How to create a CCPA compliant cookie banner in WordPress

How to create a CCPA compliant cookie banner in WordPress?

This article explains about CCPA cookie banners and the major requirements for creating a CCPA-compliant cookie banner. By the end of this article, you will learn how to create a CCPA-compliant cookie banner for WordPress websites.

You may be aware that your WordPress website is loading cookies on your site visitor’s web browser. Several countries have implemented certain laws and regulations for using cookies. One such law is CCPA. The California Consumer Privacy Act, or CCPA, was passed by the California state legislature in 2018 and took effect on January 1, 2020.

Even though it only applies to citizens residing in California, it is still considered the most comprehensive privacy law in the country.

Let’s get started by having a brief overview of CCPA.

What is CCPA?

The California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 gives consumers certain rights to safeguard their personal information collected by businesses. CCPA is one of the most extensive privacy laws passed in the US analogous to GDPR for the EU.

Users have the following rights under the CCPA

  1. The right to know.
  2. The right to delete.
  3. The right to opt out.
  4. The right to non-discrimination.

Cookies are considered personal information under CCPA as they can be used to identify users or devices linked to them. There is no mention in CCPA regarding cookie banner requirements. In fact, there is no requirement under CCPA for businesses to get consent from their users before collecting and processing personal information.

However, there are certain requirements that must be met in order to use cookies, including cookie consent management. They are as follows:

  1. Should have clear and up-to-date privacy or cookie notice to disclose the use of cookies.
  2. Give details on cookies, such as their name, purpose, source, and expiration date.
  3. Provide an opt-out option for cookies that sell or track personal information.
  4. Manage, store, and secure personal data collected by cookies.
  5. Keep a consent log.
  6. Allow cookie preferences to be accessed through a banner or button.

Now that you are aware of the requirements for using cookies in compliance with CCPA, let’s dive in.

How to Create a CCPA Compliant Cookie Banner in WordPress?

The following steps will help you create a CCPA cookie banner on your WordPress website. We will be using the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin by WebToffee. The plugin is available at a starting price of $69 for a single site license for an annual subscription.

Step 1: Install and Activate the plugin

  1. After purchasing the plugin, you can download the plugin zip file from the My account section.
  2. Now, log in to your WordPress dashboard and go to Plugins > Add New.
  3. Click on Upload Plugin to upload the plugin zip file.
  4. Then, install and activate the plugin.

Step 2: Enabling CCPA cookie banner

  • Go to GDPR Cookie Consent > Settings > General.
  • Enable the cookie bar and select the type of law you want to comply with.
  • Three options are available here. GDPR, CCPA, or both.
  • Let’s go with CCPA for the sake of this article. If you want to comply with both you can select CCPA & GDPR options.
  • Scroll down to CCPA Settings.
  • Make sure you have checked the Enable CCPA and Show CCPA notice checkboxes.
CCPA cookie banner general settings
  • Leave the rest as default and click Update Settings.

Step 3: Customize cookie banner

  • Navigate to Customize Cookie Bar tab under the plugin settings.
  • Add a Message Heading for the cookie banner.
  • Select colors for the cookie banner and banner text. Also, select a font style for the text.
  • Select show cookie bar as Banner and set the position as required.
  • Choose the loading and hiding animation for the banner.
Customizing CCPA cookie banner
  • Click on Update Settings.

Step 4: Link cookie policy page to cookie banner

  • Go to Customize Cookie Bar tab.
  • Add the shortcode Read More to your custom message in the Message field.
Linking cookie policy on cookie banner
  • Go to Customize Buttons tab and select the Read more button.
  • Add a link text for the cookie policy page.
  • Select how you want to display the cookie policy link.
  • Add a URL to the cookie policy page on your website.
Customizing cookie policy link
  • Click Update Settings to save the settings.

Step 5: Previewing the cookie banner

Go to your website homepage and there you will see the banner we just created.

CCPA compliant cookie banner with opt out option

Click on the Do not sell my personal information link to opt-out cookies that sell or track personal information.

The Read our cookie policy link will take you to the cookie policy page on your website.

This way you can comply with CCPA for cookie usage on your website.

Closing Thoughts

We suggest that you should have a detailed and up-to-date cookie policy on your website. If you don’t have one, the plugin we discussed in this article will help you create one. You can use the same plugin for GDPR cookie compliance for your website. We have an article that can help you create a GDPR-compliant cookie banner in WordPress.

Also read: California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and Cookies: What you need to know

Hopefully, this article helped you in understanding CCPA cookie compliance and how to create a CCPA-compliant cookie banner on your website. If you liked reading this article, drop your feedback in the comments.

Article by

Content Writer @ WebToffee. Specialized in WordPress and eCommerce. When I am not writing, I enjoy my downtime with a good cup of coffee and a movie.

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