Website Cookies? You need to sort this out before it’s too late!
Welcoming visitors to your website? Then you almost certainly use cookies. But do you know exactly what cookies do, and what your legal requirements are regarding them?
From 2025, enforcement of online privacy will become stricter. A vague cookie pop-up will no longer suffice. You must clearly communicate which cookies you place, why, and only start tracking once your visitor explicitly agrees to it. If you don’t do this, you risk fines and lose your visitors’ trust. So, it’s time to take your cookies seriously.
What exactly are cookies?
Cookies are small files that your website stores in a visitor’s browser. They collect information about browsing behavior, preferences, and interactions.
There are different types of cookies:
Functional cookies – ensuring your website works (e.g. remembering a shopping cart)
Statistical cookies – measuring what visitors do (e.g. via Google Analytics)
Marketing cookies – tracking behavior and show targeted ads
️ Preference cookies – remembering language, region, or other personal settings
Why do you need to do something with this?
You cannot simply place cookies, especially for tracking or marketing. The law (GDPR + ePrivacy) requires that you:
- Inform users
- Ask for consent before placing cookies
- Be transparent about what you collect and why
- Only enable cookies after approval
- Place a clear cookie banner, not a vague “OK” button, but clear choices
- Use categories, let visitors decide for themselves what they allow/do not allow
- Link to your cookie declaration, explicitly explain which cookies you use
- Ensure that cookies only work after consent, so not automatically upon loading
- Check your tools, such as Google Analytics or Facebook Pixel: are they set up correctly?
- Use a reliable cookie tool, that records everything properly and keeps it up to date
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