| name | cookie-consent |
| description | Use when reviewing a website for GDPR/CCPA compliance, specifically whether cookie consent is obtained before non-essential cookies are set. |
| metadata | {"category":"privacy","priority":"high","difficulty":"intermediate","estimatedTime":"30","source":"frontendchecklist.io","url":"https://frontendchecklist.io/en/rules/privacy/cookie-consent"} |
Show a cookie consent notice
GDPR violations can result in fines up to €20 million or 4% of global annual turnover. Regulators across the EU have actively fined organizations for deploying tracking cookies without valid consent.
Quick Reference
- GDPR requires consent before setting non-essential cookies (analytics, advertising, personalization)
- Essential/strictly necessary cookies (session, security, login) do not require consent
- Consent must be freely given, specific, informed, and unambiguous — pre-ticked boxes are invalid
- Users must be able to withdraw consent as easily as they gave it
- Scripts and pixels must not load until the user has actively accepted their category
- Non-essential trackers must stay blocked until consent and after revocation
Check
Check whether the site displays a cookie consent notice before setting non-essential cookies. Verify that analytics, advertising, and tracking scripts do not load until the user has actively accepted. Check whether users can reject non-essential cookies without losing access to content.
Fix
Implement a cookie consent management platform (CMP) that blocks non-essential scripts until consent is granted. Configure analytics and tracking tags to initialize only after explicit consent. Provide a mechanism for users to change their consent preferences at any time.
Explain
Explain what GDPR requires for cookie consent, the difference between essential and non-essential cookies, why pre-ticked boxes are invalid consent, and what a technically compliant consent implementation looks like.
Code Review
Review server config, headers, forms, and integration points related to Show a cookie consent notice. Flag exact responses, cookies, or browser behaviors that violate the rule, and verify them against the effective production-like response. Check that tracker initialization is gated on consent and that a persistent "change cookie settings" path exists after the banner is gone.
For full implementation details, code examples, and framework-specific guidance,
see references/rule.md.
Rule page: https://frontendchecklist.io/en/rules/privacy/cookie-consent
