WordPress.org

Viktor Szépe

Rogier Lankhorst

Aert

Mark

Mathieu Paapst

pepe

Konstantinos Xenos

Aurooba Ahmed

Johan Holst Nielsen

mujuonly

<p>WP Consent API is a plugin that standardizes the communication of accepted consent categories between plugins. It requires a cookie banner plugin and, at least, one other plugin that supports the WP Consent API.</p>
<p>With this plugin, all supporting plugins can use the same set of methods to read and register the current consent category, allowing consent management plugins and other plugins to work together, improving compliance with privacy laws.</p>
<p>WARNING: the plugin itself will not handle consent. It will show you how many plugins you have without Consent API support and will improve compliance on your site by ensuring smooth communication between cookie banner plugins and plugins that set cookies or track user data.</p>
<h4>What problem does this plugin solve?</h4>
<p>Currently, it is possible for a consent management plugin to block third-party services like Facebook, Google Maps, Twitter, etc. But if a WordPress plugin places a PHP cookie, a consent management plugin cannot prevent this.</p>
<p>Secondly, some plugins integrate the tracking code on the clientside in javascript files that, when blocked, break the site.</p>
<p>Or, if such a plugin’s javascript is minified, causing the URL to be unrecognizable and won’t get detected by an automatic blocking script.</p>
<p>Lastly, the blocking approach requires a list of all types of URL’s that tracks data. A generic API where plugins adhere to can greatly<br />
facilitate a webmaster in getting a site compliant.</p>
<h4>Does usage of this API prevent third-party services from tracking user data?</h4>
<p>Primary this API is aimed at compliant first-party cookies or tracking by WordPress plugins. If such a plugin triggers, for example, Facebook,<br />
usage of this API will be of help. If a user embeds a Facebook iframe, a blocking tool is needed that initially disables the iframe and or scripts.</p>
<p>Third-party scripts have to blocked by blocking functionality in a consent management plugin. To do this in core would be to intrusive, and is also not applicable to all users: only users with visitors from opt-in regions such as the European Union require such a feature. Such a feature also has a risk of breaking things. Additionally, blocking these and showing a nice placeholder requires even more sophisticated code, all of which should in my opinion not be part of WordPress core, for the same reasons.</p>
<h4>How does it work?</h4>
<p>There are two indicators that together tell if consent is given for a specific consent category, e.g., “marketing”:<br />
1) the region based consent_type, which<br />
can be opt-in, opt-out, or other possible consent_types;<br />
2) and the visitor’s choice: not set, allow, or deny.</p>
<p>The consent_type is a function that wraps a filter, “wp_get_consent_type”. If there’s no consent management plugin to set it, it will return false. This will cause all consent categories to return true, allowing cookies to be set on all categories.</p>
<p>If opt-in is set using this filter, a category will only return true if the value of the visitor’s choice is “allow”.</p>
<p>If the region based consent_type is opt-out, it will return true if the visitor’s choice is not set or is “allow”.</p>
<p>Clientside, a consent management plugin can dynamically manipulate the consent type and set several cookie categories.</p>
<p>A plugin can use a hook to listen for changes or check the value of a given category.</p>
<p>Categories and most other stuff can be extended with a filter.</p>
<h3>Existing integrations</h3>
<p>Categorized, and sorted alphabetically</p>
<h4>Example plugin</h4>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://github.com/rlankhorst/consent-api-example-plugin" rel="nofollow ugc">Example plugin</a>. The plugin basically consists of a shortcode, with a div that shows a tracking or not tracking message. No actual tracking is done 🙂</li>
</ul>
<h4>Consent Management Providers</h4>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/sirdata-cmp/" rel="ugc">Abconsent Sirdata CMP</a>.</li>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/beautiful-and-responsive-cookie-consent/" rel="ugc">Beautiful Cookie Consent Banner</a>.</li>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/clickio-consent/" rel="ugc">Clickio Consent</a></li>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/complianz-gdpr/" rel="ugc">Complianz GDPR/CCPA</a>.</li>
<li><a href="https://consent.studio/" rel="nofollow ugc">Consent Studio</a>.</li>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/consent-manager/" rel="ugc">consentmanager</a>.</li>
<li><a href="https://conzent.net/" rel="nofollow ugc">Conzent</a>.</li>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/cookiebot/" rel="ugc">Cookiebot</a>.</li>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/cookiefirst-gdpr-cookie-consent-banner/" rel="ugc">CookieFirst</a>.</li>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/cookiehub/" rel="ugc">CookieHub</a>.</li>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/cookietractor/" rel="ugc">CookieTractor</a>.</li>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/cookie-law-info/" rel="ugc">CookieYes – Cookie Banner for Cookie Consent</a>.</li>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/gdpr-cookie-compliance/" rel="ugc">GDPR Cookie Compliance</a>.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.webtoffee.com/product/gdpr-cookie-consent/" rel="nofollow ugc">GDPR Cookie Consent Plugin – CCPA Ready</a>.</li>
<li><a href="https://getterms.io/consent-manager/" rel="nofollow ugc">GetTerms</a>.</li>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/iubenda-cookie-law-solution/" rel="ugc">iubenda | All-in-one Compliance</a>.</li>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/ibamu/" rel="ugc">Lawwwing</a>.</li>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/pressidium-cookie-consent/" rel="ugc">Pressidium Cookie Consent</a>.</li>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/trustarc-cookie-consent-manager/" rel="ugc">TrustArc Cookie Consent Manager</a></li>
</ul>
<h4>Consent Requiring Plugins</h4>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/add-to-any/" rel="ugc">AddToAny</a>.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.appfromlab.com/product/woocommerce-utm-tracker-plugin/" rel="nofollow ugc">AFL UTM Tracker Plugin</a>.</li>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/burst-statistics/" rel="ugc">Burst Statistics</a>.</li>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/google-site-kit/" rel="ugc">Google Site Kit</a>.</li>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/woocommerce-google-adwords-conversion-tracking-tag/" rel="ugc">Pixel Manager for WooCommerce</a>.</li>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/woocommerce/" rel="ugc">Woo</a>.</li>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-statistics/" rel="ugc">WP Statistics</a>.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Demo site</h3>
<p><a href="https://wpconsentapi.org/" rel="nofollow ugc">wpconsentapi.org</a><br />
Below are the plugins used to set up the demo site:</p>
<ul>
<li>Complianz</li>
<li><a href="https://github.com/rlankhorst/consent-api-example-plugin" rel="nofollow ugc">The example plugin</a></li>
</ul>
<h4>javascript, consent management plugin</h4>
<pre><code>//set consent type
window.wp_consent_type = 'optin'

