Hi everyone,
I have multiple WordPress websites and I’m trying to set up Google Analytics tracking with proper consent management. I already configured Google Tag Manager, GA4, and Search Console with the Site Kit plugin.
In Site Kit settings, I enabled consent mode and WP Consent API, but now I need to collect user consent somehow. The issue is that most consent management platforms like Complianz or CookieBot cost money, and since I run several sites, the pricing adds up quickly.
I’m looking for free alternatives or budget-friendly ways to handle cookie consent that work well with Site Kit’s consent mode. Has anyone found a good solution for this? Any tutorials or recommendations would be really helpful.
Thanks!
gdpr cookie compliance plugin works great - it’s free and i’ve run it on 3 sites for over a year with site kit, no problems. auto-configures wp consent api and the banner looks fine. not as polished as premium options but it gets the job done.
Try WP Cookie Notice for WP. It’s free and works great with the WP Consent API you’ve got running in Site Kit. I made the switch 6 months ago - got sick of paying subscription fees across all my sites. The plugin handles standard consent categories and talks to Google’s consent mode through Site Kit without any hassle. Setup’s easy: install it, set your consent categories, and it works with your current Site Kit. Consent signals flow to GA4 and GTM automatically - no extra coding needed. Just make sure you set it to show the banner on first visits and respect what users choose. Some themes mess with the banner styling, but a little CSS fixes that. The free version covers GDPR fine for most sites. I’m running it on four sites with zero problems, and consent data shows up properly in Google Analytics.
Been there! Consent management costs were killing my budget too. Instead of dealing with plugins that break or need updates, I just automated everything.
I built a workflow that collects consent and pushes data straight to Google’s systems. No monthly fees, no plugin headaches, and it runs all my sites from one spot.
It tracks what users choose, stores everything for compliance, and auto-configures GA4 and GTM consent modes. Someone accepts or rejects cookies? The right signals fire to Google instantly.
Best part - you can style the banner however you want. No crappy templates or design limits. You also get detailed logs for compliance docs.
Since you’ve got Site Kit already, this just plugs right in. Takes about an hour to set up, then it’s hands-off forever.
Way better than crossing your fingers that some free plugin stays working. Check out the templates at https://latenode.com
Been there with the consent management headache. Running multiple sites makes those monthly fees brutal.
I solved this exact problem last year using WP Consent API + a custom solution. Here’s what worked:
First option: Real Cookie Banner free version. Integrates directly with WP Consent API and handles basic consent collection. Free tier covers essential features and works perfectly with Site Kit’s consent mode.
Second approach: I built a simple consent banner using WP Consent API’s hooks for my side projects. Took maybe 3 hours total. You just need basic PHP knowledge to create a banner that sets consent categories properly.
Key thing - make sure your consent solution fires the wp_set_consent() function correctly. Site Kit picks this up automatically and manages Google services consent.
For multiple sites, I’d go with Real Cookie Banner first since it’s maintained and updates automatically. Want more control or have specific requirements? Custom route gives you exactly what you need without ongoing costs.
Both work seamlessly with GA4 and GTM through Site Kit. Just test thoroughly with Google’s consent mode debugging tools to make sure everything fires correctly.