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HarbourBob edited this page Feb 13, 2026 · 1 revision

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Common questions and answers about MBR Cookie Consent.

General Questions

What is MBR Cookie Consent?

MBR Cookie Consent is a completely free WordPress plugin that helps websites comply with GDPR, CCPA, and other privacy regulations. It provides cookie consent management with automatic script blocking, intelligent scanning, and consent logging.

Is it really 100% free?

Yes! There are no premium versions, no upsells, no subscriptions, and no hidden costs. All features are completely free forever.

How is this different from other free cookie plugins?

Most free cookie plugins offer basic functionality with limited layouts and features. MBR Cookie Consent provides:

  • 5 banner layouts (vs. 1-2 in other free plugins)
  • Site-wide scanner up to 1000 pages
  • Complete branding options (logo support)
  • Italian law compliance (X close button)
  • Professional-grade features typically found in $200-500/year premium plugins

Do I need to pay for GDPR compliance?

No! This plugin provides everything you need for GDPR compliance at no cost. However, please note: This plugin provides technical tools only. It does not constitute legal advice. Consult a lawyer for your specific compliance requirements.

Can I use this on multiple websites?

Yes! The GPL license allows you to use this plugin on unlimited websites at no cost.

Who maintains this plugin?

MBR Cookie Consent is maintained by Made by Robert, a freelance WordPress developer specializing in free, professional-grade plugins. Support is provided via GitHub issues and discussions.

Installation & Setup

How long does setup take?

  • Basic setup: 5 minutes
  • With cookie scanning: 15-30 minutes
  • Full customization: 1 hour

What are the minimum requirements?

  • WordPress 5.8+
  • PHP 7.4+
  • MySQL 5.6+
  • Modern browser for admin interface

Can I install it on WordPress.com?

Only on WordPress.com Business plan or higher. The free and Personal plans don't support custom plugins.

Does it work with multisite?

Not yet. Multisite support is planned for a future release. Currently, you'll need to install it individually on each site.

How do I update the plugin?

Updates work like any WordPress plugin:

  1. Download the latest version from GitHub Releases
  2. Deactivate the old version
  3. Delete the old version
  4. Upload and activate the new version

Your settings and data are preserved during updates.

Banner Display

The banner isn't showing on my site. Why?

Common causes:

  1. Consent already given - Clear cookies and test in incognito window
  2. JavaScript error - Check browser console (F12)
  3. Theme/plugin conflict - Temporarily disable other plugins
  4. CSS conflict - Banner may be hidden by other elements
  5. Caching - Clear WordPress cache, server cache and browser cache

Can I change the banner position?

Yes! You have 5 layout options:

  • Bar - Bottom (default)
  • Bar - Top
  • Box - Bottom Left
  • Box - Bottom Right
  • Popup - Center

Change in Cookie Consent > Settings > Banner Layout

Can I add my logo to the banner?

Yes!

  1. Go to Cookie Consent > Settings > Banner Branding
  2. Enter your logo URL
  3. Recommended size: 150x150px
  4. Save settings

How do I change the banner colors?

Go to Cookie Consent > Settings and customize:

  • Primary Color (banner background)
  • Accept Button Color
  • Reject Button Color
  • Text Color
  • Floating Button Text Color

Can I customize the banner text?

Yes! All text is customizable:

  • Banner heading
  • Banner description
  • Button text (Accept, Reject, Customize)
  • Policy link text
  • CCPA link text

Does the banner work on mobile devices?

Yes! The banner is fully responsive and adapts to:

  • Mobile phones
  • Tablets
  • Desktop
  • All screen sizes

Can I show the banner only to EU visitors?

Not yet. Geo-targeting is planned for Phase 2. Currently, the banner shows to all visitors worldwide.

How do I hide the "Reject" button?

  1. Go to Cookie Consent > Settings > Banner Options
  2. Uncheck "Show Reject All Button"
  3. Save settings

Note: GDPR compliance typically requires a Reject option.

Cookie Scanner

How does the cookie scanner work?

