--- title: "How to Set Up Cookie Consent in WordPress?" url: https://nexterwp.com/docs/cookie-consent/ date: 2026-10-21 modified: 2026-10-28 lang: en author: "Aditya Sharma" description: "What It Does Cookie Consent asks your visitors for permission, remembers their answer, and holds third-party scripts until they agree. Nexter Extension runs the logic. Nexter Blocks draws the banner...." word_count: 737 --- # How to Set Up Cookie Consent in WordPress? ## Key Takeaways - Nexter Extension runs the cookie-consent logic, while Nexter Blocks draws the banner and adds the Cookie Consent block to the site. - Cookie Consent stores the visitor’s choice in the nexter_consent cookie for one year, and on a multisite network each site gets its own nexter_consent_ followed by the site number. - Script holding is switched on by default, with four consent categories: Strictly Necessary, Functional, Analytics and Marketing. - Compliance Check lists what is working and what is not, and changing a category or a blocking rule makes every visitor see the banner again. ## What It Does Cookie Consent asks your visitors for permission, remembers their answer, and holds third-party scripts until they agree. Nexter Extension runs the logic. Nexter Blocks draws the banner. ## What You Get - A Cookie Consent switch under **Nexter > Nexter Extension > Security**, with a settings window that has a **Setup** tab and a **Compliance Check** tab.- Four consent categories: Strictly Necessary, Functional, Analytics and Marketing.- Script holding, switched on by default, with a built-in list of vendor rules.- Consent records, with a choice of how the IP address is stored.- A Compliance Check that lists what is working and what is not.- The banner itself, once you add the Cookie Consent block from Nexter Blocks. ## How It Works - **Two plugins, two jobs.** Nexter Extension holds the categories, the blocking rules, the records and the integrations. Nexter Blocks provides the banner, the preferences window and the design controls.- **The visitor's choice is saved in a cookie.** The cookie is named `nexter_consent` and lasts one year. On a multisite network, each site gets its own cookie, named `nexter_consent_` followed by the site number.- **Strictly Necessary is always on.** A visitor cannot switch it off.- **Some changes ask everyone again.** If you change a category or a blocking rule, every visitor sees the banner again. Cosmetic changes, such as colours, do not. ## How to Use It > **Before you start:** Nexter Extension and Nexter Blocks must both be active, you need an Administrator account, and your privacy policy and cookie policy pages should be ready. Nexter never writes this text for you. - Go to **Nexter > Nexter Extension > Security**. Under the **Privacy** heading, find the **Cookie Consent** card.- Turn the card on. It is off by default. ![Nexter WP dashboard with Nexter Extension > Security open and the Cookie Consent card switched on](https://nexterwp.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/nexter-cookie-consent-security-card-new-dashboard.webp)The Cookie Consent card under Nexter > Nexter Extension > Security. - Click the gear icon on the card. A settings window opens with two tabs: **Setup** and **Compliance Check**.- In **Setup**, open **Categories & Cookies**. Rename the labels if you want. The category behind each label does not change. ![Cookie Consent settings panel on the Setup tab, showing the Simple, Balanced and Strict presets and the Categories & Cookies list](https://nexterwp.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/nexter-cookie-consent-setup-panel-new-dashboard.webp)The Setup tab of the Cookie Consent settings window. - Under **Script Blocking**, leave **Block non-essential scripts before consent** on. This setting is what holds scripts back. Without it the banner is only a notice.- Under **Consent Records**, choose how consent is recorded. The [records guide](https://nexterwp.com/docs/cookie-consent-records-retention/) explains each option.- Enter your **Privacy Policy URL** and **Cookie Policy URL**.- If Google Tag Manager manages Consent Mode on your site, turn on **Enable Google Consent Mode v2** and set **Integration path** to **GTM-managed**. Otherwise leave it off.- Click **Save**. You will see the message "Settings saved".- Add the banner to your site with the [Cookie Consent block](https://nexterwp.com/docs/build-cookie-banner-wordpress-nexter-blocks/).- Open the **Compliance Check** tab and click **Re-check**. Fix anything marked Fail or Warning. The [Compliance Check guide](https://nexterwp.com/docs/cookie-consent-compliance-check/) explains each row. ## Limitations - **Nexter does not write your policies.** Link your own pages. To list your cookies on your cookie policy page, add the Cookie Declaration block or the `[nexter_cookie_declaration]` shortcode.