How to Scan WordPress Websites for Cookies?

This blog post explains the step-by-step process on how to scan your WordPress website for cookies and understand what data you’re collecting, why it matters, and how to stay on the right side of privacy laws without getting overwhelmed.

If you’re running an eCommerce store or even just a basic blog, knowing what cookies your site is dropping matters more than most folks think. From GDPR and other privacy regulations to user trust and performance optimization, cookies can play a surprisingly big role behind the scenes.

WordPress doesn’t exactly come with a “cookie dashboard” out of the box. Some plugins sneak in cookies, themes might add their own, and before you know it, your site could be handing out data without you even realizing it. That’s why it’s a smart move to scan your WordPress site for cookies regularly.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to do that in the simplest, most practical way possible. No technical jargon, no unnecessary fluff, just the tools, tips, and steps you need to get a clear picture of what’s happening behind the curtain.

Let’s get started!

Cookies are small text files that a website stores on a user’s browser to retain information between sessions. They’re created when a user visits your site and can be used to track sessions, authenticate users, remember preferences, and even collect behavioral data. Each cookie typically includes a name, a value, an expiration date, and the domain that set it.

In the WordPress context, cookies can come from core functionalities (like keeping users logged in), plugins (such as contact forms or analytics tools), and third-party scripts (think ad trackers or chat widgets). Some cookies are first-party, meaning they’re set by your own domain, while others are third-party, coming from external services you’ve integrated.

While cookies enhance usability and help personalize the user experience, they also have privacy implications. That’s why understanding exactly which cookies your site sets—and how they’re being used—is critical, especially if you’re trying to stay compliant with GDPR, CCPA, or other privacy laws.

Scanning your website for cookies is a necessary step every business should take. The biggest and most important reason? Transparency and compliance. Privacy laws like the GDPR, CPRA, and others require you to inform users about what data you’re collecting and how you’re using it. In many cases, you must also get explicit consent before any data is stored in their browser.

But here’s the tricky part: many WordPress sites load cookies from third-party plugins or embedded tools without making it obvious. You might install a marketing plugin or analytics tool and not even realize it’s setting cookies that track user behavior across multiple sites. If you’re not actively scanning, you’re flying blind—and that’s not a good place to be when data privacy is on the line.

Beyond legal compliance, scanning also helps you understand your site’s behavior more clearly. It can reveal plugins or scripts that are setting cookies unnecessarily, slowing down your site, or even affecting user trust. Plus, if you’re using a cookie banner or consent management tool, a proper scan ensures that your banner actually reflects what’s happening behind the scenes, because nothing’s worse than asking for consent for the wrong things.

As we mentioned earlier, WordPress doesn’t exactly hand you a built-in way to view or manage cookies. That’s why we’ll be using the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin by WebToffee. 

This plugin isn’t just your average cookie banner tool. It’s a Google-certified Consent Management Platform (CMP), which means it’s built to handle serious privacy compliance, not just in the EU (like GDPR), but also in several U.S. states that are tightening their data laws.

It does a lot more than just flash a cookie popup. You get advanced control over what cookies are loaded, when they’re loaded, and how consent is handled. But we’ll dig deeper into those features later on.

For now, let’s focus on scanning your site. Once you’ve installed and activated the plugin, follow the steps below:

Step 1: Scan Website for Cookies

• After installing the WebToffee Cookie Consent plugin, click on Cookie Consent from your WordPress sidebar menu, and go to the Manage cookies tab.
• Click on the Cookie Scanner button and click on Scan for cookies.
• This will initiate the scanning process. Once the scanning process is complete, you will see a detailed report of the cookies on your website.

Step 2: View the Cookie List

• Now, click on the Cookie List tab.
• There, you can see cookies are added to different categories such as Necessary, Functional, Analytics, etc.

You can add cookies manually to this cookie list. Click on the Add Cookie button.

• Enter the details of the cookie, such as the name, domain, duration, and description. 
• Click on Save Changes to add the cookie to the cookie list.

Step 3: Display the Cookie List on the Cookie Banner

Now go to the Cookie banner tab.

• Select any applicable consent law.
• Enable the cookie banner checkbox.

• Then go to the Content & Colors tab.
• Expand the Cookie List drop-down menu.
• Enable the Show cookie list toggle button.

Click on Update settings to save the settings.

Step 4: Preview Cookie Banner

Now, go to the frontend of your website and preview the cookie banner.

• Click on the Customize button to view the cookie category list.
• There, you can see the cookie list in different categories. 

Here’s a preview of the cookie list, including the one we added manually.

Before we wrap things up, let’s take a moment to talk about why the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin by WebToffee is more than just a cookie popup tool—it’s a full-blown consent management solution designed specifically for WordPress.

The GDPR Cookie Consent plugin helps you easily display a customizable, GDPR-compliant cookie banner in styles like box, bar, or popup. With built-in support for Google Consent Mode v2, it lets you manage consent for services like Google Analytics without any complex setup.

The plugin features an automatic cookie blocker, which blocks third-party scripts from loading until a visitor gives consent. You can also target EU visitors specifically using GeoIP-based banners, ensuring cookies are only blocked where necessary.

Its cookie scanner detects and categorizes cookies on your site, and you can display the cookie list using a simple shortcode. It also includes a cookie policy generator to help you publish a clear, visitor-friendly policy.

Users get granular control to accept or reject cookies by category, and site owners can maintain a detailed consent log, complete with anonymized IPs and timestamps. All in all, it’s a smart solution that helps you stay cookie-compliant without complicating your workflow.

Whether you’re running a small blog or a busy online store, understanding your site’s cookie behavior puts you in control and helps build trust.

With tools like the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin by WebToffee, the process doesn’t have to be complicated. From scanning and categorizing cookies to managing consent and staying compliant with global privacy laws, it handles the heavy lifting so you don’t have to.

So if you haven’t done a cookie audit yet, now’s the perfect time. It’s a simple step that goes a long way in keeping your site clean, legal, and user-friendly.