//dispatch event when consent type is defined. This is useful if the region is detected server side, so the consent type is defined later during the pageload
let event = new CustomEvent('wp_consent_type_defined');
document.dispatchEvent( event );


//consent management plugin sets cookie when consent category value changes
wp_set_consent('marketing', 'allow');
</code></pre>
<h4>javascript, tracking plugin</h4>
<pre><code>//listen to consent change event
document.addEventListener("wp_listen_for_consent_change", function (e) {
  var changedConsentCategory = e.detail;
  for (var key in changedConsentCategory) {
    if (changedConsentCategory.hasOwnProperty(key)) {
      if (key === 'marketing' && changedConsentCategory[key] === 'allow') {
        console.log("just given consent, track user")
      }
    }
  }
});

//basic implementation of consent check:
if (wp_has_consent('marketing')){
  activateMarketing();
  console.log("set marketing stuff now!");
} else {
  console.log("No marketing stuff please!");
}
</code></pre>
<h4>PHP</h4>
<pre><code>//declare compliance with consent level API
$plugin = plugin_basename( __FILE__ );
add_filter( "wp_consent_api_registered_{$plugin}", '__return_true' );

/**
* Example how a plugin can register cookies with the consent API
 * These cookies can then be shown on the front-end, to the user, with wp_get_cookie_info()
 */

function my_wordpress_register_cookies(){
    if ( function_exists( 'wp_add_cookie_info' ) ) {
        wp_add_cookie_info( 'AMP_token', 'AMP', 'marketing', __( 'Session' ), __( 'Store a unique User ID.' ) );
    }
}
add_action('plugins_loaded', 'my_wordpress_register_cookies');


if (wp_has_consent('marketing')){
//do marketing stuff
}
</code></pre>
<h4>Service-level consent</h4>
<p>In addition to category-based consent, the API supports service-level consent control. This allows consent management plugins to grant or deny consent for specific services (like ‘google-analytics’ or ‘facebook-pixel’) independently from their category. When checking service consent with wp_has_service_consent(), the API first checks if explicit consent exists for that service. If no explicit consent is set, it falls back to the consent status of the service’s category. This enables fine-grained control: a user might accept statistics cookies in general, but explicitly deny a specific analytics service.</p>
<p>Service consent can be checked and set both server-side (PHP) and client-side (JavaScript):</p>
<p>PHP:</p>
<pre><code>//check if a specific service has consent
if ( wp_has_service_consent( 'google-analytics' ) ) {
    //activate google analytics
}

//check if a service is explicitly denied
if ( wp_is_service_denied( 'facebook-pixel' ) ) {
    //service was explicitly denied by user
}

