How to Add a Cookie Consent Banner to Your Website

Introduction

Cookie consent banner allows users to handle their privacy preferences. CookieLet will allow you to customize the banner, set the consent options, and implement the cookie consent experience on your website without having to build everything from scratch.

As an owner of a blog, online shop, business website, or online education website, you might have already noticed cookie banners on other websites. Also, you might have been wondering if your website requires such a banner and how complicated it is to implement.

And here comes the good part – you don’t necessarily need to work with a developer to start.
In this guide, you will find out what a cookie consent banner is, when you might require it on your website, how to make a cookie consent banner with CookieLet, and some checklist for publishing.

What Is a Cookie Consent Banner?

A cookie consent banner is an informative message shown on a website informing users of the website’s use of cookies or other trackers and requesting permission for the activation of some technologies in case it is required.

I think everyone knows about “we use cookies to enhance your experience” or “we use cookies” kind of message when you visit any website.

A properly implemented cookie consent banner allows visitors to allow the use of cookies, deny the use of non-necessary cookies, or choose their preferences accordingly to the requirements and particular website settings.

Cookies are a small piece of data stored in the browser by websites. They are used by websites for various reasons like session storage, shopping cart, traffic measurement, and advertisement.
Cookies have different purposes, some cookies are necessary for a website to function, some are used for analytics, personalization, or advertisements.

It’s important to know what cookies does your website use and how to manage them properly. Banner is just a visible element of this process.

Does Your Website Need a Cookie Consent Banner?

The answer depends on the cookies and tracking technologies your website uses, where your visitors are located, and which privacy laws apply.

For example, websites subject to the GDPR and applicable ePrivacy rules generally need valid consent before using non-essential cookies that require it. Other jurisdictions, including California, have different requirements and may require specific notices and opt-out mechanisms.

Simply displaying a banner does not automatically make a website compliant.

You also need to consider what happens behind the banner. If your website loads analytics or advertising scripts before the visitor has given the required consent, the banner alone won’t fix the problem.

You should review your website if you:

• Run Google Analytics or other analytics tools.
• Display personalized advertisements or use advertising pixels.
• Embed third-party videos, maps, or social media content.
• Operate an online store that uses marketing and tracking technologies.
• Have visitors from multiple countries or regions.

For example, imagine you’re running a course website. You use analytics to understand which lessons attract the most visitors and advertising tools to promote your courses. Depending on your setup and the laws that apply, you may need a consent mechanism that controls when certain tracking technologies can run.

That is why reviewing your website’s actual cookies and scripts is a sensible first step.

What Makes a Good Cookie Consent Banner?

A cookie consent banner should help visitors make an informed choice without making the website difficult to use.

It should also fit your website’s design. But appearance is only one part of the job.

1. Clear Accept and Reject Options

Visitors should be able to understand their choices without searching through multiple menus.

Where applicable, make accepting and rejecting non-essential cookies similarly straightforward. Don’t hide the rejection option behind several extra clicks while making acceptance obvious.

A simple design might offer:

• Accept all
• Reject non-essential cookies
• Customize preferences

The precise buttons and behaviour should match the applicable legal requirements and your consent configuration.

2. A Design That Fits Your Website

A generic banner can look out of place on an otherwise carefully designed website.

Your banner should use readable text, suitable colours, clear buttons, and a layout that works on desktop and mobile devices.

You don’t need an elaborate design. You need one that looks like it belongs on your website and makes the available choices easy to understand.

3. Proper Consent Management

A banner needs to do more than display a message.

Depending on your legal obligations and setup, the consent system may need to prevent non-essential scripts from running before consent, record visitor choices, and let visitors revisit their preferences.

This is where a cookie consent management platform can help. It connects the visible banner with the settings and processes that manage consent behind the scenes.

4. Support for Different Visitors

If your website serves an international audience, you may need different consent experiences for different jurisdictions.

A consent management tool with suitable regional settings can help you configure those experiences without maintaining separate versions of your website.

Remember that regional settings need to be configured correctly. Choosing a preset is not a substitute for understanding your obligations.

