Sometimes you may want to check which cookies your website places in a visitor’s browser, especially before the visitor gives consent.
This guide shows you how to:
- See which cookies your site sets
- Check if cookies load before consent
- Test your cookie banner
You don’t need technical skills. Just follow the steps below.
Before you start
To test correctly, make sure you:
- Open your site in a private/incognito window
- Clear your browser cookies first
- Make sure you are not logged in as admin
Why?
When you are logged in, WordPress sets functional cookies. These cookies are always allowed and can affect your results.
Method 1: Check cookies with your browser (manual method)
You can use your browser’s built-in developer tools to see which cookies are placed.
Step 1: Open your site in Incognito mode
Step 2: Open Developer Tools
On your website: Right-click anywhere on the page, click Inspect
Then, go to the Application tab (Chrome/Edge) or go to the Storage tab (Firefox)
Click Cookies in the left menu.
You will now see a list of cookies stored in the browser.
Step 3: Check cookies before consent
Do not click “Accept” on your cookie banner yet. Look at the list of cookies:
- Are there marketing cookies?
- Are there statistics cookies?
- Are there third-party cookies (like Google, Facebook, YouTube)?
If you see non-essential cookies before giving consent, something may be loading too early.
Step 4: Accept consent and compare
Now, click Accept all on your cookie banner, refresh the page and check the cookies again.
You should now see additional cookies load.
This helps you confirm that:
- Non-essential cookies only load after consent
- Your banner blocks cookies correctly
Method 2: Use the Network tab (advanced check)
If you want to see which scripts are loading:
- Open Inspect
- Go to the Network tab
- Refresh the page
You will now see all requests made by your site.
Look for:
- google-analytics.com
- googletagmanager.com
- facebook.com
- youtube.com
- doubleclick.net
If these load before consent, they may place cookies too early.
Method 3: Use the Complianz Cookie Scan
Complianz includes a built-in cookie scan.
To run a scan:
- Go to Complianz → Cookie Scan
- Click Start scan
- Wait for the scan to complete
The scan will detect:
- First-party cookies
- Third-party services
- Scripts that may place cookies
After the scan, you can review and categorize cookies inside Complianz.
⚠️ Note: A scan shows what cookies exist. It does not automatically confirm whether they are blocked before consent. Always test manually as well.
Common reasons cookies load before consent
If you find cookies loading too early, check for:
- Hardcoded scripts in your theme
- Scripts added in header.php
- Plugins that load scripts directly
- Caching or optimization plugins
- Server-side tracking
Make sure scripts are added through Complianz integrations or supported plugins.
Extra tip: Test from another device
Sometimes caching or logged-in sessions affect results.
For best results:
- Test from a different device
- Test from a different network
- Clear all browser data before testing again
Need help?
If you are unsure about the results:
- Take screenshots of the cookie list
- Export the cookie scan results
- Contact Complianz support
We’re happy to help you check whether your site blocks cookies correctly before consent.