//set service consent
wp_set_service_consent( 'google-analytics', true ); //grant consent
wp_set_service_consent( 'facebook-pixel', false ); //deny consent

//listen for service consent changes
add_action( 'wp_consent_service_changed', function( $service, $consented ) {
    error_log( "Service {$service} consent changed to: " . ( $consented ? 'granted' : 'denied' ) );
}, 10, 2 );
</code></pre>
<p>JavaScript:</p>
<pre><code>//check service consent
if ( wp_has_service_consent( 'youtube' ) ) {
    //activate tracking
}

//check if explicitly denied
if ( wp_is_service_denied( 'facebook-pixel' ) ) {
    //service denied
}

//set service consent
wp_set_service_consent( 'youtube', true );

//listen for service consent changes
document.addEventListener( 'wp_consent_api_status_change_service', function( e ) {
    console.log( 'Service: ' + e.detail.service + ', consented: ' + e.detail.value );
});
</code></pre>
<p>Any code suggestions? We’re on <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/wp-consent-level-api" rel="nofollow ugc">GitHub</a> as well!</p>


WP Consent API


Louis was great helping me with an issue. Plugin works great and highly recommend!


Great Support Team


The wp‑consent‑api plugin provides a clean, standardized way to manage user consent across plugins and themes. It solves a core problem with a lightweight API. This is definitely a feature that should be integrated into WordPress core to ensure consistent and compliant consent handling by default.


Future of WP Consent Management

Simple Consent API to read and register the current consent category.

