How to Get Your WordPress eCommerce Store to Compliance with GDPR Cookies?

The GDPR was, in a way, an eye-opener for privacy laws across the world. Although the GDPR is specific to Europe, it acted as a benchmark that various countries followed up by framing similar privacy laws.

Under the General Data Protection Regulation, businesses are required to obtain explicit user consent for the collection of personal data through website cookies, tracking scripts, contact forms, sign-up forms, and other means. The GDPR has also made provisions that give users the right to easily withdraw consent.

Of these, cookies can be one such big culprit in violating GDPR compliance since they collect a good deal of information from the website visitors without their knowledge and consent, thus encroaching on the right of privacy.

So, if you are stuck, wondering how to make sure that your use of cookies complies with GDPR, we are here for the rescue. We’ll show you how to ensure that your use of cookies complies with GDPR for your WordPress eCommerce site in this article.

Now, without wasting any time, let us get into the details.

How Do Cookies Risk Your GDPR Compliance?

The website cookies might risk your GDPR compliance in many ways.

• Lack of Transparency: Cookies collect information from your website visitors in the background. As per GDPR, businesses should inform users about data collection, what data is collected, why it’s collected, how long it’s going to be stored, etc.
• Lack of Consent: Cookies work in the background and never ask for consent to collect data from users. That is clearly against the GDPR guidelines.
• Third-party ad and tracking scripts: Most websites use cookies and other tracking scripts to make it possible for a user’s browsing behavior to be tracked across the internet. This information is then sold to interested advertisers, who display retargeting ads on different websites. These third parties will also have to comply with the GDPR, and the website will have to ensure that their usage of third-party cookies does not break the privacy rights of users.
• Extended retention periods: Cookies should not be retained longer than necessary. According to the GDPR, personal data — including that collected through cookies — is supposed to be kept only for as long as it was collected.
• Inadequate Cookie Banners: Just putting up a cookie banner in front of the visitors does not make you cookie compliant with GDPR. It should meet certain criteria as mandated by GDPR. Moreover, dark patterns such as hiding the reject button or tricking the visitor to give his/her consent go against GDPR. 

👉 Also Read: 11 “Must Have” Free WordPress Plugins Every Blog Needs

How Do I Make My WordPress eCommerce Store GDPR Cookie Compliant?

A cookie consent banner will assist you in seeking prior consent from your website visitors to load cookies on browsers. The cookie banners include both the ‘accept’ and ‘reject’ buttons, which permit users to choose their consent over different classes of cookies and scripts.

Now, let us see what requirements are there for a cookie consent banner to be considered as GDPR-compliant.

Requirements for a GDPR-Compliant Cookie Banner

• Opt-in consent: You will have to put a system for opt-in consent in place under the GDPR. This means that, essentially, all third-party cookies that exist on your website must be blocked unless users opt for it.
• Notice of use of cookies: Very clearly, the cookie banner shall give the entire information regarding the type of cookies used, why they are used, and how long they will be retained on your website.
• Automatic Translation: Allow content in the cookie banner to be automatically translated according to a user’s preferred language. 
• Categorization: Organize cookies based on their purpose. 
• Granular Control: Allow users to accept consent to cookies at a granular level based on the categories to which they belong.
• Accept/Reject Buttons: Place buttons inside cookie banners that represent their acceptance and rejection.
• Revisit consent: Users can be given a widget with which they can configure their consent settings on the website and withdraw or change previous consent. 
• Links to policy pages: Links to the privacy policy and the cookie policy have to be given in the cookie banner. 
• Mobile responsive: The cookie banner should be mobile responsive and user-friendly.
• Consent log report: Users’ consent has to be recorded for proof of consent.

Now, let us see how to create a GDPR-compliant cookie banner on your WordPress eCommerce website.

How to Create a GDPR Cookie Banner in WordPress?

To create a cookie banner, we will use the GDPR Cookie consent plugin by WebToffee. This WordPress cookie plugin is a Google-approved CMP that aids one in managing cookie compliance on websites.

The plugin will automatically turn off all third-party cookies until the user has given his consent. Different accept and reject buttons, granular consent options, cookie banner messages, etc. are also added according to the GDPR requirement. 

Now, to display a GDPR cookie banner in WordPress, follow these steps below:

Step 1: Install and Activate WebToffee GDPR Cookie Plugin

WebToffee’s GDPR Cookie plugin is a premium plugin that requires you to purchase a license to use it. After purchasing the plugin, you can download the plugin file from the My Account page.

• After downloading the plugin file, go to your WordPress dashboard and click on Plugins > Add New Plugin.
• Install the plugin with the option of uploading, after which you will upload the respective plugin file and click on the Install Now button.
• After this, activate the plugin.

Step 2: Install a GDPR Cookie Banner

• Navigate to the WordPress dashboard > Cookie Consent > Cookie Banner.
• Choose GDPR under the consent law. 
• Toggle on the Enable cookie banner checkbox.
• Activate Geo-targeting if you wish only EU visitors to see the GDPR cookie banner.
• Activate IAB TCF and Google Consent Mode if needed.

Step 3: Configure the Cookie Banner Layout

• On the Cookie Banner settings page, navigate to the Layout tab.
• Choose the Bottom banner style for the cookie banner.
• Also, select a design for the Cookie Preference Centre.

Step 4: Customize or Modify Cookie Banner

• From the Content & Colors tab, you can customize, modify, and update the cookie banner’s various elements, such as buttons, text, and a message.
• Once done, click on Update settings to confirm/save the changes made.

Step 5: Scan Website for Cookies

• Now, go to the Manage Cookies tab and click on the Cookie Scanner option.

• Hit on the Scan for cookies button.

This will initiate the process of scanning for cookies. After the plugin scans your website completely, it will display all the cookies present on it according to their categories, and all the third-party cookies are disabled unless the user has consented.

Step 6: Create a Cookies Policy

• Go to the tab that says Cookie Policy and click the Edit & publish cookie policy button.

• Refer to the content of the cookie policy page and make necessary changes relative to your website. 

• Click Publish if you have already made the changes.

• Enable the cookie policy link from the Cookie Notice option under the Content & Colors tab.

Here is a preview of the cookie banner on a WordPress eCommerce website.

Conclusion – How to Get Your WordPress eCommerce Store to Compliance with GDPR Cookies?

GDPR Compliance involves constant efforts to maintain your data collection in accordance with the guidelines. Hopefully, this article has helped you with ways to ensure GDPR compliance for cookies on your WordPress eCommerce website. I would also recommend reading our article: “How to Make Sure Your Google Analytics Complies with CCPA.”

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