MaxtDesign Cookie Consent – Google Consent Mode v2 vs Real Cookie Banner

The MaxtDesign Cookie Consent Manager That Actually Works Most WordPress consent plugins either don’t actually control tracking (they just show a form) or they’re so bloated they slow down your site significantly. MaxtDesign Cookie Consent is different: proper Google Consent Mode v2 implementation in under 10KB. Why This Plugin? For Site Owners: You need CCPA/GDPR compliance but don’t want to sacrifice site performance or deal with complex configuration. For Developers: You want clean, efficient code that follows WordPress standards and doesn’t conflict with other plugins. For Agencies: You manage multiple client sites and need a reliable, lightweight solution that just works. Key Features ✓ Actually Controls Tracking Unlike “checkbox theater” plugins that only show forms, this plugin properly implements Google Consent Mode v2, ensuring GA4 and Google Ads respect user choices. ✓ Blazing Fast (<10KB) Zero performance overhead. No database queries during page load. Pure localStorage-based consent management. ✓ Three Style Presets Choose from Minimal, Modern, or Bold popup styles. Customize colors to match your brand. ✓ Works Everywhere Compatible with any theme. Works with Elementor (optional). Mobile responsive. Accessibility compliant (WCAG 2.1 AA). ✓ Developer-Friendly Clean code following WordPress standards. Two shortcodes for easy integration. No jQuery dependency. Vanilla JavaScript. ✓ WP Consent API Ready Acts as a provider for the WordPress Consent API standard. With the free WP Consent API plugin active, your visitors’ choices are respected site-wide by WooCommerce and other consent-aware plugins automatically. ✓ Privacy-First No server-side user tracking. No external API calls. User consent stored locally. GDPR/CCPA compliant by design. What is Google Consent Mode v2? Google Consent Mode v2 (GCM v2) became mandatory in March 2024 for GA4 and Google Ads in the EU. It’s Google’s framework for managing user consent signals across their advertising and analytics products. This plugin implements all four required consent types: analytics_storage – Google Analytics cookies ad_storage – Advertising cookies ad_user_data – User data for advertising ad_personalization – Personalized advertising Without proper GCM v2 implementation, your GA4 and Google Ads tracking may be unreliable or non-compliant. How It Works Visitor arrives → Consent popup appears (customizable position, style, timing) User chooses → Three options: Accept All, Analytics Only, or Decline All Consent stored → User choice saved in localStorage (privacy-friendly, no server tracking) GCM signals updated → Google Analytics and Ads respect the user’s choice immediately No repeat popup → Cookie remembers they’ve seen popup (configurable duration) Popup Customization Style Presets: * Minimal – Clean and subtle * Modern – Rounded and polished * Bold – Strong and prominent Position Options: * Top banner * Bottom banner * Center modal Animation Options: * Slide in * Fade in * No animation Color Customization: Primary color picker to match your brand Shortcodes Display Current Status: [mdcc_consent_status] Shows consent chips: “Analytics: On/Off” and “Ads: On/Off” Manage Consent Interface: [mdcc_manage_consent title="Your Privacy Choices"] Full consent management with Accept/Analytics/Decline buttons and current status display. Both shortcodes update in real-time when consent changes. Optional Elementor Integration Prefer to use a custom Elementor popup? Simply enter your Elementor Popup ID in settings, and the plugin will use your custom popup instead while maintaining proper GCM v2 functionality. Technical Specifications Size: <10KB total (CSS + JS combined, gzipped) Performance: Zero database queries during page load Storage: localStorage-based (no server-side user tracking) Dependencies: None (vanilla JavaScript, no jQuery) Compatibility: WordPress 5.8+, PHP 7.4+ Standards: WCAG 2.1 AA accessible, mobile responsive Perfect For WordPress sites using GA4 or Google Ads CCPA/GDPR compliance requirements Performance-conscious developers Agency client sites needing scalable consent management Anyone tired of bloated consent plugins What This Plugin Doesn’t Do Not a cookie scanner – Doesn’t automatically detect all cookies on your site Not a full compliance suite – Focuses on consent management for Google tracking Not multi-platform tracking – Free version handles GA4/Ads only (Pro version coming with Facebook, Hotjar, etc.) For comprehensive cookie auditing and multi-platform tracking control, consider our Pro version (launching 2025). Coming in Pro Version Facebook Pixel control Hotjar tracking control LinkedIn Insight Tag TikTok Pixel Custom script control Consent analytics dashboard Geolocation-based prompts White-label mode for agencies Privacy Policy MaxtDesign Cookie Consent does not collect, store, or transmit any user data. All consent preferences are stored locally in the user’s browser using localStorage. No information is sent to external servers. However, this plugin manages consent for third-party services (Google Analytics, Google Ads). Those services have their own privacy policies: Google Analytics Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy Google Ads Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/technologies/ads It is your responsibility to include appropriate disclosures in your site’s privacy policy about the tracking services you use. Support For support, please use the WordPress.org support forum. Credits Developed by MaxtDesign – https://maxtdesign.com Special thanks to the WordPress community for feedback and testing.

