5 cookie consent mistakes that get you fined

Cookie banners are the most visible — and most often broken — part of GDPR compliance.

1. Loading trackers before consent

The classic violation: Google Analytics or the Meta Pixel fires on page load, before the user clicks anything. Block them until consent.

2. No reject button

If "Accept" is one click but rejecting takes five, that's a dark pattern. Reject must be as easy as accept.

3. Pre-ticked boxes

Consent must be a clear, affirmative action. Pre-ticked checkboxes are explicitly invalid under GDPR.

4. No granularity

Users should be able to accept essential cookies while rejecting marketing ones.

5. No record of consent

You must be able to prove a user consented. Log it.

Want to know which trackers your site loads before consent? Scan your URL.