Real Cookie Banner: GDPR (DSGVO) & ePrivacy Cookie Consent free WordPress plugin

Cookie Banner and Consent Management for your WordPress website – easy to be legally compliant

Obtain GDPR and ePrivacy Directive compliant consents. Find services, cookies etc. and fill all legal information in your cookie banner. More than just a cookie notice! Cookie plugin designed specifically for WordPress websites to simplify setup.

Real Cookie Banner is an cookie and consent management plugin. Obtain consent to load services and set cookies for your visitors in accordance with the GDPR and ePrivacy Directive. In addition, content blockers help you to be compliant even if your theme, plugin or content loads styles, scripts or iframes that would transfer personal data. Start now with our guided-configuration and avoid legal risks!

➤ Scan your website and discover services that require consent!

Whether the use of the plugin leads to legally compliant data processing largely depends on whether the plugin is configured correctly for your use case. You yourself are responsible for a correct configuration.

Free Sandbox

You want to try Real Cookie Banner before installing? Take a free sandbox and play around!

Create sandbox

Features of the cookie plugin

Consent Management: You can use Real Cookie Banner to store all technical and legal information about services and cookies to obtain informed consent. You can use 150+ service templates and 120+ content blocker templates to quickly and securely provide all the information you need.

Content Blocker: Themes, plugins and co. usually load scripts, styles and content that transfer personal data and set cookies before you have the consent of your visitors. You usually cannot control this by yourself. Content blockers make sure that these features are only executed after you have obtained consent.

Customize design: You can design the cookie banner according to your wishes. 20+ design templates and 200+ options give you the flexibility to customize the cookie banner perfectly to your needs. From colors and effects to texts, you can unleash your creativity! All changes are displayed in a live preview.

Guided configuration: After installation, the checklist will guide you through all steps to be able to set up Real Cookie Banner in a legally compliant manner. We also explain the legal basis of features and the legal consequences if you change settings. So, you can quickly and safely set up your cookie banner!

Documentation of consents: According to the GDPR, you have to prove that a visitor has consented to cookies and processing of personal data if he or she doubts this. We document consent completely and make it possible to trace the origin of the consent afterwards. You are on the safe side even in the worst case!

Native in WordPress: Real Cookie Banner is a cookie plugin specially designed for WordPress. It is fully installed in your WordPress as a native plugin. All consents are processed and stored on your server. Nothing is downloaded from a cloud in your visitor’s browser, which avoids further legal issues.

You want a list of all features? Get it by scrolling down!

Supported Languages

Real Cookie Banner is available in English and German (informal and formal). More languages will be added soon! In the meantime, you can also customize and translate all the texts yourself, if your website is in Spanish, French, Italian, Polish, Dutch, Czech, Romanian, Belgian, Danish, Swedish, Finnish, Greek, Portuguese, Turkish and Russian.

All Features of Real Cookie Banner

Some of the features listed below are only available in the PRO version of Real Cookie Banner. They are marked with an asterisk.

Beginner-friendly // solution for the cookie hassle – for everyone

• Guided configuration: After installation, we will guide you through the setup step by step. With easy to understand explanations.
• Checklist for potential legally compliant setup: A checklist shows you all the steps to be able to set up your cookie banner in a legally compliant way.
• Scan your website: Automatically search your entire website. Find used services with templates and embedded external URLs effortlessly.
• Free version available: Start at no cost and pay only when you really need additional features.
• Support (Live Chat and Email): You have questions? We are here for you. Promised! (limited for users of the free version)
• Fully translated: WordPress plugin and all templates are translated in English and German (informal and formal).

