CookieYes Review: Price, Features, Pros, Cons

CookieYes is a consent management platform (CMP) that automates cookie consent management, helping business owners comply with global privacy laws.

Looking for CookieYes reviews? This CookieYes review article covers notable features of the CookieYes tool, including compliance and consent management, an automated cookie scanner, and a customizable cookie banner. It provides a CookieYes software pricing overview and compares CookieYes pros (such as ease of use) and cons (such as limited free tier functionality).

What is CookieYes?

CookieYes is a Google-certified consent management platform that helps businesses comply with privacy laws including the European Union's (EU) General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), and Brazil's Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados (LGPD).

CookieYes software is designed for businesses and website operators that collect user data and need cookie consent solutions to comply with privacy laws.

The CookieYes tool helps businesses collect and manage user cookie consent with features that include a customizable cookie banner, granular consent controls, and automatic third-party cookie blocking until consent is granted.

Other key CookieYes features include:

• Cookie list and preference center
• Geo-targeting
• Auto-translation
• Consent logging
• Flexible tech integrations
• Automated cookie scans

The CookieYes automated cookie scanner detects and identifies all cookies and trackers on a website, helping businesses maintain compliance and transparency.

What is the CookieYes Price?

The CookieYes price is dependent on the plan you choose, with plans ranging from $10/month to $55/month.

You can access CookieYes software through the following paid plans:

• Free. The Free plan is designed for blogs and personal websites, and includes 100 pages per scan, 15,000 pageviews, and basic customization.
• Basic. The Basic plan is $10/month per domain and is limited to core consent management features–such as banner customizations, custom CSS, and Google Consent Mode–making it best suited for smaller websites with straightforward compliance needs. It includes 600 pages per scan and 100,000 pageviews per month (+ $0.30 per 1,000 extra pageviews).
• Pro. The Pro plan is $25/month per domain and is designed for medium and scaling businesses. It offers 4,000 pages per scan and 300,000 pageviews per month (+ $0.30 per 1,000 extra pageviews). The Pro plan includes everything in the Basic plan, plus a geo-targeting banner, a popup layout, a pre-built Interactive Advertising Bureau Transparency and Consent Framework (IAB TCF) v2.2 banner, and the ability to disable banners on specific pages.
• Ultimate. High-traffic sites that outgrow the Pro plan's page and scanning limits may do better with the Ultimate plan, which is $55/month per domain. The Ultimate plan provides 8,000 pages per scan and unlimited pageviews each month. It includes everything in the Pro plan, plus a custom icon for the revisit consent button, the ability to scan behind login, and the option to remove CookieYes branding.

Agencies that manage multiple clients can contact CookieYes to sign up for its Agency Partner Program, which offers up to 50% partner discounts and the ability to manage all domains from one dashboard.

To get started with a CookieYes account, provide your email address and website URL, choose a password, and read and agree to the CookieYes Terms and Privacy Policy.

CookieYes provides a 14-day free trial of the CookieYes tool, which can be canceled at any time. Plans are billed monthly or annually; businesses that pay annually get 2 months free.

Wondering "What is CookieYes and is CookieYes worth it?" Yes, CookieYes is generally worth it for businesses that need flexible and compliant cookie consent management.

CookieYes features such as consent banners, cookie scanning, and automatic blocking help reduce legal risk and save time, while tiered pricing plans make it accessible for small websites and larger organizations alike.

For companies that rely on analytics or marketing cookies, CookieYes's compliance protection and convenience typically justify the cost.

What are the Best CookieYes Features?

The best CookieYes features are an automated cookie scanner, a customisable cookie banner, automatic cookie blocking, flexible tech integrations, a comprehensive consent log, and legal policy generators.

CookieYes features include:

• Compliance & Consent Management: Tools to capture, store, and manage user consent, helping businesses comply with privacy laws. For example, businesses can reduce legal risk and simplify consent management by showing a consent banner to EU visitors.
• Automated Cookie Scanner: Automatically detects all cookies and trackers on a website. This helps save time and comply with privacy laws, and is useful for scanning large e-commerce sites.
• Customisable Cookie Banner: A banner that users can interact with to accept, reject, or customize cookie preferences, or request that their information not be sold or shared. It builds user trust, improves transparency, and helps websites show localized consent options.
• Automatic Cookie Blocking: Prevents non-essential cookies from loading until consent is given, reducing accidental tracking. This helps protect privacy and is useful on websites with strict consent needs.
• Flexible Tech Integrations: Compatible with CMS platforms, custom-coded sites, and third-party tools. This reduces setup complexity and works for sites using WordPress, Shopify, or Google Consent Mode.
• Comprehensive Consent Log: Maintains detailed records of all user consent actions, enabling businesses to demonstrate compliance. For example, during a GDPR audit, a company can provide a 12-month log of user consents.
• Legal Policy Generators: Automatically creates Privacy Policies and Cookie Policies. It saves time, ensures accuracy, and is helpful for new websites needing privacy law-compliant policies.
• Google-certified CMP: Recognized by Google as a compliant CMP, ensuring proper consent for Google tools like Ads, Analytics, or Tag Manager, so sites stay compliant while enabling accurate data and ad personalization.
• Platform-agnostic implementation: Can be deployed on any website regardless of platform, offering flexibility. For example, CookieYes can be implemented on WordPress, Shopify, Wix, or custom HTML sites.
• Powerful website scanner: Detects trackers and cookies across a site. This helps identify compliance gaps and is beneficial before GDPR audits or site launches.
• Complete cookie control: Lets businesses categorize, block, and manage all cookies on their site, enhancing user trust and supporting privacy law compliance. For example, a website can enable users to opt out of analytics or marketing cookies while keeping essential cookies active.
• Compliance with multiple privacy laws: Helps businesses comply with privacy laws like the GDPR, CCPA, and LGPD. This reduces legal risk globally and is useful for multinational companies managing websites in multiple regions.
• Free and cost-effective plans: Offers tiered pricing, including a free plan for small sites. This lowers barriers to privacy compliance and supports startups or small websites.

