Over the last couple of weeks, I've been busy updating the privacy policy and cookie information pages for Magnet4Blogging, as well as for all my other online businesses. Yep, it's been pretty boring and tedious, to say the least, but it's important stuff that needs to be done, right?
Anyhow, by the time you come around to reading this, data protection rules across Europe will already be in force with the new GDPR. This was launched on the 25th of May 2018.
We're now in 2022 and hopefully, by now, you have taken the right action to make your website or blog compliant, to some degree.
The important thing to remember: For the most part, GDPR affects every website that serves an audience, users/consumers within the EU. Just to be safe, don't assume that GDPR doesn't apply to your website or online business.
If you're at all wondering what all this GDPR means and how it affects you, it's a European Regulation that has been brought into force to help strengthen data protection for EU citizens.
If you'd like to learn more about this regulation, I recommend you check out the official GDPR website.
Right then, below you will find a compiled list of some of the best cookie consent, Privacy Policy, and GDPR plugins for WordPress.
If you're not using a cookie plugin and need a simple solution to help make your site compliant, one of these should do the trick. However, I recommend you do your due diligence and research each plugin for yourself.
I want to reiterate the importance of remembering that using any of these plugins will NOT make your WordPress website or blog fully compliant with GDPR. However, it will certainly help towards it.
Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer/solicitor and this is not GDPR advice. This post is simply pointing you to relevant plugins that you might find useful in your quest to make your blog or website GDPR and Privacy-friendly.
Here's what you should look for in cookie consent plugins.
Right then, let's dive right in.
First on the list is the very plugin that I use here on Magnet4Blogging. I recently updated this plugin from another plugin I used to use called Cookie Notice by dFactory (Now Hu.manity.co). Sadly that plugin stopped working for me.
CookieYes is one of the most popular plugins that complies with GDPR and CCPA. It's been installed on over 1 million websites and has over 1500 positive reviews.
Features include:
Benefits of using this plugin: This plugin has most of the features you need to help make your site more compliant with GDPR and other regulations. Getting set up is really quick, just a few clicks of the most, and you're set. This plugin is also frequently updated and boasts a lot of positive reviews.
Cons of using this plugin: There was an issue regarding the SEO meta, I think this has now been patched up. However, if you're planning on using this plugin long-term just keep an eye on your SEO meta information. Other than that, this plugin is darn close to being perfect 🙂
First, on the list is the UK Cookie Consent Plugin created by Termly.
Originally, I started using this plugin, up until I ran into a few problems with the banner NOT displaying correctly on some of the landing pages that I built using Thrive Architect. In other words, there was a compatibility issue between the two plugins.
If you don't use Thrive Architect page builder, then you should have NO problems using this plugin. Of course, I last tested this in 2019, so things might have changed now in 2022 and the compatibility issue may have been resolved.
The best part about the UK Cookie Consent plugin is that it's incredibly simple to install and set up.
Plugin configuration options include -
Benefits of using this plugin - Quick and simple to set up. If you don't use very many cookies on your website, other than the ones you use to track website traffic, visitor behavior, etc. Or for doing simple statistical analysis, then this plugin should be fine.
Cons of using this plugin - As I said at the start, I've discovered this plugin doesn't display the cookie notice bar properly on landing pages built with Thrive Architect. This may have been resolved now. Other than that, there are no other cons to mention.
Next on our list is Moove Agency's GDPR Cookie Compliance plugin.
This one comes with a lot of options for making your website GDPR-friendly to some degree. Again, using it alone will not make your website or blog completely compliant. The reason behind this is that each website needs to put in place its own set of policy rules.
Remember, using this plugin, or any of the other plugins in this post is just a step towards making your website compliant. I'm sorry if I sound like a broken record with this, but it's really important info.
Plugin options include -
Benefits of using this plugin - This is one of the best plugins I've seen for GDPR and CCPA. It's clean, attractive, and can help you to take a big step towards making your website more GDPR compliant. Ideally, if you have a website that uses a lot more cookies, i.e advertising cookies, behavior tracking cookies, Geographic tracking, affiliate links, etc. Then this plugin could be a little more useful with the additional options.
Cons of using this plugin - My concern with GDPR Cookie Compliance is that I'm not entirely convinced that all users will take the time to read every website's privacy policy. Website users, generally, have short attention spans and limited patience. It may cause some visitors to just hit the back button because they simply can't be bothered with all the rigmaroles of saying yes to this, and no to that, etc.
This is another plugin that I used to use on Magnet4Blogging.
Generally speaking, setting up this plugin is quick and painless. It's also customizable and features include GDPR and CCPA compliance. You do get a few extra useful configuration options too, see below.
You can also customize the design of your cookie notice with some cool animation, style, and colors. All that said, the recent update of this plugin has caused the plugin to stop displaying the consent bar on my site, so I've had to ditch it, sadly.
Benefits of using this plugin - Quick and simple to set up, customizable banner to match your website's branding and style.
Cons of using this plugin - Free version doesn't look at attractive as the first two. Uses either WordPress or Bootstrap CSS. Premium version available, but quite pricey. The last update has caused a few possible issues with caching plugins. Stopped working on my website so had to change it.
Next up is the EU cookie law plugin which to date has had over 100,000 downloads and plenty of positive reviews. Sadly, it was last updated over a year ago. So, use this plugin at your own risk.
Options include the following -
Benefits of using this plugin - Incredibly simple to install and configure. Popular and widely used on WordPress sites.
Cons of using this plugin - Notification bar and pop-up looks dull and boring and doesn't provide many options for users in the pop-up. Last updated over a year ago. No mention that the plugin covers any other regulations asides from GDPR. Possible compatibility issues with Elementor.
Last on our list is the GDPR Framework plugin by 443. This plugin offers everything you need to set your website up towards GDPR compliance. One of the features, as with many of the plugins listed in this post, is a simple way to export or even delete personal data.
Benefits of using this plugin: Easy to install, lots of features, advanced integration, and a privacy manager.
Cons of using this plugin: Features and options could be quite overwhelming. Other than that there are no real cons with this plugin, it does exactly what it says on the box.
So, there you have it. Six incredibly useful plugins to help you make your website more transparent about its use of cookies and user privacy.
Now, one last time, you should NOT install any of these plugins and expect your site to be fully compliant with GDPR or any other privacy regulations.
Ensure your Privacy Policy and Cookies information pages are also updated to reflect the settings you make when you use any of these plugins. This will take some time, and the easiest way to check is to go through each plugin or service that you use that might store cookies. Including any analytics, tracking, SEO scripts, email opt-in forms, etc.
There are plugins you can use for creating a Privacy Policy page within your WordPress website, such as the Auto-Terms Privacy Policy plugin. However, I highly recommend creating your own custom privacy info, because each website is unique and will require a specific set of privacy terms.
Working towards making your website or blog GDPR friendly doesn't have to be a minefield, and avoiding it just isn't worth it. Better be safe than sorry.
Best of luck.