Consent Management // we take care of compliant consents

• Cookies and processing of personal data: We obtain consents for you in accordance with the ePrivacy Directive and GDPR. For more than just cookies!
• 150+ service and 120+ content blocker templates*: We’ve already collected all the necessary technical and legal stuff for 150+ popular services, so you can avoid the hassle.
• Individual groups for services: Make it easy for your visitors to opt-in by grouping services together. Automatically suggested groups for services with templates.
• Technical specifications of HTTP cookies and cookie-like information: You can store all necessary information about HTTP cookies, Local Storage, Session Storage, Flash Local Shared Object and IndexedDB.
• Execution of opt-in and opt-out scripts: After the consent or its revocation can be executed per service HTML/JavaScript code.
• Legal links: View history of consent and change or revoke consent. You can (and must legally) offer this with simple WordPress menu items or shortcodes anywhere on your website.
• Youth protection according to GDPR: We take care that also minors can give consents on your website according to Art. 8 GDPR. Without data protection violation!
• Consent for data processing in the USA*: The USA is considered as a country with an insufficient level of data protection in the EU. We obtain consents so that you can still use US-services like Google Analytics.
• Hide cookie banner legally compliant: Imprint and privacy policy must be accessible without cookie banner. On other pages, e.g. landing pages, conversation rates increase*. Works with us quite simply!
• Automatically obtain of new consents: You change something on the cookie banner? We will notify you automatically when you need to get a new consent!
• Accepting all cookies for bots: For more visibility in search engines, bots can automatically consent and see the full content of your website.
• Use of “Do Not Track” header: Don’t annoy your visitors who are already signaling that they don’t want to consent. You can respect the “Do Not Track” HTTP-header.

Documentation // truly fully documented consents

• Documentation of consents with revision: All services, its consents, service groups, settings and design customizations are saved. Fulfill the duty of proof according to GDPR!
• Creation of consents afterwards traceable*: View retrospectively how consent was obtained through an interactive visualization of the cookie banner or content blocker.
• Statistics about consents*: Necessarily documented information about the consents are aggregated for statistics. This allows you for example to extrapolate your data in Google Analytics.

Content Blocker // load services only with consent

• Block already integrated link, script and iframe HTML tags: Already included elements by your theme or plugins can be blocked based on the HTML tag. Works for every HTML element on initial load of your website!
• URL blocking: Elements that may only be loaded after consent can be blocked based on the URL. Works also for inline scripts and retina images.
• Custom element blocking: You can block elements based on custom defined rule e.g. via their CSS class. With an easy to understand and flexible syntax. Not only for software developers.
• @font-face fonts blocking: Inline loaded fonts from external servers can be blocked fine granular. You can be privacy-compliant even if Google Fonts can not be disabled in your theme!
• Inline style splitting: Some page builders download files in inline styles for which you need consent. We split styles so that your website loads correctly while listening for consents.
• Privacy-compliant lazy loading: Embeds are post-loaded after the consent check depending on the viewport of your website visitor, which makes your initial page load faster.
• Visual Content Blockers: They ask for consent from visitors if they have declined services in the cookie banner. Replace e.g. YouTube videos with similar-looking privacy-compliant imitations*.
• Automatic video playback after consent: If your visitor allows the loading of an external video only via a content blocker, he must start the video manually afterwards. We save him the click and start YouTube, Vimeo and more videos automatically.
• Content Blocker connected with services: Each content blocker is associated with one or more services. With it, content is automatically unblocked when consent is given in the cookie banner.

Design // always fits perfectly into your website

• Cookie banner and content blocker layout: You can customize the design of your cookie banner with more than 200 options*. So, it will fit perfectly with your corporate design!
• Live preview of design and text changes: All visual changes to your cookie banner will be displayed live on your website in the WordPress Customizer. Without annoying reloading!
• 20+ cookie banner design presets*: Don’t waste your time tinkering with the design forever. Just use one of our templates. There is something for every taste!