Let's take a closer look at CookieYes features to see how CookieYes capabilities can help business owners manage cookie consent and comply with privacy laws.

1. Compliance & Consent Management

Compliance & Consent Management is the process of obtaining and managing user consent for the collection and use of their data. Businesses that rely on consent as their legal basis for processing personal data must first get clear, informed consent under privacy laws like the GDPR.

CookieYes compliance & consent management features help businesses comply with these privacy laws by ensuring users are informed and can consent before non-essential cookies are placed.

By promoting transparency and giving users control over their cookie preferences, these features reduce legal risk and help businesses build trust with privacy-conscious users.

Key CookieYes tools that help businesses meet privacy laws' consent requirements include:

• Granular consent options: Users can view a cookie list and provide granular consent for specific cookie categories. This helps ensure that businesses respect user preferences and only set cookies that users have agreed to.
• Consent Log: The CookieYes Consent Log stores all user consents that are given via a website's cookie banner, providing evidence in case of audits or legal inquiries.
• Geo-targeting: Cookie banners can be set to appear based on users' geographic locations, ensuring compliance with region-specific privacy regulations.

For instance, an EU-based e-commerce site uses cookies to track users' purchasing behavior and relies on consent as its legal basis under the GDPR. The site must inform users about collected data and give them control over cookie consent.

Using CookieYes's geo-targeting feature, the site can display a cookie banner specifically to EU users that explains why cookies are used and requests permission for non-essential cookies. User preferences are then collected and stored in the Consent Log, helping the site comply with GDPR requirements and maintain a record for audits.

The availability of CookieYes's compliance and consent management features depends on which plan you choose. For example, geo-targeting is only available in Pro and Ultimate plans.

Paid subscribers can use the CookieYes geotargeting feature to show their cookie banner only to visitors from specific countries.

2. Automated Cookie Scanner

Automated Cookie Scanner is an advanced website scanner that checks websites for over 100,000 pre-categorized cookies. The CookieYes automated cookie scanner generates a detailed cookie audit report that identifies and describes the cookies that are present on a website. This helps businesses manage cookies for privacy law compliance.

The CookieYes Automated Cookie Scanner gives businesses visibility and control over the cookies on their website. After each scan, CookieYes generates a detailed cookie audit report that categorizes cookies as Necessary, Functional, Analytics, Performance, or Advertisement, along with key details such as cookie ID, domain, duration, and description.

This structured reporting improves transparency, supports accurate consent categorization, and helps users make informed decisions about their data.

For example, an online retail store regularly adds new marketing and analytics tools to its website. The store can use the CookieYes scanner to automatically detect and categorize any new cookies or trackers added by these tools. This helps the store comply with privacy laws by keeping a complete inventory of cookies, so consent can be requested for non-essential cookies and records can be maintained for audits.

You can use CookieYes's Free Website Cookie Checker for a basic scan of your website, but you'll need to sign up for one of the paid plans for a full cookie audit.

Monthly scheduled scans that automatically detect and update new cookies are only available on the Pro and Ultimate plans, leaving lower-tier users without ongoing automatic cookie detection.

The CookieYes scanner shows how many cookies and categories were detected, the date of the last successful scan, how many pages were scanned, and when the next scan is scheduled (for paid subscribers).

3. Customisable Cookie Banner

Customisable Cookie Banner is a tool that businesses use to personalize and display a cookie consent banner on their website. It can be configured to match a site's design and legal requirements, and is the consent interface visitors use to accept or manage cookies.

CookieYes customisable cookie banner components include:

• Consent Template. You can choose from the following Consent Templates: GDPR, US State Laws, or GDPR & US State Laws. Note that the GDPR & US State Laws option is only available on Pro and Ultimate plans.
• Support IAB TCF v2.2. Businesses using the GDPR Consent Template can enable a banner that allows website visitors to set granular advertising tracking preferences. This option is only available on Pro and Ultimate Plans.
• Consent expiration. By default, CookieYes stores consent for 365 days, but you can adjust when the banner reappears for returning visitors.
• Layout. You can choose from three banner layouts: Box, Banner, and Popup.
• Content. You can customize banner elements and content–including a Revisit Consent Button that enables users to change their consent at any time–but custom logos are only available on paid plans. Disabling CookieYes branding is only available on the Ultimate plan.
• Google Privacy Policy. Businesses that use certain Google services can enable Show Google Privacy Policy to comply with Google requirements.
• Colors. You can change the colors of the banner and elements, including background, text, and buttons.
• Custom CSS. Basic, Pro, and Ultimate plan users can add CSS to personalize their banner style.

