How to Set Up a Free Cookie Consent Banner (Step by Step)
Under GDPR and the ePrivacy Directive, any website that uses analytics, advertising, or other tracking tools must collect user consent before those tools activate. This applies to sites of all sizes — including small blogs, portfolios, and local business sites. The good news is that setting up a compliant cookie banner is straightforward, and you can do it for free.
This guide walks through the complete process, from scanning your site to publishing your banner.
Do You Actually Need a Cookie Banner?
Not every website needs one. If your site collects no personal data and uses no third-party tracking tools — no analytics, no social media embeds, no advertising pixels — you may not need a consent banner at all. But if you have Google Analytics, a Facebook Pixel, embedded YouTube videos, or any marketing automation tool installed, a cookie banner is required for visitors in the EU.
The simplest way to find out is to scan your domain. Consentify's scanner checks what cookies and third-party scripts are active on your site and flags which ones require consent.
Step 1 — Scan Your Site
Before you configure anything, it helps to know what you're working with. Go to consentify.app/scan and enter your domain. The scanner will identify active trackers and cookies and categorize them — analytics, marketing, functional, and so on. This gives you a clear baseline before you build your consent flow.
Step 2 — Create a Free Account and Add Your Domain
Sign up for a free account at consentify.app. The free plan covers one domain and no expiry — it is a real free plan, not a trial. Once you have an account, add your domain in the dashboard.
Step 3 — Configure Your Consent Categories
In the dashboard, set up the consent categories that match the tools you use. Common categories are:
- Necessary — Session cookies, login states. These do not require consent.
- Analytics — Google Analytics, Matomo, Plausible (when using cookies).
- Marketing — Meta Pixel, Google Ads, LinkedIn Insight Tag.
- Preferences — Language settings, personalization tools.
You then connect your third-party scripts to these categories. Consentify will block those scripts from loading until the visitor consents to the relevant category.
Step 4 — Customize the Banner
Open the visual editor to design your banner. You can adjust the position (bottom bar, centered modal, bottom corner), the color scheme to match your site's branding, and the text shown to visitors. GDPR requires that the accept and reject options are presented with equal visual weight — the visual editor makes it easy to check this before publishing.
Keep the language simple and direct. Visitors should immediately understand what they are consenting to. Avoid vague phrases like "we use cookies to improve your experience" without specifying which cookies and why.
Step 5 — Publish Your Banner
Once your banner is configured, copy the script tag from your dashboard. Paste it before the closing </body> tag in your site's HTML. If you use WordPress, the Consentify WordPress plugin handles this without any code — just paste your token in the plugin settings.
After publishing, visit your site in a private browser window to confirm the banner appears correctly and that your tracking scripts are blocked before consent is given.
Step 6 — Add a Way to Revoke Consent
GDPR requires that visitors be able to change or withdraw their consent after giving it — not just on the first visit. Add a link or button to your footer or privacy policy page with the ID revoke-consent-btn. Consentify attaches the consent panel to it automatically. Without this, your setup is incomplete from a compliance standpoint.
What the Free Plan Includes
- One domain with no banner watermark
- Unlimited pageviews
- Visual banner editor
- Consent storage in the EU
- Automatic script blocking based on consent category
Paid plans add support for multiple domains and additional features for agencies managing multiple client sites. But for a single site, the free plan covers everything required for GDPR compliance.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Not testing in a private window. Your own browser may have cookies stored from previous visits, which means the banner won't appear when you reload. Always test in incognito mode.
Skipping the revoke button. This is a legal requirement, not optional. Regulators have issued guidance specifically about sites that make it easy to accept cookies but difficult to withdraw consent later.
Pre-ticking consent boxes. Consent must be freely given and unambiguous. Any setup that pre-selects analytics or marketing categories is non-compliant under GDPR, regardless of which tool you use.