TCF Compatibility // obtain standardized consents

• TCF 2.0+ compatibility*: Transparency and Consent Framework (TCF) is a standard of the European digital marketing industry association IAB Europe. It allows standardized consent to be obtained. We support the widely used standard TCF 2.0 and newer.
• Configuration with user interface*: TCF is mostly very technical and can be set up only with code. Not with us! You can configure all important features, vendors etc. in one interface with understandable explanations of the terms used in the standard.
• Certified CMP: Real Cookie Banner is a CMP certified by IAB Europe. You can be sure that we have fully and correctly implemented all the requirements of the standard. We also proactively inform you about violations due to incorrect configuration of your cookie banner.

Special Features // made for professional users

• Geo-restriction*: Cookie banners are not necessary for users from all countries. Internationally oriented websites can decide per country whether a cookie banner should be displayed. This way you avoid unnecessary distraction from your content!
• Support for Google Tag Manager and Matomo Tag Manager*: Load your tag manager in a privacy-friendly way only after consent. Then process consents directly in your tag manager as events (with fallback for visitors without consent for the tag manager).
• Consent Forwarding*: Forward a visitor’s consents and avoid multiple consents from a visitor on multiple websites of your company (with WordPress Multisites or multiple WordPress installations; forwarding as one-way sync or two-way sync of consents).

Technical // perfection in detail – for WordPress

• Support for multilingual websites: Your cookie banner also works in multilingual websites with WPML, Polylang, TranslatePress and Weglot. We have built explicit integrations for these plugins.
• Native solution in WordPress: Real Cookie Banner is installed in your WordPress. Consents are processed and stored exclusively on your server. Nothing is downloaded from the cloud in the browser of your visitors!
• PageSpeed Insights optimized: Loading time of your website matters. Real Cookie Banner is optimized for PageSpeed Insights, Lighthouse and Web Vitals. You can achieve a PageSpeed Score of 100 with an active cookie banner.
• Automatic deletion of 1st-party cookies: In the event of an opt-out, 1st-party cookies can be automatically deleted on the client- and server-side to ensure due diligence.
• Support for automatic flushing of all known page caches: After a change to the cookie banner or content blocker, we automatically clear your page cache plugin. No more problems with outdated caches!
• Anti-Ad-Blocker system: Cookie banners are annoying and many people block them. We have implemented special mechanisms that make your cookie banner almost impossible to block. Because you should get your consents!
• Import and export: All settings and consents can be exported at any time. Use already defined settings in new websites and save time if you are an agency building many websites!
• Support for WordPress Multisites: You use a WordPress Mulisite? No problem! Real Cookie Banner also works with such a setup.
• API for developers: You want to extend Real Cookie Banner? We have documented WordPress actions & filters and our REST API for you.

Templates & Compatibility

Real Cookie Banner can be used to collect consent for almost any tools, plugins and services in your WordPress website. You can easily store the necessary legal and technical information for informed consent in a service and content blocker of the consent management.

We have verified that major Google and Facebook services, Hotjar, YouTube, Vimeo as well as popular WordPress plugins like Jetpack, Contact Form 7 or WooCommerce and many more are compatible.

The PRO Version of Real Cookie Banner comes with 150+ service templates and 120+ content blocker templates. These templates save you a lot of time by giving you all the relevant legal and technical information for a service to use it in accordance with the ePrivacy Directive and GDPR. Check out the complete list of all services with templates on our website.

Full-featured cookie plugin and consent management for WordPress

Real Cookie Banner is a WordPress cookie plugin that enables you to obtain consent to load services and set cookies in accordance with the GDPR and ePrivacy Directive (EU Cookie Law). In addition, we ensure for you that styles, scripts, iframes, etc. are only loaded when users give their consent with so-called Content Blockers. A service scanner helps you to configure the cookie banner with ease. To be on the safe side, you should document all consents of your website to prove them in case of doubt. An automatic documentation of consents is also included in this plugin.

(Why) do I need an opt-in cookie banner?

Nearly all websites that target users from the EU require a cookie banner that obtains explicit consent (opt-in procedure) and documents the consent. It is practically impossible to operate a website without cookies and external services requiring consent, as otherwise you would have to go without many features and services such as Google Analytics, Google Fonts, YouTube videos, personal recommendations, etc.