Businesses can enable the Revisit Consent Button via the CookieYes Cookie Banner tab to give visitors the ability to change their consent choices at any time.

The CookieYes customisable cookie banner is valuable because it helps websites comply with privacy regulations while giving users an easy way to control their cookie preferences.

For example, the cookie banner enables a visitor to choose to allow only essential cookies while declining marketing or analytics cookies, ensuring their browsing preferences are respected without sacrificing access to the site. The business can add links to its Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy to the banner, helping it comply with transparency obligations under laws like the GDPR and the CCPA.

4. Automatic Cookie Blocking

Automatic Cookie Blocking is an in-built CookieYes feature that automatically detects and prevents all third-party cookies from being set until after a user consents.

The CookieYes Automatic Cookie Blocking feature is valuable because it helps businesses meet the cookie consent requirements of laws like the GDPR and the ePrivacy Directive.

Businesses benefit from automated script control that reduces compliance risk, while website visitors benefit from having their privacy preferences respected before data collection begins.

For example, a website uses Google Analytics to track visitor behavior. With automated cookie blocking, the analytics script only runs after the visitor consents, ensuring the business stays compliant with EU privacy laws that require cookie consent.

The automatic cookie blocking feature is included in both free and paid plans and helps with cookie consent requirements, but it doesn't make a site fully compliant with all privacy laws.

Businesses still need to take steps to ensure full compliance with applicable privacy laws, which can include:

• Maintaining a compliant Privacy Policy that discloses data collection and use
• Establishing a legal basis for processing personal data
• Implementing proper personal data handling practices, including secure storage and retention limits
• Fulfilling other privacy law requirements, such as providing opt-out mechanisms and targeted advertising disclosures

5. Flexible Tech Integrations

Flexible Tech Integrations are a set of CookieYes features that support consent frameworks and automatically detect and honor privacy signals.

CookieYes flexible tech integrations include:

• Google-certified CMP supporting Google Consent Mode and IAB TCF v2.2 (a framework that is used to share user consent with IAB partners)
• Simple setup on any website or CMS platform, including WordPress, Shopify, and Wix
• Seamless integration with Microsoft Universal Event Tracking (UET) Consent Mode (a tool that lets you control UET cookie access based on a user's consent choices) for compliant analytics and marketing
• Automatic recognition of privacy signals like Global Privacy Control (GPC) (a browser-based signal that lets users tell websites they don't want their personal data collected or shared) and Do Not Track (DNT)

The CookieYes Google Consent Mode guide explains that Basic Consent Mode is enabled by default, but that it can be turned on by logging into your account, navigating to Advanced Settings, and toggling the Support GCM button to the right.

For example, an e-commerce website uses Google Ads to advertise to people searching for similar products. It implements Google Consent Mode to manage how Google tags behave based on user consent. By activating the CookieYes Google Consent Mode v2 feature, visitor consent choices are communicated to Google, helping ensure advertising tags operate according to those preferences.

Flexible Tech Integrations features simplify compliance with consent frameworks and privacy signals by enabling easy setup across multiple platforms and automatically recognizing privacy signals, saving time while ensuring visitor consent preferences are respected.

Note that not all of these features are available on all plans. For instance, Global Privacy Control and the IAB TCF v2.2 are only available on Pro and Ultimate plans.

6. Comprehensive Consent Log

Comprehensive Consent Log is a CookieYes feature that records all user consents from the cookie banner on your website.

The CookieYes comprehensive consent log records details including:

• Consent ID
• Country
• Consent Status
• Date and Time
• Proof of Consent

This feature is valuable because it helps businesses comply with privacy laws such as the GDPR and the ePrivacy Directive, which require website owners to obtain valid consent before setting non-essential cookies and be able to demonstrate that consent was obtained.

For example, if regulators question GDPR compliance, a business using this feature can produce timestamped consent records, lowering the risk of fines or enforcement actions.

The CookieYes How to Record User Consent for Cookies page explains that users can view up to 100 of their most recent logged consents by signing in to their account and selecting Consent Log.

Keep in mind that Consent Log functionality is limited according to your plan:

• Country can only be viewed in the Basic, Pro, and Ultimate plans
• Basic, Pro, and Ultimate plan users can access consent logs for up to 5 years, but Free plan users can only export consent logs for up to 1 year
• The timeframe during which consent logs can be viewed and searched depends on your plan: Ultimate – 1 year, Pro – 6 months, Basic – 3 months, Free – 1 month

7. Legal Policy Generators

Legal Policy Generators is a set of CookieYes features that help businesses quickly create customized Privacy Policies and Cookie Policies. These generators help businesses comply with laws like the GDPR and the CCPA, which require websites to provide transparent information about how personal data is collected, used, and shared.

