Need to get DigiConsent up and running fast? This quick start guide will have your cookie consent banner configured and live in under 15 minutes. Follow these streamlined steps to implement compliant cookie consent management on your WordPress website.
What You’ll Accomplish
By the end of this quick start guide, you’ll have:
- A fully functional cookie consent banner on your website
- Properly configured consent behavior that matches your legal requirements
- Your tracking scripts organized into appropriate cookie categories
- A customized banner that matches your website’s branding
- Working analytics to track consent rates
Step 1: Install and Activate (2 minutes)
If you haven’t already installed DigiConsent, start here:
- Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard
- Navigate to Plugins → Add New
- Search for “DigiConsent” in the search box
- Click Install Now on the DigiConsent plugin by DigiHold
- Click Activate once installation completes
You’ll see a new “DigiConsent” menu item appear in your WordPress admin sidebar. The plugin is now installed with default settings, and a basic banner is already showing on your website.
Step 2: Choose Your Consent Behavior (1 minute)
The most important decision is selecting your consent behavior mode. This determines how cookies are handled before user interaction.
- Click DigiConsent → Settings in your admin menu
- Find the Consent Behavior dropdown in the General Settings section
- Select one of three options:
- Opt-in (Recommended): Blocks all non-essential cookies until users accept. Required for GDPR compliance in Europe. Choose this if you serve European visitors or want maximum privacy compliance.
- Opt-out: Allows cookies by default; users can reject them. Suitable for regions with less strict privacy laws like most of the United States.
- Notice-only: Simply informs users about cookies without requiring action. Only use this if you have no tracking cookies or your jurisdiction doesn’t require consent.
Quick Recommendation: When in doubt, choose Opt-in. It provides maximum compliance and builds trust with privacy-conscious users, even if you’re not legally required to use it.
Step 3: Customize Your Banner Text (3 minutes)
Make your consent banner clear and friendly with customized text that explains your cookie usage.
Edit the Main Text
Still in the Settings page, scroll to the text fields:
- Pre-Heading Text: The small text above the main heading (default: “Hi there!”). Keep it friendly and brief.
- Heading Text: The main banner title (default: “We’re the cookies!”). Make it clear this is about cookies and consent.
- Description Text: Explain why you use cookies and what they do. Be honest and specific. Example: “We use cookies to improve your experience, analyze website traffic, and show relevant ads. You can choose which cookies to accept.”
Link Your Privacy Policy
Users need access to detailed information about your data practices:
- In the Privacy Policy Page dropdown, select the page containing your privacy policy
- Customize the Privacy Policy Link Text if desired (default: “Privacy Policy”)
If you don’t have a privacy policy page yet, create one before continuing. It’s essential for compliance and building trust.
Step 4: Select Banner Layout (1 minute)
Choose where and how the consent banner appears on your website.
In the Banner Layout section at the top of Settings, you’ll see four visual options:
- Bottom Banner: Appears at the bottom of the screen. Least intrusive option, good for most websites.
- Top Banner: Displays at the top of the page. More visible but can push content down.
- Side Banner: Appears on the left or right side. Modern look, doesn’t block content vertically.
- Fullscreen: Takes over the entire screen. Maximum visibility and engagement, but most intrusive.
Quick Tip: Start with the Bottom Banner—it’s familiar to users and works well on all device sizes. You can always change it later.
If you choose Side Banner, you’ll see an additional option to select Left or Right positioning.
Step 5: Add Your Tracking Scripts (5 minutes)
Now comes the important part: adding your tracking scripts to the appropriate cookie categories so they’re properly controlled by user consent.
Navigate to Cookie Categories
In the Settings page, click the Cookie Categories tab at the top. You’ll see four category tabs:
- Necessary
- Analytics
- Marketing
- Functional
Quick Add Analytics (Most Common)
If you use Google Analytics or Google Tag Manager, DigiConsent makes it incredibly easy:
- Click the Analytics tab
- Scroll to the Quick Add Analytics section
- Enter your tracking ID in the appropriate field:
- Google Tag Manager: Enter your GTM-XXXXXXX container ID
- Google Analytics 4: Enter your G-XXXXXXXXXX measurement ID (only if NOT using GTM)
- Hotjar: Enter your numeric site ID if you use Hotjar
DigiConsent will automatically generate the correct tracking code for you. No need to copy and paste scripts!
Quick Add Marketing Pixels
For marketing and advertising tracking:
- Click the Marketing tab
- Scroll to Quick Add Marketing
- Enter your pixel IDs:
- Facebook Pixel: Your 15-16 digit Facebook Pixel ID
- TikTok Pixel: Your TikTok Pixel ID
- LinkedIn Insight Tag: Your LinkedIn Partner ID
Manual Script Entry (If Needed)
For other tracking services not covered by Quick Add:
- Select the appropriate category tab (Analytics, Marketing, or Functional)
- Scroll to the Script Management section
- Choose where the script should load: Head Scripts, Body Scripts, or Footer Scripts
- Paste your complete tracking code including
<script>tags
Important: Make sure you paste scripts in the correct category. Analytics goes in Analytics, advertising pixels go in Marketing, chat widgets go in Functional. Never put optional tracking in the Necessary category.
