Cookies
Learn how website cookies work, the different types of cookies, and how to manage them effectively to stay compliant with privacy regulations. Discover the difference between first-party and third-party cookies, understand session vs persistent cookies, and find out which cookies require explicit user consent under current data protection laws.
HubSpot Tracking Code and GDPR: How to Conditionally Load Analytics
HubSpot's tracking code sets several analytics cookies that require consent under GDPR and the ePrivacy Directive. This guide covers every HubSpot cookie, explains how to block tracking until visitors opt in, and walks through integration with external consent management platforms.
How to Conduct a Cookie Audit: A Step-by-Step Methodology
A cookie audit identifies every cookie and tracking technology on your website, categorises each one by purpose, and documents whether consent is required. This guide walks through the full methodology, from initial scanning to ongoing monitoring.
Hotjar and Cookie Consent: Session Recordings, Heatmaps, and Privacy
Hotjar records visitor sessions, generates heatmaps, and sets several first-party cookies on your domain. Every one of those cookies falls outside the strictly necessary category, which means you need explicit consent before the tracking code fires. This guide covers the specific cookies Hotjar sets, the legal basis for processing, and how to load the script only after your visitors say yes.
GPC vs Cookie Banners: Do You Still Need a Consent Banner If You Support GPC?
Supporting Global Privacy Control on your website does not mean you can remove your cookie consent banner. GPC acts as an opt-out signal under US state privacy laws, but GDPR and the ePrivacy Directive still require prior opt-in consent for non-essential cookies.
Google Analytics 4 and Cookie Consent: What Data You Lose When Users Opt Out
When visitors reject analytics cookies, GA4 stops associating events with persistent user identifiers. This article breaks down which reports suffer, how Google's behavioural modelling attempts to recover lost data, and what practical steps you can take to maintain meaningful analytics.
Google AdSense and Cookie Consent: What Publishers Must Do in 2026
Google requires AdSense publishers serving ads in the EEA, UK, and Switzerland to use a certified CMP integrated with IAB TCF. With TCF v2.3 now mandatory since February 2026, publishers who fall behind risk losing over half their programmatic ad revenue.
Free vs Paid Cookie Consent Solutions: What You Get and What You Miss
Free cookie consent tools cover the basics, but gaps in scanning, script blocking, and geo-targeting can leave your site exposed to regulatory risk. This guide breaks down what free plans offer, what they miss, and when a paid solution becomes worth the investment.
First-Party vs Third-Party Cookies: The Difference That Defines Modern Tracking
First-party and third-party cookies differ in who sets them and what they can track. Browsers like Safari and Firefox already block third-party cookies by default, while Chrome keeps them alive with user controls. This distinction shapes both your tracking capabilities and your legal obligations.
Dark Patterns in Cookie Banners: What Regulators Are Fining and How to Avoid It
CNIL fined SHEIN 150 million euros and Google 325 million euros for dark patterns in their cookie banners. Hidden reject buttons, pre-ticked boxes, and asymmetric consent flows are drawing enforcement action across Europe. This guide breaks down what counts as a dark pattern and how to design a compliant banner.