Businesses can use CookieYes legal policy generators to generate a personalized Cookie Policy with a full cookie list and create a compliant Privacy Policy by filling out a short questionnaire, saving time and helping to ensure compliance with privacy laws.

The CookieYes Privacy Policy generator includes questions about what collected data will be used for and how long the data will be retained.

For example, a website that offers products to people in the EU must maintain a GDPR-compliant Privacy Policy that clearly explains what personal data is collected, how it is used, who it is shared with, and the rights of users regarding their data. The website operator uses the CookieYes legal policy generator to create a compliant Privacy Policy in minutes, then posts it on the website where users can easily access it, helping ensure ongoing compliance with the GDPR.

Only paid subscribers can generate a policy in multiple languages; however, basic functionality is available on all plans.

8. Platform-agnostic implementation

CookieYes platform-agnostic implementation means that CookieYes works on any website, including Content Management Systems (CMS) and HTML sites.

Businesses can easily create customized cookie banners, then add the code to their website, helping to ensure compliance with privacy laws.

For example, a website can deploy a CookieYes cookie banner on platforms such as WordPress, Shopify, or Wix, as well as on custom-built HTML sites, such as portfolio sites or landing pages.

CookieYes provides implementation guides, such as its Shopify cookie banner guide, for easy setup on multiple platforms.

The platform-agnostic nature of CookieYes remains consistent across its offering, but access to its full flexibility depends on the subscription tier, with lower plans covering basic integrations while advanced capabilities, scalability, and deeper customization for complex setups are reserved for higher tiers.

9. Powerful website scanner

Powerful website scanner is a CookieYes feature that discovers and categorizes cookies and trackers on your domain.

The scanner detects cookies and hidden trackers and automatically categorizes them using a database of over 100,000 cookies. It generates a detailed cookie audit table to provide transparency to your website visitors. Each scan updates the cookie list displayed in your banner, helping to ensure compliance with privacy law transparency requirements.

For example, a digital marketing agency manages multiple client websites. The agency uses the CookieYes powerful website scanner to update the cookie list in each site's banner, helping ensure transparency with visitors and compliance with laws like the GDPR and the CCPA.

The number of website pages you can scan to detect cookies and trackers depends on your selected plan:

• Free: 100 pages per scan
• Basic: 600 pages per scan
• Pro: 4,000 pages per scan
• Ultimate: 8,000 pages per scan

Scheduled scanning is only available on the Pro and Ultimate plans.

Paid plans offer unlimited cookie scans, which ensure your cookie list is up-to-date, but the Free plan is limited to 5 cookie scans per month.

Only Ultimate plan users can access the scan behind login feature, which detects cookies hidden behind login screens, and the static IP scanning feature, which whitelists CookieYes IP addresses to prevent firewalls or security systems from blocking the scanner.

CookieYes Ultimate plan users can whitelist IP addresses, helping ensure complete cookie scans and support audits.

10. Complete cookie control

Complete cookie control is a set of CookieYes features that lets you manage how cookies are set on your website.

CookieYes complete cookie control includes:

• Third-party cookie blocking: Built-in integrations help ensure visitors provide consent, supporting compliance with privacy laws.
• Manual cookie blocking: Allows you to add specific cookies to block as needed.
• Do Not Track (DNT) support: Honors visitors' browser privacy settings, respecting their choice not to be tracked.

For example, an online retailer uses CookieYes on its website to manage cookie consent. With built-in third-party cookie blocking, the site ensures advertising and analytics cookies aren't set without visitors' consent, helping the business comply with privacy laws and build trust with users by respecting their privacy preferences.

11. Compliance with multiple privacy laws

Compliance with multiple privacy laws is one of the main benefits CookieYes provides to businesses.

CookieYes compliance with multiple privacy laws relies on tools such as customizable cookie banners, cookie auto-blocking, and supported integration with Google Tag Manager, Consent Mode V2, and IAB TCF v2.2. These features help businesses meet requirements under laws like the GDPR, the CCPA, and the ePrivacy Directive.

For example, an e-commerce site uses CookieYes to manage cookie consent on its website. By blocking advertising cookies until visitors provide consent, honoring privacy signals, and automatically updating the site's cookie banner to reflect all active cookies, CookieYes gives visitors control over their data while helping businesses reduce legal risk.

Global privacy laws like the GDPR, Brazil's LGPD, and Canada's Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) require businesses to:

• Have a valid legal basis (such as consent) before collecting or processing personal data (including data collected through tracking cookies)
• Provide clear and transparent disclosures about what data is collected and why
• Allow individuals to exercise their privacy rights, such as the ability to withdraw consent
• Demonstrate accountability, such as being able to show that consent was properly obtained when required

The CookieYes GDPR opt-in cookie banner template enables businesses to display customizable cookie banners that collect consent. Visitors can accept or reject all cookies, or adjust their cookie preferences.

Users can control cookie choices by clicking Customise.