How to Add a Cookie Consent Banner Using CookieLet

CookieLet offers a cookie consent management platform, including a banner editor, cookie scanner, consent logging, and other privacy management features.
The banner editor allows you to customize the look and feel of your consent banner via the dashboard, without having to edit all the design aspects of your website.
How to start?

Step 1: Create Your CookieLet Account

Go to CookieLet and sign up for an account.
Add your website and view the configuration possibilities. Before choosing your configuration, think about where your users are located and the technologies that track data on your website.

The CookieLet package is free but is based on limitations stated by the company. Look into the current limitations before making a choice.

Step 2: Scan Your Website for Cookies

Before setting up your banner, it is necessary to establish which cookies and third party tools your website utilizes.

The CookieLet service offers a tool for scanning cookies and other technologies used on your website.

This will come in handy, as you cannot make consent decisions without knowing what has to be controlled.

Be particularly careful about analytics software, advertising pixels, content embedded into your website and third party scripts. Some third party services may use their technologies via tag management or other types of integration. It is important to pay attention to the way your website works and not to a simple list of third party plugins.

An automated scan saves time, but it does not mean that all cookies and scripts have been discovered.

Step 3: Choose Your Consent Settings

Look at cookie banner settings and legislation presets and consent options available to you.

For instance, CookieLet’s editor has the option for GDPR and CCPA/CPRA presets. It is all about proper settings according to your audience, legal requirements and cookies that your website uses.

It does not make sense to select any option just because it seems right to you.
Find out what cookies need consent and whether your banner offers enough choice according to regulations. In case you have a website that is used in different regions, look at targeting options in your plan.

Step 4: Customize Your Cookie Consent Banner

It is here that you can make the banner seem integral with your website.
CookieLet’s visual editor provides possibilities for setting up banners’ layout, position, colors, buttons, and text. The controls available can vary depending on the settings and subscription package chosen by you.
Adjust the banner so that it fits into your website’s design while conveying the message effectively.
For instance, the person who creates courses can have a compact banner with legible text and buttons that are consistent with the website’s color scheme. The one who runs an online shop will benefit from a more pronounced design that allows the visitor to reconsider their preferences.
Remember about the following things:

• Legible text with adequate contrast.
• Easy-to-understand choices available.
• Similar visibility for accept and reject options wherever necessary.
• No unnecessary hiding of website content.
• Check the banner’s appearance on smaller screens.
  
  Think twice before going for the smallest possible banner. A modest design will be efficient only if the visitors see it and can make a conscious decision.

Step 5: Install CookieLet on Your Website

Once your banner has been set up, follow CookieLet’s instructions for installing their script on your website.
CookieLet outlines an installation procedure through scripting in which the user has to install the script on his/her website’s header. The procedure will vary according to the platform of your website.

In case you use WordPress, Shopify or a self-built website, follow the specific instructions accordingly.
It would be ideal if your consent settings are working properly. If the banner appears on the screen, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the non-essential scripts are being managed properly.

In case you have never worked on website scripts before, get help from your developer or web hosting team.

Step 6: Preview and Test Before Publishing

This is important.

CookieLet’s banner editor separates saving, previewing and publishing, allowing you to check out changes you’ve made prior to publishing.

Use the preview to see how the banner looks on your website.
Inspect the desktop and mobile versions of the banner, the buttons’ texts, colors, privacy policy links, etc.

Then test the functionality.
See how the banners behave if a user accepts cookies, denies non-essential cookies or customizes his preferences. See whether the required scripts work according to your preferences.
You also need to see if the users can open the preference panel again and customize their settings.
Once you are sure everything works fine, publish your banner.

Why Use CookieLet for Cookie Consent Management?

There are various cookie consent tools out there; hence, which one will be appropriate for your website will depend on your website’s needs.
CookieLet may be considered if managing both the design and the process of consent itself matters to you.
This is a list of its most important features.

A Visual Cookie Banner Editor

The possibility to configure the banner using a visual editor is provided by CookieLet.
You may use various layouts, set positions, change colors, and edit the text seen by visitors. Preview function is also supported by the editor.
This way, you do not have to make developers deal with all changes made to your banner.
More information about the options that you can use is provided on the CookieLet cookie banner page.

