GDPR plugin for WordPress (a mandatory requirement for businesses in the European Union)

About the Project

I developed Doberman Cookie Consent for websites built on WordPress that need a legal way to collect statistics on visitors from the EU. The plugin requires no third-party services or subscriptions and does not load jQuery or external libraries. It is a single file that takes just a couple of minutes to install.

Why You Need It: EU Cookie Law

If your website has visitors from the European Union, two regulations apply to you:

• GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation, EU Regulation 2016/679) classifies cookie identifiers as personal data and requires a lawful basis for processing them.
• ePrivacy Directive (2002/58/EC, Article 5(3)) requires consent before storing or accessing non-essential cookies (analytics, advertising) on a user's device.

To be valid, consent must be:

• freely given. The website must not be blocked until the user clicks “Accept”;
• informed. You must explain which cookies are used and why;
• specific. Consent must be given separately for each category;
• unambiguous. Pre-checked boxes and silence do not constitute consent;
• revocable. It must be as easy to withdraw consent as it is to give it.

За нарушения штрафы по GDPR достигают 20 млн евро или 4% годового оборота. Для малого бизнеса реальный риск обычно связан с жалобами и предписаниями надзорных органов, но исправлять всё равно приходится на ходу и в спешке. Проще настроить всё правильно сразу.

Plugin Features

Consent and Privacy

• Three actions on the banner: “Accept All,” “Necessary Only,” and “Manage.” All buttons are equally prominent.
• Separate settings for necessary cookies (always enabled) and analytics (enabled by the user).
• Google Analytics loads only after consent is given. No requests are sent to Google without consent.
• The user's choice is stored in a cookie for 365 days. The duration can be changed by editing a single number; the GDPR maximum is approximately 13 months.
• The cookie stores only the user's choice and the time of the decision, with no personal data.
• A link to your Cookie Policy directly in the banner text.

Analytics

• Support for Google Analytics 4, Google Tag Manager, and Universal Analytics (legacy).
• For developers, there is an event dcc:consent. It can be used to load other scripts (such as tracking pixels) only after consent has been given.

Design and compatibility

• Automatic dark mode: the plugin detects it based on the attribute data-scheme="dark" on the tag <html>.
• Responsive layout for phones and tablets.
• The banner styles are isolated from the site's theme, so buttons and fonts are not “broken” by external CSS.
• Smooth appearance, minimal footprint, and no external dependencies other than the analytics platform itself.
• Accessibility features: ARIA roles, keyboard navigation, aria-expanded on the settings button.

For the Website Owner

• Instructions page in the WordPress admin panel (Settings → Cookie Consent): where to change the analytics ID, policy link, retention period, and how to reset consent for testing.
• Banner interface in English.

Two Ways to Get the Plugin

Option 1. Buy the plugin and set it up yourself

You receive the plugin and instructions. You then configure the analytics ID and Cookie Policy link yourself.

Advantages

• The fastest and most affordable option.
• You have full control over the code and can customize it to suit your needs.
• A good fit if you or your developer are comfortable working with WordPress and FTP.

Cons

• You are fully responsible for configuring everything correctly.
• You will need to prepare the Cookie Policy and legal wording yourself.
• If the site uses a custom theme or multiple tracking scripts, you will have to figure it out yourself.
• Support is limited to answering questions about the plugin.

Option 2. Plugin + Turnkey Setup

I install the plugin on your site and configure it so that everything works properly.

Advantages

• A ready-to-use solution without the hassle of dealing with code.
• Verification that analytics do not load before consent is given (using the browser's developer tools).
• Integration of your GA4 or GTM and, if necessary, other scripts via the consent event.
• Customization of the appearance to match your website, including dark mode.
• Compatibility testing with your theme and other plugins.

Cons

• More expensive than Option 1.
• You will need to provide access to the website (I recommend creating a separate account with limited validity).

Not included in either option: legal advice and drafting a Cookie Policy. The plugin handles the technical aspect of the consent mechanism, but a lawyer must provide the legal assessment for your business.