CookieYes opt-in cookie banner templates support compliance with the following global privacy laws:

• EU and United Kingdom (UK): GDPR
• Andorra: Qualified Personal Data Protection Law (LQPD)
• Argentina: Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL)
• Australia: Privacy Act
• Brazil: LGPD
• Canada: PIPEDA
• Faroe Islands: Data Protection Act (DPA)
• Quebec: Law 25
• Saudi Arabia: Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL)
• South Africa: Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA)
• Switzerland: New Federal Act on Data Protection (nFADP)

US state laws such as the CCPA, the Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act (VCDPA), and the Colorado Privacy Law (CPA) require businesses to provide a way for users to opt out of the sale of their personal information.

Section 1798.135 of the CCPA explains that businesses that sell or share consumers' (California residents) personal information must provide a way for them to opt out of the sale or sharing of their data.

CookieYes offers opt-out cookie banner templates to support compliance with the following state laws:

• California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)
• Colorado Privacy Law (CPA)
• Connecticut Data Privacy Act (CTDPA)
• Utah Consumer Privacy Act (UCPA)
• Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act (VCDPA)

The CookieYes opt-out consent template for US state laws includes a Do Not Share or Sell My Personal Information link.

When visitors click the link, a pop-up box opens that describes how the site uses third-party cookies and how users can opt out of these cookies.

Keep in mind that access to CookieYes privacy law compliance features depends on the plan you choose.

For instance, multilingual and auto-translated banners are only available on paid plans, and geo-targeting and the pre-built IAB TCF v2.2 banner are only accessible on Pro or Ultimate plans.

12. Free and cost-effective plans

Free and cost-effective plans are a major draw for businesses considering CookieYes.

CookieYes free and cost-effective plans include:

• Free: This plan helps blogs and personal websites create cookie banners that comply with global and U.S. privacy laws, automatically blocks third-party cookies, and supports Google Consent Mode and DNT. However, if you have a larger website or your needs go beyond basic compliance tools, a paid plan is typically required.
• Basic: Small businesses and those just starting out can access advanced customizations on the Basic plan, including multilingual and auto-translated banners and custom CSS.
• Pro: The Pro plan helps growing businesses maintain privacy law compliance with features including geo-targeting, monthly scheduled scanning, and GPC and IAB TCF v2.2 integrations.
• Ultimate: High-traffic businesses benefit from features such as weekly scheduled scanning, custom branding, and the ability to scan behind login and whitelist CookieYes IP addresses, helping maintain compliance while protecting brand consistency.

For example, a large e-commerce company with thousands of daily visitors uses weekly scheduled scanning to automatically detect new cookies. By scanning behind login, it ensures cookies used in customer account areas are properly disclosed, while IP whitelisting allows uninterrupted scanning without security conflicts. Together, these features help the company maintain accurate cookie disclosures, reduce compliance risk, and protect its brand reputation.

CookieYes plans range from $0 to $55/month per domain.

How does CookieYes Tool Work?

CookieYes Tool works by scanning your website to detect cookies and tracking tools and categorizing them. It enables you to display a customizable consent banner that allows visitors to accept, reject, or customize their preferences.

The main methodology behind how CookieYes works is automated cookie discovery combined with consent-based control.

If you're wondering how to use CookieYes, the process is straightforward: create an account, run a cookie scan, review and categorize detected cookies, configure your banner settings, and install the generated script on your website.

Key mechanisms include:

• Customizable consent banners
• Consent logging
• Geo-targeted banner display
• Auto-blocking of third-party cookies
• Integrations with tools like Google Tag Manager and Consent Mode

Prerequisites include access to your website's code and the ability to install scripts or plugins.

Prerequisites & Components

Prerequisites & Components include access to your website's code or CMS and the ability to install scripts or plugins.

Once these are in place, CookieYes scans your site for cookies, categorizes them, and offers features such as consent logging, geo-targeted banners, and third-party cookie blocking, helping businesses honor visitor preferences and comply with privacy laws.

Step-by-Step Process Flow

Step-by-Step Process Flow for setting up CookieYes begins with ensuring you have access to your website's code or CMS (such as WordPress, Shopify, or a custom HTML site) and the ability to install scripts or plugins.

This step-by-step guide explains how to use CookieYes to manage consent, maintain accurate cookie disclosures, and support privacy law compliance.

Step 1: Create an Account and Run a Scan

Sign up for a CookieYes account and enter your website URL. Initiate a cookie scan so CookieYes can detect and categorize the cookies and tracking technologies used on your site.

Once the scan is complete, it's still a good idea to manually check for cookies to make sure there aren't any cookies on your site that the scanner didn't detect.

Step 2: Configure Your Consent Banner

Customize your cookie banner settings, including:

• Layout
• Language
• Colors
• Content
• Consent options
• Geo-targeting rules
• Any required integrations such as Google Consent Mode or IAB TCF v2.2 (depending on your plan)

You can find customization options–including the ability to edit your Cookie Notice, Opt-Out Center, and Revisit Consent Button–in the Cookie Banner section of your CookieYes account.

Step 3: Install the Code and Publish

When you're done with customizations, click Publish Changes, then Install the code now.

You can install the code manually on your website by copying the code and pasting it in your website's header section.

Another option is implementing Google Consent Mode and installing the code with Google Tag Manager. You can then copy the website key and add it to the CookieYes CMP template in Google Tag Manager.

If you're using the WordPress plugin, you can skip this step and directly connect the plugin on the CookieYes web app.