Legally, the obligation is based on the ePrivacy Directive (Directive 2009/136/EC) Art. 66, which describes that setting of cookies that are not strictly technically necessary requires the explicit consent of the user. The ePrivacy Directive has not yet been transposed into national law by many EU countries, but it must be applied nevertheless. The CURIA clarified on October 1, 2019 in case C-673/17 that e.g. the German special way of an opt-out procedure is not in accordance with the ePrivacy Directive. Since then, it must be assumed that only the opt-in procedure is permissible. This was also confirmed by the Federal Court of Justice for Germany on May 28, 2020 (Case I ZR 7/16 – Cookie Consent II).

Contrary to the assumption of many, the GDPR plays only a minor role with regard to cookies. Although it defines how personal data must be processed, it explicitly leaves the question of how to deal with cookies to the ePrivacy Directive.

However, you also need consents for the processing of personal data according to Art. 6 GDPR. also dynamic IP addresses of your website visitors can be personal data, according to the ECJ. Therefore, even the embedding of a YouTube video, for example, may require consent, even if no cookies would be set. In addition, there are many other requirements on how a consent according to the GDPR has to look like. For example, according to Art. 8 GDPR, you as a website operator must ensure appropriate protection of minors in the consent in your cookie banner.

What if I don’t have an opt-in cookie banner?

More than 10,000 websites have already been asked to set up their cookie banners correctly by the data protection organization noyb. Website operators who did not respond were reported to the local data protection authorities. The consumer advice centers in Germany have sent official warnings to around 1,000 website operators. Google has already been fined EUR 120 million and Amazon EUR 42 million for incorrect cookie banners. And these are just a few selected actions that were taken against website operators who had no or insufficient cookie banner.

There is danger from several sides. Public authorities can impose fines under the GDPR of up to EUR 20 million or, in the case of a company, up to 4% of its total global annual turnover in the previous financial year, whichever is higher. In addition, national law such as the TTDSG in Germany can result in further and often more easily enforceable fines. In addition, warning letters from consumer protection organizations, legitimate data protection organizations and also competitors are possible after individual case assessment.

If you have an insufficient cookie banner, or you don’t have a cookie banner yet, although you need one, it is strongly advised to act now!

Why another cookie plugin for cookie consents?

There are already widely used cookie banner solutions like Borlabs Cookie, Complianz, Cookiebot, GDPR Cookie Consent or Cookie Notice for GDPR & CCPA. In our point of view, many of these cookie plugins only partially implement the legal requirements or advised behavior, which bears a risk for website operators. Without a serious look at the law, you won’t know about it until you get a warning in your mailbox. In addition, most solutions are not so flexible and customizable that we would recommend using them on a professional website.

We have implemented a cookie consent banner that in our opinion meets the legal requirements, is very flexible and customizable, can be set up legally correct in only about an hour and solves many other problems. Through a market research and survey with WordPress users before we started the development of the cookie consent tool, we have identified many issues. We have tested the implemented cookie plugins intensively in user tests in practice so that we can offer you a comprehensive and intuitive solution.

Developer Friendly

You are a developer and want to write an add-on for Real Cookie Banner or make your plugin compatible with our cookie plugin? We are happy to help you!

WordPress actions & filters and REST API

Have a look at the API documentation on our website to learn more about how to write code that uses functions of Real Cookie Banner.

Free Support

We like to work with other WordPress developers. If you need assistants to use our product for your code projects or make your WordPress plugin compatible with Real Cookie Banner, just open a support ticket.

Get the PRO version of Real Cookie Banner

You will download the free version of this plugin, which contains all core functions that allow you to load services and set cookies according to the GDPR and ePrivacy Directive.

Our PRO version offers even more useful features and many cookie and content blocker templates, which not only make the cookie banner more flexible, but also save you a lot of time to set up the cookie banner in compliance with the law. Learn more about the PRO version.