Cookie Banner and Consent Management for your WordPress website – easy to be legally compliant Obtain GDPR (also known as DSGVO, RGPD, RODO, AVG) and ePrivacy Directive (implemented in national law as TDDDG/TTDSG, LOPD-GDD, DTA, TLA, LEK, E-com Act) compliant consents. Find services, cookies etc. and fill all legal information in your cookie banner. More than just a cookie notice! Cookie plugin designed specifically for WordPress websites to simplify setup. Real Cookie Banner is a cookie and consent management plugin. Obtain consent to load services and set cookies for your visitors in accordance with the GDPR and ePrivacy Directive. In addition, content blockers help you to be compliant even if your theme, plugin or content loads styles, scripts or iframes that would transfer personal data. Start now with our guided-configuration and avoid legal risks! ➤ Scan your website and discover services that require consent! Whether the use of the plugin leads to legally compliant data processing largely depends on whether the plugin is configured correctly for your use case. You yourself are responsible for a correct configuration. Free Sandbox You want to try Real Cookie Banner before installing? Take a free sandbox and play around! Create a free sandbox Features of the cookie plugin Consent Management: You can use Real Cookie Banner to store all technical and legal information about services and cookies to obtain informed consents. You can use 160+ service templates and 130+ content blocker templates to quickly and securely provide all the information you need. Content Blocker: Themes, plugins and co. usually load scripts, styles and content that transfer personal data and set cookies before you have the consent of your visitors. You usually cannot control this by yourself. Content blockers make sure that these features are only executed after you have obtained consent. Customize design: You can design the cookie banner according to your wishes. 20+ design templates and 200+ options give you the flexibility to customize the cookie banner perfectly to your needs. From colors and effects to texts, you can unleash your creativity! All changes are displayed in a live preview. Guided configuration: After installation, the checklist will guide you through all steps to be able to set up Real Cookie Banner in a legally compliant manner. We also explain the legalities of features and the legal consequences if you change settings. So, you can quickly and safely set up your cookie banner! Documentation of consents: According to the GDPR, you have to prove that a visitor has consented to cookies and processing of personal data if he or she doubts this. We document consent completely and make it possible to trace the origin of the consent afterwards. You are on the safe side even in the worst case! Native in WordPress: Real Cookie Banner is a cookie plugin specially designed for WordPress. It is fully installed in your WordPress as a native plugin. All consents are processed and stored on your server. Nothing is downloaded from a cloud in your visitor’s browser, which avoids further legal issues. You want a list of all features? Check it out on our website! Supported Languages Real Cookie Banner is localized in all 17 languages that are most commonly spoken in the EU. The plugin has been translated by humans into English, German (informal and formal), French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, Dutch (informal and formal), Czech, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian Bokmål, Finnish, Greek, Romanian, Hungarian, Slovak, Slovenian and Croatian. Texts in service templates and content blockers templates are partly machine-translated and will be revised by humans in the future. All Features of Real Cookie Banner Some of the features listed below are only available in the PRO version of Real Cookie Banner. They are marked with an asterisk. Beginner-friendly // solution for the cookie hassle – for everyone Experience effortless setup with guided configurations, extensive localizations and translations, comprehensive website scanning, a free version with essential features, easy-to-follow compliance checklists, and dedicated human support for all your cookie management needs. Consent Management // we take care of compliant consents Be able to obtain consents in compliance with GDPR and ePrivacy Directive through robust consent handling, detailed technical specifications, youth protection features, proactive notifications as soon as new consent must be obtained, privacy-compliant CDN usage, 160+ service templates*, execution of opt-in and opt-out scripts per service, consent to data processing in insecure third countries, automatic cookie policy generation*, organized service