You might see a warning in the Cookie Banner settings in Complianz that says:
Categories are mandatory for your statistics configuration
This message appears when a specific question in the setup wizard has not been completed with all the required options selected.
Why this warning appears
During the Complianz setup wizard, you are asked the question:
“Do you compile statistics of your website?”
If the plugin’s cookie scan detects cookies related to tools such as Google Analytics or Google Tag Manager, it assumes that your website collects statistical data. In that case, the correct option should indicate the use of one of these services.
Additionally, the wizard asks for confirmation of several privacy-related settings related to Google analytics services. These include:
- confirming that you have accepted the Google Data Processing Amendment
- confirming that Google is not allowed to use this data for other services
- confirming that IP addresses are anonymized or blocked
If these options are not checked, Complianz considers the analytics implementation not privacy-friendly. As a result, the plugin requires a separate statistics category for these scripts in the cookie banner.
Why categories are required
Cookie categories help classify scripts and cookies according to their purpose. Typical categories include:
- Functional cookies – required for the basic operation of the website
- Statistics cookies – used for analytics and performance measurement
- Marketing cookies – used for advertising and tracking technologies
Using categories allows visitors to choose which types of cookies they want to allow, improving transparency and consent management.
Regulatory background
This warning was introduced after an update to the CNIL guidelines in 2019, which strengthened requirements for cookie consent and transparency.
Because of these privacy requirements, categories are generally required when statistics tools are used.
In some jurisdictions, such as the United Kingdom, the statistics category may always be enabled depending on ICO guidelines and configuration.
Can categories be disabled?
Within the European Union, the use of cookie categories is typically required for compliance. However, technically it is possible to disable categories in the plugin settings if you choose to do so. This should be done carefully, as it may affect your compliance with privacy regulations.