The scanner:

  1. Crawls your website pages
  2. Analyzes HTML for scripts, iframes, and third-party services
  3. Categorizes them automatically
  4. Presents results organized by category
  5. Allows one-click blocking

How many pages can it scan?

Up to 1000 pages in a single scan. This includes:

  • All published posts
  • All published pages
  • Custom post types

Does it detect all cookies automatically?

The scanner detects:

  • ✅ External scripts (src URLs)
  • ✅ Inline scripts
  • ✅ Iframes (YouTube, Vimeo, Google Maps, etc.)
  • ❌ Dynamically loaded scripts (requires manual addition)
  • ❌ First-party cookies (must be added manually)

Can I manually add scripts?

Yes!

  1. Go to Cookie Consent > Cookie Scanner
  2. Scroll to "Add Custom Script"
  3. Enter script details
  4. Click "Add Script"

What happens to blocked scripts?

When a script is blocked:

  1. Plugin prevents it from loading until consent is given
  2. User sees cookie banner
  3. User accepts/rejects
  4. Accepted category scripts load immediately
  5. Consent choice is saved

Can I unblock a script?

Yes!

  1. Go to Cookie Consent > Cookie Scanner
  2. Find the script in "Currently Blocked Scripts"
  3. Click "Remove"
  4. Script will load normally on next page load

Does it work with Google Tag Manager?

Partial support. The scanner can detect GTM, but you'll need to configure GTM's built-in consent mode for full integration. Phase 2 will include better GTM integration.

Compliance & Legal

Is this plugin GDPR compliant?

The plugin provides technical tools to help achieve GDPR compliance:

  • ✅ Consent before cookies
  • ✅ Accept/Reject options
  • ✅ Granular category control
  • ✅ Easy access to change preferences
  • ✅ Consent logging for records

However: GDPR compliance requires more than just a plugin. You also need:

  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Data Processing Agreements (DPAs)
  • Legal review of your practices

Recommendation: Consult a lawyer for full compliance.

Is this CCPA compliant?

Yes! The plugin supports CCPA with:

  • "Do Not Sell My Personal Information" link
  • Opt-out mechanism
  • Consent logging

Enable CCPA mode in Cookie Consent > Settings > CCPA Options

What about Italian law?

Yes! Italian law requires an X (close) button that allows users to close the banner without deciding. Enable this in:

Cookie Consent > Settings > Banner Options > Show X (Close) Button

Do I need a Privacy Policy?

Yes! All websites that use cookies need a Privacy Policy. Use the built-in Policy Generator or consult a lawyer.

Do I need a Cookie Policy?

Recommended. Many privacy laws require a Cookie Policy explaining what cookies you use and why. The plugin includes a Policy Generator to help create one.

How long should I keep consent records?

GDPR recommendation: 2+ years

The plugin logs all consent events indefinitely. You can export logs via:

Cookie Consent > Consent Logs > Export CSV

What if users don't accept cookies?

If a user rejects cookies:

  • Only "Necessary" category cookies load
  • Analytics, Marketing, and Preference cookies are blocked
  • User can change preference anytime via the floating button

Can users withdraw consent?

Yes! Users can:

  1. Click the floating "Cookie Settings" button (bottom of page)
  2. Change their preferences
  3. Save new choices

GDPR requires this easy access to change consent.

Technical Questions

Does it affect site performance?

Minimal impact:

  • Lightweight CSS (~10KB)
  • Optimized JavaScript (~15KB)
  • No external API calls
  • Database queries optimized
  • Async script loading

Does it slow down my website?

No. The plugin is designed for performance:

  • Assets load asynchronously
  • Minimal database queries
  • No page render blocking
  • Caching-friendly

Can I use it with a caching plugin?

Yes! Compatible with:

  • WP Super Cache
  • W3 Total Cache
  • WP Rocket
  • LiteSpeed Cache
  • Cloudflare

Note: After changing settings, clear your cache to see updates.

Does it work with page builders?

Yes! Tested and compatible with:

  • Elementor
  • Divi
  • Beaver Builder
  • WPBakery
  • Gutenberg

What about theme compatibility?

The plugin is designed to work with any theme following WordPress standards. If you experience issues, please [report them](https://github.com/harbourbob/mbr-cookie-consent/issues).

