Overview
When browsing sites hosted on WordPress.com, a cookie & privacy banner may show up across the bottom of the screen as below:
The banner links by default to a page with details on collected information at WordPress.com and may store, including the explanation of personalized advertisements. Visitors from the European Union will not be shown ads that we have personalized to your interests (which is determined by an individual cookie) until you choose “Close and accept”.
The privacy banner will be shown automatically on sites utilising the no-cost hosting plan because they display advertisements so as to keep that part of the service free.
If you own a site with an upgraded hosting plan, advertising and this banner are optional. The banner can be customized to fit your desire and add to your own privacy disclosures. This can help to follow the EU Global Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) or other local laws.
Cookie Information
Sites which hosted on WordPress.com use cookies for many different purposes. Some of the cookies are set only for registered WordPress.com users, while other cookies are set for all users. WordPress.com want to collect the least amount of necessary to provide its services.
How to enable the widget
On upgrade hosting plans, the widget is enable by adding it to the Widgets section in the Customizer of your site. It has the ability to go in any widget position, and it would show the banner at the bottom of the screen when you load the site.
Note: The banner will appear only on pages or o posts of your site which show the widget area in which you add the widget. If you want to display the banner on the front page of your site, please make sure that you added the widget to a widget area that shows up there.
Highlight Features of Cookie & Privacy Banner Widget
Hiding the banner
You dismiss the banner in one of these three ways: when an user clicks the button, when an user scrolls, or after a particular time. The time’s minimum length is 3 seconds, the maximum can be 1000. When the banner is hidden, a technical cookied called eucookielaw is set. This cookie prevents the banner from being shown to a same person again within 30 days.
For WordAds program members, EU users have to click “Close and accept” button so that their ads can be personalized on your site. Such ads bring back a higher revenue rate to be shared with you. Please remember this when you decide how you would do to hide the banners.
Banner text
The Banner will show a default cookie notification message that you can customize if you need.
Color scheme
Display the banner by using a dark palette or light palette. You can customize this further when you have Custom Design. This is a feature of WordPress Premium and Business Plans is the relevant CSS selector.
Policy URL
By default this creates a link to WordPress.com cookies policy. If you want to link to your very own policy, you can add a page to your site, and add the link in the area below “Custom:”. After adding the link, you can choose your own options.
Policy Link Text
This can be done by setting default ‘Our Cookie Policy’, which can be customized when in need.
Button Text
This is the button’s text which users click to accept, or dismiss the notice of cookie.
Important Notice
Please remember that you have to ensure that you comply with the relevant applicable laws in your jurisdiction. This widget is created to support you take steps towards this. However, this it is not offered as a guaranteed or the completed way to comply with the GDPR or other laws which are applied to you.