groups, accessible legal links, and respectful handling of “Do Not Track” header. Documentation // truly fully documented consents Keep proper documentation of consent obtained, stored efficiently in your WordPress database, insightful consent statistics, and automatic compliance with the obligation to provide evidence in accordance with the GDPR. Content Blocker // load services only with consent Blocking scripts and content with precision until consent has been given, including fonts and URLs, providing visual content replacements, enabling smart URL and style blocking, with custom element blocking automating video playback post-consent, supporting lazy loading for faster pages. Each content blocker is associated with one or more services. With it, content is automatically unblocked when consent is given in the cookie banner. Design // always fits perfectly into your website Customize your cookie banner effortlessly with over 200 design options*, enjoy a preview of design and text changes, and choose from more than 20 stylish design presets* to ensure your banner matches perfectly your website’s design. Accessibility // accessible for everyone on your website Provide an inclusive user experience by complying with the European Accessibility Act and WCAG 2.2 Level AA standards, supported by an accessibility score feature to ensure all design settings meet legal and user-friendly requirements. Transparency and Consent Framework (TCF) // obtain standardized consents Obtain standardized consent collection with full TCF compatibility*, user-friendly configuration interfaces, and Google-certified compliance, ensuring seamless integration with AdSense and compliance to the latest industry standards. Google Consent Mode // obtain consents according to Digital Market Act Comply with the Digital Market Act by integrating Google Consent Mode*, offering explicit consent options, and ensuring smooth integration with Google Tag Manager for efficient consent-based tag management. Special Features // made for professional users Optimize user experience with geo-restriction for targeted cookie banners*, support for popular Google Tag Manager and Matomo Tag Manager*, and streamlined consent forwarding across multiple websites*, making it ideal for professional and international use. Technical // perfection in detail – for WordPress Benefit from advanced technical features including multilingual support for WPML, Polylang, TranslatePress and Weglot, automatic deletion of 1st-party cookies, easy import/export of settings, native WordPress integration, automatic cache flushing for many page caching plugins/systems, WordPress multisite compatibility, Anti-Ad-Blocker mechanisms, and a comprehensive API for developers to extend functionality. You find a list of all features with comprehensive details on our website! Templates & Compatibility Real Cookie Banner can be used to collect consent for almost any tools, plugins and services in your WordPress website. You can easily store the necessary legal and technical information for informed consent in a service and content blocker of the consent management. We have verified that major Google and Facebook services, YouTube, Vimeo or Matomo as well as popular WordPress plugins like Elementor, Jetpack, WooCommerce, Wordfence or Contact Form 7 and many more are compatible. The PRO Version of Real Cookie Banner comes with 160+ service templates and 130+ content blocker templates. These templates save you a lot of time by giving you all the relevant legal and technical information for a service to use it in accordance with the ePrivacy Directive and GDPR. Check out the complete list of all services with templates on our website. Developer Friendly You are a developer and want to write an add-on for Real Cookie Banner or make your plugin compatible with our cookie plugin? We are happy to help you! WordPress actions & filters and REST API Have a look at the API documentation on our website to learn more about how to write code that uses functions of Real Cookie Banner. Free Support We like to work with other WordPress developers. If you need assistants to use our product for your code projects or make your WordPress plugin compatible with Real Cookie Banner, just open a support ticket. Get the PRO version of Real Cookie Banner You will download the free version of this plugin, which contains all core functions that allow you to load services and set cookies according to the GDPR and ePrivacy Directive. Our PRO version offers even more useful features and many service and content blocker templates, which not only make the cookie banner more flexible, but also save you a lot of time to set up the cookie banner in compliance with the law. Learn more about the PRO version.