Cookie Scanning

CookieLet offers a scanning service which will assist you in detecting cookies and other technologies on your website.
This will enable you to know what technologies your website employs prior to setting up your consent preferences.
Please note that scan findings require verification especially when your website has dynamically loaded scripts, tag managers, or embedded contents from third parties.

Consent Logs

CookieLet includes consent logging to track visitor choices.

This data will be useful to demonstrate how your consent system works, and it will provide valuable insight for auditing your website’s privacy procedures.

Your logs need to reflect the way your consent system behaves on your site. Merely logging a choice does not count if the scripts themselves ignore it.

Regional Consent Settings

CookieLet provides legal templates as well as regional banners targeting choices.

This can assist website operators in setting up distinct consent options based on the settings and the type of subscription package you choose.

For websites with international users, this may eliminate the need to set up different consent options manually. However, it is advised that you check the settings against relevant laws.

Cookie and Privacy Policy Tools

CookieLet provides some means for creating cookie and privacy policy documents.

It can be helpful in preparing the necessary website documentation, but any automatically created policy document needs to be checked for accuracy. The necessary documentation must cover the technologies and practices used on your site.

No automatic process can do that.

Common Cookie Consent Banner Mistakes to Avoid

Despite the placement of a cookie consent banner, there are some errors that may occur.

Making Rejection Difficult

Do not make it easier to accept cookies than to reject cookies by requiring just a single click on one hand and many clicks away on the other.
It should be easy for visitors to really choose.

Loading Tracking Scripts Too Early

An interstitial banner that appears once analytics or ad scripts have run will not give you the protection that you might be expecting.
Check the script function both before and after giving your consent. Check out tag managers, embedded content, and third-party integrations along with the primary banner.

Treating Every Cookie the Same Way

Necessary cookies and those used for analytics or advertisements might have their own policies altogether.
Properly categorize your site’s technologies and set consent behaviors according to that. Not every cookie needs to follow the same policy everywhere.

Forgetting Mobile Visitors

An effective banner design on a larger screen might end up blocking some information or making the buttons inaccessible on a mobile device.
Do ensure to look at all these aspects on small screens before posting anything online.

Assuming a Banner Guarantees Compliance

This is one of the biggest mistakes.

It takes more than just having a banner for compliance. How you track, consent records, privacy policies, user preferences, and legislation all play a part.

Get a consent management solution to help you, and then make sure it is working the way it should.

Cookie Consent Banner vs. Cookie Popup: What’s the Difference?

The two terms are sometimes used interchangeably, though they may refer to different designs.

“Cookie consent banner” usually means a horizontal bar that is placed either at the top or bottom of the website. “Cookie consent popup” usually means an additional box appearing on the screen.

Both can inform about cookies and give an option to consent to them.

But the crucial thing is whether the design is clear and accessible, appropriate to the relevant regulations, and related to proper consent action.

CookieLet offers several cookie banner design templates such as box, banner, and popup. So you can pick one which will be suitable for you and your site needs.

How to Choose the Right Cookie Consent Tool

When choosing a cookie consent management system, make sure to consider your website’s operation and potential development.

Firstly, start with the basics. Will the system recognize your site’s cookies? Does it have the ability to control the related scripts using consents? Can it give useful consent information? Is the banner customizable without any trouble?
After that, take a look at the specifics.

If your website is a small blog, simple installation and basic customization will probably be enough to get started. In case your website is an online store or content publisher aiming for international audience, additional functionality will be needed.
Look attentively at the pricing and limitations of each plan as certain functions like advanced targeting or support for advertising frameworks may not be present on all plans.
CookieLet provides all these functions in one solution. Go through the official CookieLet website to find out if it has all the required features and limitations of plans.

Frequently Asked Questions

Your Next Step: Set Up Your Cookie Consent Banner

You do not have to develop the cookie consent solution from scratch right away. Rather, you will need to find out what your website currently has, pick up adequate settings for consent, and check the whole thing before going live.
CookieLet can provide you with such a point by offering a visual banner editor, cookie scanner, consent log, and other similar things.
In case you feel like checking the cookie consent solution for your website, check out CookieLet.
Think about your actual needs first rather than just the looks of the banner.