Step 6: Save and Test (2 minutes)
You’re almost done! Now it’s time to save your settings and verify everything works.
Save Your Settings
- Scroll to the bottom of the Settings page
- Click the Save Settings button
- Wait for the success message confirming your settings were saved
Test the Banner
Open your website in a private/incognito browser window to test the consent banner as a new visitor would see it:
- Open an incognito/private browsing window
- Navigate to your website
- Verify the consent banner appears
- Check that all text is correct and readable
- Click the Settings button to see the detailed cookie preferences
- Verify all your cookie categories appear correctly
- Test the Accept button—the banner should disappear
- Refresh the page—the banner should not reappear (consent is saved)
Verify Script Loading
If you’re using opt-in mode, verify that tracking scripts are properly blocked until consent:
- Open your website in a fresh incognito window
- Open your browser’s developer tools (F12 or right-click → Inspect)
- Go to the Network tab
- Before accepting cookies, check that analytics/marketing scripts are NOT loading
- Accept cookies in the banner
- Verify that your tracking scripts now load
If scripts load before consent in opt-in mode, you may have placed them in the wrong category or outside DigiConsent’s control. Review your cookie category settings.
Step 7: Optional – Customize Colors (1 minute)
Want to match the banner to your brand? Quickly customize the colors:
- In Settings, click the Design tab
- Use the color pickers to customize:
- Background Color: The banner’s main background
- Text Color: The color of all text in the banner
- Primary Button Color: The Accept button background
- Primary Button Text: The Accept button text color
- Secondary Button Color: The Reject and Settings buttons
- Click Save Settings
- Refresh your website to see the changes
The color customization interface provides live previews, making it easy to create a banner that fits seamlessly with your website design.
Quick Configuration Checklist
Use this checklist to ensure you’ve configured everything essential:
- ✓ Plugin installed and activated
- ✓ Consent behavior selected (opt-in, opt-out, or notice-only)
- ✓ Banner layout chosen
- ✓ Banner text customized (pre-heading, heading, description)
- ✓ Privacy policy page linked
- ✓ Tracking scripts added to appropriate categories
- ✓ Settings saved
- ✓ Banner tested in incognito mode
- ✓ Script blocking verified (for opt-in mode)
- ✓ Colors customized (optional)
Common Quick Start Mistakes to Avoid
Watch out for these common pitfalls that can trip up new users:
Mistake 1: Wrong Consent Behavior
The default setting is notice-only, which doesn’t block cookies. If you need GDPR compliance, make sure to change this to opt-in. Not changing this setting is the most common mistake.
Mistake 2: Scripts in Wrong Category
Putting Google Analytics in the Necessary category defeats the purpose of consent management. Only true functional cookies (sessions, security) belong in Necessary. Everything else should be in Analytics, Marketing, or Functional.
Mistake 3: Not Testing in Incognito
If you test on your regular browser, you might already have consent cookies saved. Always test in a private/incognito window to see what new visitors experience.
Mistake 4: Forgetting to Clear Cache
If you use a caching plugin or CDN, clear all caches after making changes to DigiConsent settings. Otherwise, you might see old versions of the banner.
Mistake 5: Duplicate Tracking Scripts
If you previously had tracking scripts hardcoded in your theme or added through another plugin, remove them before adding them to DigiConsent. Otherwise, they’ll load twice or bypass consent controls.
What to Do After Quick Start
Congratulations! You now have a functioning cookie consent system. Here’s what to do next:
Monitor Your Analytics
Visit DigiConsent → Analytics to track:
- Total banner views
- Acceptance and rejection rates
- Which cookie categories users accept most often
- Trends over time
This data helps you understand user preferences and optimize your consent messaging.
Review Consent Logs
Check DigiConsent → Logs to see detailed records of user consent. These logs are important for compliance documentation and audits.
Fine-Tune Your Settings
After running DigiConsent for a week or two, review your settings:
- Are your acceptance rates where you expect them?
- Is the banner text clear and helpful?
- Does the banner layout work well on all devices?
- Should you adjust button text or colors?
Explore Advanced Features
Once you’re comfortable with the basics, explore advanced features:
- Google Consent Mode v2: Enable integration with Google’s consent framework for better analytics with privacy
- Import/Export: Save your configuration to reuse on other sites
- Consent Expiration: Adjust how long consent is valid before asking again
Getting Help
If you get stuck during quick start:
- Check the FAQ and Common Questions article for quick answers
- Review the Troubleshooting Guide for solutions to common issues
- Visit the WordPress.org support forums for community help
- Consult detailed guides for specific features in the documentation
Next Steps for Advanced Configuration
Now that you have DigiConsent up and running, explore these topics to maximize its potential:
- Basic Configuration: Dive deeper into all available settings
- Cookie Categories Overview: Understand category management in detail
- Design Customization: Create a perfectly branded consent experience
- Analytics Dashboard: Learn to interpret and use your consent data
- Consent Modes Explained: Understand the nuances of different compliance approaches
This quick start guide gets you operational fast, but DigiConsent has many more features to explore. Take your time to review the comprehensive documentation and optimize your consent management strategy for your specific needs and audience.