danjed

<p>GDPR cookie consent with real script blocking.</p>
<p>Block Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, Meta Pixel, Hotjar, YouTube embeds, and other third-party services before they reach the browser.</p>
<p>Unlike JavaScript-based consent tools, blocked scripts never reach the browser at all.</p>
<p>Most cookie consent plugins display a banner and rely on JavaScript to stop tracking scripts. In many cases, those scripts can begin loading before the visitor has made a choice.</p>
<p>COOKR takes a different approach.</p>
<p>Scripts are blocked server-side before page delivery. Third-party services cannot execute until consent is explicitly granted. This helps website owners meet GDPR and TTDSG requirements more reliably.</p>
<p>Avoids the client-side race conditions common to JavaScript-only consent tools. No script guessing. No “hope it loads in time.”</p>
<p>Consent enforcement instead of consent theatre.</p>
<p>✓ Server-side script blocking — blocked before the browser receives them<br />
✓ Google Consent Mode v2 support<br />
✓ No external consent cloud<br />
✓ No proxy infrastructure<br />
✓ No visitor data sent to third parties<br />
✓ Works entirely on your WordPress installation</p>
<p>Built for site owners, agencies, and developers who want real GDPR cookie consent enforcement.</p>
<p>COOKR CORE includes:</p>
<ul>
<li>Consent banner & preferences UI</li>
<li>Server-side script interception via PHP output buffer</li>
<li>Auto-Blocker for third-party scripts and iframes</li>
<li>Runtime Inspector</li>
<li>CSP-aware restoration with nonce propagation</li>
<li>Google Consent Mode v2 support</li>
<li>Full JavaScript API (<code>window.cookrConsent</code>)</li>
<li>Self-hosted operation — no external services required</li>
</ul>
<p>COOKR RADR additionally includes:</p>
<ul>
<li>Privacy Radar — runtime detection and classification of third-party services</li>
<li>Enforcement Verification Framework — structured protocol for proving enforcement claims</li>
<li>Compatibility Matrix — tested stack database with VERIFIED/PARTIAL/UNKNOWN/FAILED states</li>
<li>Automatic optimizer exclusions — LiteSpeed, WP Rocket, Autoptimize, FlyingPress</li>
<li>Curated signature database with automatic weekly updates</li>
</ul>
<h4>How It Works</h4>
<p>COOKR intercepts scripts in the PHP output buffer using <code>WP_HTML_Tag_Processor</code> before delivery to the browser. Matching script and iframe tags are neutralised server-side and restored only after the visitor grants consent.</p>
<p>There is no client-side race condition because blocking happens before the browser receives the page.</p>
<h4>Auto-Blocker</h4>
<p>Enable in Settings. Off by default.</p>
<p>When enabled, COOKR rewrites matching script tags and iframe tags server-side — setting <code>type="text/plain"</code> and preserving original attributes in <code>data-cookr-*</code> attributes for restoration after consent.</p>
<p>Test after enabling when using WP Rocket, LiteSpeed Cache, NitroPack, or Cloudflare Rocket Loader.</p>
<h4>Runtime Inspector</h4>
<p>The Runtime Inspector exposes third-party runtime activity directly in the browser — blocked scripts, restored services, iframe activity, detected domains.</p>
<p>Enable in Settings. Append <code>?cookr_debug=1</code> to any frontend URL while logged in as administrator.</p>
<h4>CSP-aware</h4>
<p>COOKR supports strict Content Security Policies without requiring <code>unsafe-inline</code>.</p>
<p>Restored scripts preserve CSP integrity via automatic nonce propagation. COOKR reads the nonce WordPress assigns to enqueued scripts at request time and passes it to restored scripts — no manual configuration required.</p>
<h4>Developer JS API</h4>
<pre><code>cookrConsent.has('analytics')
cookrConsent.require('marketing', callback)
cookrConsent.whenConsented('analytics').then(fn)
cookrConsent.on('consent' | 'change' | 'decline' | 'reset', handler)
cookrConsent.off(event, handler)
cookrConsent.getConsent()
cookrConsent.getExpiry()
cookrConsent.categories()
cookrConsent.reset()
</code></pre>
<h4>Consent Categories</h4>
<ul>
<li><strong>Necessary</strong> — Always active.</li>
<li><strong>Analytics</strong> — GA, GTM, Matomo, Hotjar, Clarity, etc.</li>
<li><strong>Marketing</strong> — Meta Pixel, Google Ads, TikTok, LinkedIn, etc.</li>
<li><strong>External Media</strong> — YouTube, Vimeo, Google Maps, etc.</li>
</ul>
<h4>Does COOKR require an external cloud service?</h4>
<p>No. COOKR runs entirely on your WordPress installation.</p>
<h4>Does visitor consent data leave the server?</h4>
<p>No. Consent data is stored locally on your site.</p>
<h4>Is the Auto-Blocker enabled by default?</h4>
<p>No. Enable and test it after installation, particularly when using caching or JavaScript optimization plugins.</p>
<h4>Which services can be blocked?</h4>
<p>Any third-party script or iframe matching configured domains. Examples: Google Tag Manager, Meta Pixel, YouTube embeds, TikTok Analytics.</p>
<h4>Does COOKR support Google Consent Mode v2?</h4>
<p>Yes. Enable in settings when using GTM or GA4.</p>
<h4>How do I inspect runtime activity?</h4>
<p>Enable the Runtime Inspector in settings and append <code>?cookr_debug=1</code> to any frontend URL while logged in as administrator.</p>
<h4>Does COOKR store personal data?</h4>
<p>The consent log stores a hashed IP (not the raw IP address), consent choices, and a timestamp. The raw IP address is never stored.</p>
<h4>Is COOKR compatible with strict CSP?</h4>
<p>Yes. COOKR automatically reads the nonce WordPress assigns to enqueued scripts and passes it to restored scripts, preserving compatibility with <code>strict-dynamic</code> CSP policies. No manual configuration is required.</p>
<h4>Will COOKR work with caching plugins such as LiteSpeed Cache, WP Rocket, or Cloudflare?</h4>
<p>Yes, but always test after enabling script optimization features such as JavaScript combine, defer, delay, or Rocket Loader. COOKR performs script blocking server-side, but aggressive optimization plugins may alter script delivery and should be verified on your site.</p>
<p>RADR v1.9.8 adds automatic exclusion filters for LiteSpeed Cache, WP Rocket, Autoptimize, and FlyingPress — COOKR registers itself as excluded from JS combination pipelines automatically.</p>
<h4>Does COOKR require HTTPS?</h4>
<p>Yes. COOKR requires HTTPS for consent state to persist correctly across page loads. Modern browsers restrict cookie behaviour on HTTP origins — on HTTP, the consent cookie may not persist, causing the banner to reappear on every page load. HTTPS is also a legal recommendation under GDPR for any site collecting consent.</p>
<h4>What WordPress version is required?</h4>
<p>WordPress 6.2 or higher. COOKR uses <code>WP_HTML_Tag_Processor</code> for safe, attribute-aware script rewriting, introduced in WP 6.2.</p>
<h3>External Services</h3>
<p>This plugin does not connect to any external service by default.</p>
<p>The auto-blocker contains a built-in list of known third-party domains (such as googletagmanager.com, connect.facebook.net, maps.googleapis.com, etc.) that is used purely as a local reference to identify and block scripts before consent. No data is sent to these domains by this plugin — the list is pattern-matching data stored locally in the plugin code.</p>


COOKR – Cookie Consent & Script Blocking

GDPR cookie consent with server-side script blocking. Prevent Google Analytics, GTM, Meta Pixel and third-party embeds from loading before consent.

WP Consent API vs COOKR – Cookie Consent & Script Blocking