Can I customize the CSS?

Yes! You can add custom CSS via:

  • WordPress Customizer (Additional CSS)
  • Child theme stylesheet
  • Custom CSS plugin

All plugin classes are prefixed with mbr-cc- for easy targeting.

Does it work with CDN?

Yes! The plugin is CDN-friendly and works with:

  • Cloudflare
  • MaxCDN
  • KeyCDN
  • Amazon CloudFront
  • Other CDN services

Can I translate the plugin?

Yes! The plugin is translation-ready. You can:

  1. Use translation plugins (WPML, Polylang)
  2. Manually edit text in Settings
  3. Use .po/.mo files (located in /languages folder)

Multilingual support (automatic language detection) is planned for Phase 2.

How do I access the database tables?

The plugin creates two tables:

  • wp_mbr_cc_consent_log - Consent records
  • wp_mbr_cc_blocked_scripts - Blocked script list

Access via phpMyAdmin or WP-CLI.

Can I export consent data?

Yes!

  1. Go to Cookie Consent > Consent Logs
  2. Click Export CSV
  3. Download file with all consent records

Useful for GDPR compliance audits.

Troubleshooting

Settings won't save

Solutions:

  1. Hard refresh the page (Ctrl+Shift+R)
  2. Check browser console for JavaScript errors
  3. Temporarily disable other plugins
  4. Try a different browser
  5. Increase PHP max_input_vars to 3000+

Banner shows on every page load

This means consent isn't being saved. Check:

  1. Cookies are enabled in browser
  2. No cookie-blocking browser extensions
  3. Domain matches (www vs non-www)
  4. JavaScript isn't blocked
  5. Cookie name conflicts

Blocked scripts still loading

Possible causes:

  1. Script loaded before plugin activates
  2. Hard-coded scripts (not scannable)
  3. Caching issue
  4. Script identifier doesn't match

Solution: Check script identifier accuracy and clear all caches.

Colors not applying

Solutions:

  1. Clear browser cache
  2. Check for theme CSS conflicts
  3. Test in incognito window
  4. Verify hex codes are valid
  5. Use browser inspector to check applied styles

Logo not displaying

Check:

  1. URL is correct and accessible
  2. Image format supported (JPG, PNG, GIF, WebP, SVG)
  3. File size < 2MB
  4. No 404 errors in console
  5. Image permissions on server

Scanner times out

Solutions:

  1. Reduce pages scanned (currently max 1000)
  2. Increase PHP max_execution_time to 300+
  3. Increase PHP memory_limit to 256M+
  4. Scan during low-traffic hours
  5. Use single-page scanning for specific URLs

Database tables not created

Solution:

  1. Deactivate plugin
  2. Reactivate plugin
  3. Check database user permissions
  4. Manually create tables (see [Installation Guide](Installation))

Conflict with another plugin

Diagnosis:

  1. Deactivate all other plugins
  2. Activate MBR Cookie Consent only
  3. Test if issue persists
  4. Reactivate plugins one by one to find conflict

Report conflicts via [GitHub Issues](https://github.com/yourusername/mbr-cookie-consent/issues)

Performance & Compatibility

What browsers are supported?

Frontend (visitor-facing):

  • Chrome 60+
  • Firefox 60+
  • Safari 12+
  • Edge 79+
  • Mobile browsers (iOS Safari, Chrome Mobile)
  • Opera 50+

Admin interface:

  • Chrome 90+
  • Firefox 88+
  • Safari 14+
  • Edge 90+

Does it work with WordPress 6.x?

Yes! Tested up to WordPress 6.4+ and compatible with all future versions following WordPress standards.

What PHP versions are supported?

  • Minimum: PHP 7.4
  • Recommended: PHP 8.0+
  • Tested up to: PHP 8.2

Does it work on shared hosting?

Yes! The plugin works on:

  • Shared hosting (Bluehost, SiteGround, HostGator, etc.)
  • VPS
  • Dedicated servers
  • Managed WordPress hosts (WP Engine, Kinsta, Flywheel)

Can I use it on localhost/dev site?