After installation, you can click Verify, and CookieYes will connect to your site to confirm installation. Make sure to test all consent options to confirm that visitors' choices are recorded in the Consent Log.

Key Mechanisms Explained

Key Mechanisms Explained: CookieYes scans and categorizes cookies, blocks non-essential cookies until user consent is given, displays a customizable consent banner, and logs user preferences for compliance records.

Key CookieYes mechanisms include:

• Cookie scanning: CookieYes scans your site to detect and categorize cookies (necessary, analytics, advertising, etc.).
• Customizable consent banners: Visitors can accept, reject, or customize cookie categories or opt out of the sale or sharing of their personal information through the consent banner.
• Consent logging: Users' cookie preferences are recorded in the Consent Log as proof of consent.
• Geo-targeted banner display: Geo-targeting displays cookie banners based on the user's location.
• Auto-blocking of third-party cookies: Non-essential cookies are blocked until a visitor provides consent. Only necessary cookies load by default, helping prevent tracking before user approval.
• Integrations with tools like Google Tag Manager and Google Consent Mode: Integrations with these tools help businesses stay compliant by ensuring that tags operate based on user consent.

Edge Cases & Failure Modes

Some site setups–like pages behind login or security firewalls–might not be detected by automated scanning. In these cases, reviewing results manually or adjusting settings helps ensure CookieYes detects and manages all cookies correctly.

For example, the CookieYes cookie scan could fail in the following scenarios:

• A firewall blocks the scanner
• Headless browsers are restricted
• The Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud provider is blocked
• JavaScript errors interfere with the scanner
• The server has limited resources
• External access to the site is restricted

The CookieYes troubleshooting page for cookie scan fails explains that if a firewall blocks the scanner, the firewall can be temporarily disabled during the scan, or Ultimate plan users can whitelist CookieYes IP addresses.

What Are the Pros and Cons of CookieYes?

The table below outlines the key advantages and disadvantages of CookieYes to help you quickly evaluate its strengths and limitations.

What are the Pros of CookieYes?

The Pros of CookieYes are simplicity, automation, compliance coverage, and scalability.

CookieYes pros include:

• Very Easy to Use: CookieYes is designed for non-technical users, with a guided interface and clear prompts. It only takes a few minutes for users to complete the initial setup, helping businesses save time.
• Incredibly Straightforward Setup: Installation is typically a one-step plugin for WordPress or a single script for other websites. Fast deployment means businesses can quickly implement cookie consent management.
• Clean and Intuitive Dashboard: The Dashboard, Consent Log, Cookie Banner, Cookie Manager, and Settings are organized in an easy-to-navigate layout. Users can monitor compliance at a glance, improving oversight.
• True Plug-and-Play Solution for WordPress: CookieYes integrates directly with WordPress, making GDPR and CCPA compliance easy for businesses with WordPress sites.
• No-Code Implementation: Users can set up CookieYes by copying a pre-generated script or installing a plugin. With no programming skills required, businesses can manage compliance without having to rely on developers.
• Effective Support for Major Privacy Laws: CookieYes supports compliance with the GDPR, CCPA, and other global privacy laws. Features such as region-specific banners, consent logging, and third-party cookie blocking help businesses reduce legal risk and promote transparency.
• First Line of Defense Against Hefty Fines: Non-essential cookies are blocked until visitor consent is granted, user consent is recorded, and cookie banners include an up-to-date list of cookies, helping minimize potential penalties from regulators.
• Customizable Consent Banner: Layout, content, and appearance can be adjusted to match brand guidelines, helping businesses maintain brand consistency while meeting privacy law transparency requirements.
• Granular Preference Center: Visitors can accept or reject specific categories of cookies, which contributes to user trust and satisfies privacy law transparency obligations.
• Easy Consent Withdrawal: Users can update or withdraw consent anytime via the revisit consent button, helping businesses comply with revocable consent requirements.
• Automatic Script Blocking: Scripts do not fire until consent is obtained, preventing unauthorized cookies before user approval.
• Automated Cookie Scanner: The scanner detects and categorizes cookies automatically, reducing manual auditing, saving time, and improving accuracy.
• Scheduled Scans: Scans can be set to run weekly or monthly, depending on the plan, helping businesses maintain an accurate cookie list.
• Legal Policy Generators: Businesses can easily create Cookie Policies and Privacy Policies, supporting compliance with laws like the GDPR and the CCPA and helping to reduce reliance on external legal support.
• Geo-Targeting: This feature shows different cookie banners based on visitor location, helping ensure compliance with regional privacy laws.
• Multi-Language Support: CookieYes benefits include consent banners available in multiple languages for paid plan users, helping businesses serve international visitors and maintain global privacy law compliance.
• Comprehensive Customization Options: Advanced settings allow control over banner status, consent options, integrations, and static IP scan, enabling businesses to tailor cookie compliance to their unique site setups.
• Robust Free Plan: The Free plan offers essential scanning and banner tools, giving small businesses access to basic compliance capabilities.
• Powerful and User-Friendly Solution: CookieYes advantages include automation paired with an intuitive dashboard, making cookie compliance easy for those without technical expertise.
• Intuitive Interface: Navigation and labels are logical and easy to follow, reducing training time and errors in setup.
• High Quality of Support: CookieYes has a 4.8 star rating on TrustPilot, with customers praising its customer service response times and efficient resolution of issues.
• Broad Platform Compatibility: CookieYes works across CMS platforms and custom-coded sites alike. It is compatible with WordPress, Shopify, Wix, and Google Tag Manager, helping businesses maintain compliance and manage consent users across multiple platforms.
• Optimized for Performance: CookieYes is lightweight, using a content delivery network (CDN) and optimised code to minimise impact on load speed.
• Scalable Tools for Agencies: The CookieYes Partner Program for agencies offers up to 50% discounts, flexible pricing, 1:1 support, custom demos, and multi-site management and reporting, helping agencies to deliver compliance at scale.

