can help, and how we support our clients with a done-for-you setup that’s included in our monthly website maintenance plan.
What Is Cookie Compliance?
Cookie compliance refers to meeting the legal requirements for how your website collects, uses, and stores data through cookies and tracking technologies. These requirements vary by region but are all designed to give users more control over their personal data.
Some of the most widely known regulations nowadays include:
- GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation): Applies to any website with visitors from the European Union. Requires websites to gain explicit user consent before activating non-essential cookies, provide detailed cookie disclosures, and allow users to manage or withdraw their consent at any time.
- CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act): Applies to California residents. Requires websites to disclose what personal data they collect, offer a way to opt out of data sharing or selling, and include a “Do Not Sell My Personal Information” link if applicable.
- PIPEDA (Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act): Applies to businesses operating in Canada that collect personal information during commercial activities. Requires transparency about data collection practices and mandates user access to their data along with clear consent for its use.
Failure to comply with these laws can result in fines, legal action, and a loss of trust with your audience.
Why Cookie Compliance Matters for Your Website
There are several important reasons why cookie compliance should be a priority for your business:
| Legal obligations | Privacy regulations are not optional. If your website receives traffic from regions covered by GDPR, CCPA, or similar laws, compliance is required. |
| User trust | A clear and respectful cookie policy shows that you take your visitors’ privacy seriously. This transparency helps build long-term trust with your audience. |
| Risk mitigation | Non-compliance can lead to penalties, lawsuits, and reputational damage. Implementing proper cookie controls protects your business from these risks. |
| Better user experience | Giving users control over how their data is used aligns with modern expectations for digital privacy and ethical website practices. |
And if you’re worried that clicking “No” on a cookie banner means losing all data – you’re not alone. Many businesses hesitate for that reason. Thankfully, with Google’s latest update (Consent Mode v2), your site can still collect important analytics and advertising signals, even when users opt out of cookies. It works by adjusting how data is sent, ensuring you stay compliant without sacrificing insight.
What Your Website Needs to Stay Compliant
To meet modern cookie compliance standards, your website should include the following:
- A cookie banner or popup that appears on the user’s first visit. This banner must inform users about the use of cookies and request their consent before placing any non-essential cookies.
- A detailed cookie declaration that categorizes cookies into types such as necessary, analytics, marketing, and preference cookies.
- An opt-in consent mechanism for regulations like GDPR, where users can choose which types of cookies to allow. Opt-out mechanisms may be acceptable in other regions.
- A method to revoke or change consent at any time, typically through a floating icon or a link in the footer.
- A linked cookie policy that explains what cookies are used, why, and how users can manage their data.
CookieYes vs Termly: Which Tool Should You Use?
After testing and working with a range of cookie compliance tools, we’ve found that CookieYes and Termly are two of the most reliable and user-friendly options out there. These are our preferred solutions, and we can absolutely help you choose and set up the one that works best for your website.
Here’s a quick side-by-side to highlight the differences and make it easier to figure out which one fits your needs and setup.
CookieYes
- Seamless integration with WordPress, Webflow, Shopify, and custom websites, making it easy to implement across a wide range of platforms without heavy development work.
- Fully customizable cookie banner that can match your brand’s look and feel, with geo-targeting features to display the banner only in regions where consent is legally required.
- Automatic cookie blocking for non-essential cookies until user consent is obtained, ensuring compliance with GDPR and similar regulations from the first visit.
- Built-in cookie scanner that regularly audits your site and categorizes cookies into groups like essential, analytics, marketing, and functional.
- Consent log and auto-updates, helping maintain compliance over time without constant manual oversight.
- Cost-effective solution ideal for small to mid-sized businesses that need solid compliance features without enterprise-level pricing.
Best suited for: Website owners looking for a flexible, user-friendly tool with strong automation and customization features.
Termly
- All-in-one compliance platform that covers not only cookie consent but also generates legally vetted policies like privacy policies, terms of service, disclaimers, and more—all from a single dashboard.
- Built-in support for both GDPR and CCPA, making it a great option for businesses that operate internationally or need to meet U.S.-specific data privacy requirements such as the “Do Not Sell My Info” link.
- Smart cookie scanner that detects and categorizes tracking technologies used on your website, helping ensure your consent banner reflects exactly what your site uses.
- Automatic legal updates to cookie banners and policies, so you stay compliant as laws evolve without having to manually monitor regulatory changes.
- Quick and simple setup with popular CMS platforms like WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, and Shopify, with helpful templates and guided onboarding.
Best suited for: Businesses seeking broader legal compliance coverage, especially those operating in the United States or needing an all-in-one policy solution.
Our Process for Cookie Compliance Setup
We make the process of becoming compliant quick and stress-free. Here’s how we help:
- Site audit: We perform a full cookie scan and review your site’s current data collection practices.
- Tool setup: Based on your needs and traffic location, we configure CookieYes or Termly and design a branded cookie banner that fits your website.
- Policy integration: We generate and publish your cookie policy, privacy policy, and consent settings.
- Ongoing updates: If you are on our monthly maintenance plan, we continuously monitor changes in privacy regulations and update your site as needed.
Pricing and Support Options
- Included in our monthly support plan: Cookie compliance setup and monitoring are part of our ongoing website maintenance service, at no additional cost.
- One-time setup: If you are not on a support plan, we offer cookie compliance setup as a standalone service.
Get a Free Cookie Compliance Check
Not sure if your website meets current cookie compliance standards? We offer a free compliance check for new clients. Our team will review your website, scan for tracking technologies, and outline the steps needed to bring it fully in line with regulations like GDPR and CCPA.
Take the guesswork out of privacy compliance and ensure your business is protected, while also showing your visitors that you take their data seriously.
If you have any questions or would like to get started, feel free to reach out to us directly. We’re happy to help.