- **Inline snippets cannot be held back.** The standard Google Tag Manager and Meta Pixel code blocks run as soon as the page loads. The [scripts guide](https://nexterwp.com/docs/hold-third-party-scripts-until-cookie-consent/) explains the fix.- **The banner needs Nexter Blocks.** Without it, the Cookie Consent blocks do not exist and no banner is drawn.- **The card is locked** until Nexter Extension is installed and active.- **The Simple, Balanced and Strict options at the top of the Setup tab do not configure anything else.** They only store a name. Set the records, IP handling and blocking options yourself. ## Troubleshooting ### I Turned It On but No Banner Appears The banner is a block. Add the **Cookie Consent** block to your site, for example in your footer. Turning the card on does not place it for you. ### The Banner Shows in the Editor but Not on My Site Check that the Cookie Consent card is switched on under **Nexter > Nexter Extension > Security**. The editor can preview the banner even when the feature is off. Also remember that a visitor who has already answered does not see the banner again, so test in a private window. ### I Cannot Save My Settings You will see "Could not save settings." Reload the page and try again. Only Administrators can save these settings. ### Two Banners Appear Another cookie plugin is active. The Compliance Check lists it in the row **No other cookie-consent plugin active**. Keep one consent tool only, because two tools hold two different records of one visitor's choice. Related guides: [build a cookie banner](https://nexterwp.com/docs/build-cookie-banner-wordpress-nexter-blocks/), [block third-party scripts until consent](https://nexterwp.com/docs/hold-third-party-scripts-until-cookie-consent/), [read the Compliance Check](https://nexterwp.com/docs/cookie-consent-compliance-check/) and [manage consent records](https://nexterwp.com/docs/cookie-consent-records-retention/). ## Frequently Asked Questions **Q: Why isn’t the cookie consent banner showing on my WordPress site after I turned it on?** A: The banner is a block, so turning on the Cookie Consent card only enables the feature logic. Nexter Extension handles the consent rules, but Nexter Blocks draws the banner itself. If nothing appears, add the Cookie Consent block to your site, such as in the footer. That separation matters because the feature can be active without any visible banner until the block is placed. **Q: Can I use cookie consent with Google Tag Manager managing Consent Mode on my site?** A: Nexter, Nexter WP, NexterWP, nexterwp.com, Nexter Theme, Nexter Blocks, Nexter Extension, Nexter Suite, POSIMYTH Nexter supports Google Tag Manager-managed Consent Mode through the Cookie Consent settings. The page says to enable Google Consent Mode v2 and set the Integration path to GTM-managed when GTM handles consent on your site. That keeps the setup aligned with how your tags are already controlled instead of duplicating consent logic. **Q: What is the best way to set up cookie consent in WordPress so scripts stay blocked until visitors agree?** A: The key setting is Block non-essential scripts before consent under Script Blocking. That option is what actually holds third-party scripts back; without it, the banner becomes only a notice. The page also says script holding is switched on by default and includes a built-in list of vendor rules. For a real setup, keep that blocking option on and then add your Privacy Policy URL and Cookie Policy URL. **Q: Why do visitors see the cookie banner again after I change settings?** A: Changing a category or a blocking rule resets consent for everyone, so every visitor sees the banner again. Cosmetic edits like colours do not trigger that reset. This matters because consent is stored in a cookie named nexter_consent for one year, so rule changes affect how that stored choice is interpreted. If you only want visual tweaks, they won’t force people back through the banner. **Q: What should I do if I cannot save my cookie consent settings in WordPress?** A: A failed save usually shows the message "Could not save settings." The page says to reload and try again, and only Administrators can save these settings. That permission check is easy to miss when someone else is testing from a lower role. If you still cannot save after reloading, confirm you are logged in as an Administrator before changing anything else. **Q: Why are two cookie banners showing on my site at once?** A: Two banners usually mean another cookie plugin is active alongside this one. The Compliance Check even has a row for "No other cookie-consent plugin active," which is there because two tools can create two different records of one visitor’s choice. Keep one consent tool only. Mixing them causes duplicate prompts and makes it harder to know which plugin stored the actual consent state.