What are the Cons of CookieYes?

The cons of CookieYes are limitations such as restricted feature access on lower-tier plans and potential challenges in maintaining full legal compliance.

CookieYes cons include:

• Limited Free Tier Functionality: One of the main CookieYes disadvantages is that the Free plan is limited to basic cookie scanning and banner customization. Advanced features like multilingual banners, geotargeting, and static IP scanning are only available on paid plans. Small businesses may quickly outgrow the Free plan, requiring an upgrade to access essential compliance tools. The Free plan is sufficient for very basic use, but inadequate for businesses with multiple sites or stricter compliance requirements.
• Setup and Customization Challenges: Customizing cookie banners or integrating CookieYes with complex websites can require technical expertise. Non-technical users may struggle to implement the desired appearance or behavior of consent banners, leading to compliance issues. Larger businesses or users with limited technical knowledge who need real-time assistance with setup can only access chat support on the paid plans.
• Customer Support Issues: While CookieYes customer support receives many positive reviews, some users report delays in response times. Slow resolution of issues can increase risk exposure, particularly for organizations operating in highly regulated environments where compliance failures lead to fines or regulatory action.
• Website Management Restrictions: Certain advanced features (like scheduled scans or geotargeting) are only available on higher-tier plans, and managing multiple sites can require extra subscriptions. This makes centralized website management more challenging for organizations running several domains. Businesses with multiple domains must pay for a plan for each separate domain or enroll in the Agency Partner Program.
• Pricing and Feature Limitations: The price for paid tiers can add up, especially for businesses with multiple domains. Some advanced features are locked behind paid subscriptions, making the long-term cost significant for small businesses trying to maintain compliance across multiple sites.
• Geographic/Legal Compliance Concerns: One of the main CookieYes limitations is that CookieYes doesn't fully address all aspects of all privacy laws, particularly rapidly evolving regulations outside the EU or the US. Relying solely on the platform doesn't automatically guarantee compliance with applicable laws; businesses should conduct independent compliance checks to reduce legal risk. This is especially important for international organizations, as noncompliance with privacy laws can result in significant financial penalties and reputational harm.
• Technical Issues: Users have reported banner display glitches, conflicts with other plugins, and disrupted service. Businesses can contact technical support or review troubleshooting guides to resolve problems, but technical issues can reduce trust or violate privacy laws.
• General Criticisms of Third-Party CMPs: The use of third-party CMPs can give businesses a false sense of compliance, as they do not ensure that all of a company's practices comply with privacy laws. CMPs are most effective when implemented as part of a broader strategy that includes oversight, routine monitoring, and comprehensive privacy law compliance practices.

What are the alternatives to CookieYes?

The alternatives to CookieYes are platforms like TermsFeed, OneTrust, and Cookiebot that provide legal policy generators, consent management, and privacy compliance tools to help websites manage cookies and comply with global data protection regulations.

CookieYes alternatives include CMPs and privacy platforms such as:

