Most WordPress sites running GDPR cookie banners are doing privacy theater, not actual compliance. The plugin shows a popup, the user clicks “Accept,” and the site owner thinks they’re covered. They’re not.
I’ve looked at dozens of popular consent plugins while building my own, and the pattern is consistent: they focus on the banner design and ignore what actually matters legally—consent has to happen before tracking starts, and you need proof that it happened.
The Problem With Most Plugins
When a typical cookie banner plugin loads, here’s what usually happens:
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Google Analytics / Facebook Pixel / other trackers load immediately in the header
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The banner appears asking for consent
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User clicks “Accept”
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Nothing actually changes, because tracking already started
Legally, that’s backwards. Under GDPR and similar laws, you can’t drop marketing or analytics cookies until you have clear consent. Showing a banner after the fact doesn’t fix it.
Even worse: most plugins have no audit trail. If someone complains or a regulator asks, you can’t prove what consent you collected, when, or for which categories. You’re just hoping nobody checks.
What Actually Works
Real consent means:
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Nothing loads until permission is given. Analytics, ads, social embeds—all of it waits.
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Granular categories. “Functional” vs “Marketing” vs “Statistics,” so users can choose.
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Logged proof. A database record of who consented, when, to what, and which version of your policy they saw.
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Revocable. Users can change their mind, and when they do, you stop tracking immediately.
This isn’t hard to build in WordPress—hooks let you control exactly when scripts load, and storing consent in a custom table or user meta is straightforward—but most plugins skip it because a pretty banner is easier to sell than proper compliance architecture.
Why I Built My Own
I got tired of seeing WordPress sites (especially small businesses and independent creators) either ignoring privacy laws entirely or spending money on plugins that give them a false sense of security.
My plugin does four things:
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Blocks all non-essential scripts until consent is explicitly given
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Stores a full audit log: user ID or session hash, timestamp, consent categories, policy version
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Provides a simple frontend interface for users to review and revoke consent anytime
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Includes CCPA support, because US-based sites need that too
It’s not the prettiest banner in the world, but it actually does what it’s supposed to: give users control and give site owners evidence that they’re handling data legally.
If You’re Running a WordPress Site
Check your current setup. Open your browser’s dev tools, load your site in an incognito window, and see what fires before you interact with the cookie banner. If you see analytics or ad pixels loading, your consent plugin isn’t doing its job.
You have two options: find a plugin that actually blocks scripts until consent (rare), or work with someone who can build consent properly into your site’s architecture (less common, more effective).
I’m obviously biased—I think most sites are better off with a custom consent solution that fits their actual tracking and data flow—but even a well-configured decent plugin is better than privacy theater.
If your site collects any data from EU visitors, California residents, or frankly anyone who deserves to know what you’re doing with their information, this stuff matters. A pretty banner is not a legal strategy.
If you need help auditing your WordPress site’s privacy setup or want a consent system that actually works, get in touch. I build this stuff.