Yes! Works perfectly on:

  • Local by Flywheel
  • XAMPP
  • MAMP
  • Laravel Valet
  • Docker
  • Any local development environment

Does it work with WordPress REST API?

Yes! The plugin doesn't interfere with REST API functionality.

Can I use it with headless WordPress?

Partial support. The banner is designed for traditional WordPress themes. For headless setups, you'd need to implement the consent UI separately and use the plugin's backend for storage/logging.

Does it support IPv6?

Yes! IP logging supports both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses.

Advanced Questions

Can I use custom cookie categories?

Not yet. Currently limited to 4 categories:

  • Necessary
  • Analytics
  • Marketing
  • Preferences

Custom categories are planned for Phase 2.

Can I integrate with my own scripts?

Yes! You can check consent status via JavaScript:

// Check if user has consented
var consent = MbrCookieBanner.getConsent();

if (consent && consent.analytics) {
    // Load analytics scripts
}

Can I trigger the banner programmatically?

Yes! Via JavaScript:

// Show banner
$('#mbr-cc-banner').fadeIn();

// Show preferences modal
$('#mbr-cc-modal').fadeIn();

Can I style the banner with custom CSS?

Yes! All elements use mbr-cc- prefixed classes:

/* Custom banner styling */
.mbr-cc-banner {
    border-radius: 10px;
    box-shadow: 0 4px 20px rgba(0,0,0,0.3);
}

.mbr-cc-btn-accept {
    background: linear-gradient(45deg, #00c853, #64dd17);
}

Can I hook into plugin actions?

Not yet. WordPress hooks/filters will be added in Phase 2 for developers to extend functionality.

Does it log user IP addresses?

Yes, by default. Consent logs include IP addresses for compliance records.

Privacy note: Consider anonymizing IPs by using only partial addresses (e.g., first 3 octets).

Can I disable consent logging?

Not recommended for GDPR compliance, but you can manually clear logs via:

Cookie Consent > Consent Logs > Delete All

Or truncate the database table:

TRUNCATE TABLE wp_mbr_cc_consent_log;

How do I back up consent data?

Export CSV:

  1. Go to Cookie Consent > Consent Logs
  2. Click Export CSV

Database backup:

wp db export --tables=wp_mbr_cc_consent_log,wp_mbr_cc_blocked_scripts

Future Features

What's coming in Phase 2?

Planned features:

  • Geo-targeting (show banner only to EU visitors)
  • A/B testing for consent rates
  • Google Tag Manager integration
  • Multilingual support with auto-detection
  • Custom cookie categories
  • WordPress hooks/filters for developers
  • Consent analytics dashboard
  • Multisite support
  • Cookie blocking by category (advanced mode)

Can I request a feature?

Yes! Submit feature requests via:

Will it always be free?

Yes! The plugin will remain 100% free forever. No premium versions, no subscriptions, no paywalls.

Getting Help

Where can I get support?

How do I report a bug?

  1. Check [existing issues](https://github.com/harbourbob/mbr-cookie-consent/issues)
  2. If not reported, [create a new issue](https://github.com/harbourbob/mbr-cookie-consent/issues/new)
  3. Include:
    • WordPress version
    • PHP version
    • Plugin version
    • Steps to reproduce
    • Screenshots if applicable
    • Browser console errors

Can I contribute to the plugin?

Yes! Contributions welcome:

  • Code improvements
  • Bug fixes
  • Documentation
  • Translations
  • Feature suggestions

See the [Contributing Guide](https://github.com/yourusername/mbr-cookie-consent/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md)

Is professional support available?

For custom development, implementation help, or priority support, contact [Made by Robert](https://madebyrobert.com/contact).

Still have questions?

Updated: February 2026 | Plugin Version: 1.4.1/mbr-cookie-consent/issues)](https://github.com/harbourbob/mbr-cookie-consent/issues) (label: enhancement)

Will it always be free?

Yes! The plugin will remain 100% free forever. No premium versions, no subscriptions, no paywalls.

Getting Help

Where can I get support?

Updated: February 2026 | Plugin Version: 1.4.1

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