• TermsFeed: The best alternative to CookieYes is TermsFeed, as it offers Privacy and Cookie Policy generators, consent banners, and legal policy templates, making it a great choice for small businesses or websites that want legal documentation and consent management in one platform.
• OneTrust: Provides scalable packages that include consent management, privacy automation, and AI and data governance tools, making it ideal for growing organizations managing global privacy compliance.
• Cookiebot: Offers affordable solutions for cookie scanning, consent banners, and compliance reporting. CookieBot is well-suited for businesses that want flexible pricing for privacy law compliance.
• Osano: Combines consent and data privacy management with vendor risk monitoring and includes a $500,000 "No Fines, No Penalties" Guarantee, making it a strong choice for companies that want both compliance and oversight of third-party vendors.
• GDPR Cookie Consent Plugin: A free or low-cost WordPress plugin with customizable consent banners, cookie scanners, and automatic script blocking, ideal for WordPress site owners needing simple compliance tools.
• Cookie Information: Offers cookie banners, analytics, and enterprise-level plans, making it a solid choice for scaling businesses.
• Iubenda: Combines legal policy generation with cookie banners and consent management, with plans suitable for small businesses with low traffic, high-traffic sites, agencies, and enterprises alike.
• Complianz: Provides automated cookie banners, consent management, and legal documents within WordPress, making it ideal for WordPress sites requiring customizable compliance.
• Orestbida's cookieconsent: A lightweight, open-source plugin that requires basic knowledge of JavaScript, making it a good choice for developers who need a free script-management solution.
• tarteaucitron.js: An open-source, customizable cookie management script that supports unlimited traffic and sites, suitable for developers seeking transparency and control over consent banners.
• Privacy Bee: Removes personal data by contacting websites and data brokers, ideal for individuals or organizations concerned with personal data exposure.
• Usercentrics CMP: Offers multiple plans at different price points for businesses that need customized banners, unlimited website scans, and plans for companies managing multiple domains, making it a good choice for growing and enterprise-level businesses alike.
• Consent Studio: Offers cookie scanning, cookie banners, and geotargeting, with monthly consent action (MCA) tracking that logs consent interactions for 12 months. Each plan includes an MCA allowance with small overage fees, making it a good option for growing websites with fluctuating traffic.
• Ketch: A privacy management platform with website tracker scanning, legal templates, and consent records. Plans are based on monthly visitors, making it a good option for websites that want straightforward pricing tied to traffic.
• Captain Compliance: Provides cookie consent management, hosted Privacy Policies, and a Data Subject Request (DSR) portal, ideal for businesses that collect data from users in the EU and need to comply with the GDPR.
• CookieFirst: CookieFirst is a certified Google CMP partner that offers automated cookie scanning, cross-domain consent, and custom configuration for individual third-party services, well-suited for businesses that have multiple domains and subdomains or rely on multiple third-party tools.
• DataGrail: Offers no-code consent management setup, along with data mapping and a data subject request manager; best for companies that want an all-in-one privacy management solution that doesn't require technical skill.
• Matomo: Matomo is ideal for businesses that want a privacy-focused analytics platform with cookieless tracking that uses methods like counting unique IP addresses instead of cookies.
• QuantCast Choice: QuantCast is an advertising platform that offers cookieless solutions, best for websites that want AI-powered analytics to optimize ad campaigns.
• Cloudflare Zaraz: Zaraz helps speed up websites by loading third-party tools into the cloud rather than the browser and limiting what scripts can do on your site, making it a good choice for businesses that want to improve site performance while maintaining control over third-party scripts.
• Wide Angle Analytics: WideAngle is a user-friendly, cookieless Google Analytics alternative suitable for landing pages and marketing websites that prioritize consent-free tracking.
• Fathom Analytics: Privacy-first analytics platform that avoids cookies, best for businesses that want a cookie-free analytics solution that doesn't track any personal information.

In addition to CookieYes competitors, other alternatives are privacy strategies such as:

• Self-coded solutions: Custom banners and scripts give full control over consent management, ideal for developers building compliance tools.
• Self-hosted, server-side tracking: Processes data on owned infrastructure, suitable for organizations prioritizing accuracy and privacy.
• Topics API: The Topics application programming interface (API) enables ad targeting based on general browsing interests without exposing individual users' exact history, ideal for privacy-conscious advertisers. Note that Google phased out certain Privacy Sandbox technologies, including Topics, in 2025.
• Attribution Reporting API: The Attribution Reporting API lets developers track conversions, such as when a user clicks an ad on one site and completes a purchase on another, without using third-party cookies, making it useful for advertisers who want to measure campaign performance while preserving user privacy. However, as with Topics, this API has been deprecated.
• First-party data: Directly collected data (such as email sign-ups or purchase history) is best for businesses that want accurate data and to build transparent customer relationships.
• Zero-party data: Voluntarily shared user data (such as preferences or feedback) is ideal for brands that want to prioritize privacy and reduce reliance on third-party tracking or cookie-based analytics.
• Contextual targeting: Ads that target users based on page content rather than behavioral targeting, such as serving a user who visits a yoga website with an ad for a yoga mat. Best for websites that want to advertise without invasive tracking.
• Universal IDs: Unique identifiers linked to consented users that allow their information to be used across websites. Beneficial for businesses that want to run personalized advertising campaigns without relying on third-party cookies.
• Device fingerprinting: Information collected about software and hardware to identify devices. Useful for businesses that want to prevent fraud or recognize returning users while minimizing reliance on cookies.
• Data clean rooms: Secure environments that allow businesses to analyze and share aggregated user data without exposing personal information. A good choice for organizations that want to measure campaign performance while maintaining privacy compliance.
• Identity resolution: Links consented user identifiers across devices and channels into a unified profile, reducing reliance on third-party cookies. It's best for businesses focused on fraud prevention and measurable marketing campaigns.

What is the history of CookieYes?

The history of CookieYes begins in 2018, when it was launched as a WordPress plugin designed to help website owners and developers simplify cookie compliance, especially in response to GDPR requirements. Its initial purpose was to make it easier for websites to display consent banners, manage user preferences, and meet early privacy obligations without complex manual setups.

Over time, CookieYes evolved from a simple plugin into a full cookie consent management platform (CMP) with broader capabilities. The cookieyes software expanded to include automated cookie scanning, consent logging, integrations with different platforms, and support for multiple privacy laws. Today, the CookieYes tool is used by a wide range of websites and businesses that need a scalable, platform-agnostic solution for managing user consent and staying compliant with global data protection regulations.