One of the key features of Complianz is the integration with Cookiedatabase.org, which automatically detects third-party cookies and keeps your cookie descriptions up to date. This guide will walk you through the process of adjusting and modifying cookies and services in Complianz, whether you’re fixing sync issues, adding new cookies, or updating existing ones. With these simple steps, you can ensure that your cookie management stays precise, compliant, and up-to-date.
Why Is This Important?
In simple words, when you use Complianz, we scan your website for cookies and sync the results with Cookiedatabase.org. This keeps your cookie descriptions accurate and ensures your site stays up-to-date with privacy regulations. The Cookiedatabase.org section in the Complianz Wizard helps you:
- Keep your cookie descriptions accurate.
- Stay compliant with cookie laws.
- Improve user experience with clear cookie info.
- Fix syncing issues when cookies or services aren’t detected correctly.
Adjusting Services and Cookies in Complianz
Now, let’s dive into how you can adjust or add new services or cookies.
Step 1: Go to the “Cookiedatabase.org” Section
To begin, log into your WordPress website and navigate to the Complianz plugin. Once in the Complianz dashboard, click on the “Wizard” tab and then Consent > Cookiedatabase.org. This section is where you manage cookies, services, and edit cookie configurations for your website and documents.
Step 2: Sync Your Website with Cookiedatabase.org
On the Wizard page, you’ll see an option to sync your website with Cookiedatabase.org. Complianz will automatically scan your site, and provides a real-time progress indicator to detect cookies and services, and then send the results to the database.
Once the sync is complete, you can check for any missing, incomplete, or incorrectly detected cookies. If you spot any issues, it’s easy to add or edit them manually.
E.g.:
Note: For each language, you can run a sync by selecting the desired language from the drop-down menu.
Step 3: View and Edit Detected Services/Cookies
Once your website has been synced, you’ll see a list of detected services and cookies. If any services or cookies are incorrectly synced or flagged, you have the option to edit them.
For example, if a service like Help Scout is detected, but you need to update its details, you can do so directly from this screen. Here’s how:
Edit Service Details
Click on the service (e.g., Help Scout), and you’ll be able to adjust its name, service types, and the privacy statement URL if needed.
Keep in mind that if the ‘Sync service with Cookiedatabase.org’ option is checked, the information will be pulled directly from Cookiedatabase.org, meaning you won’t be able to edit it directly. To make edits, you’ll need to uncheck this option first.
Modify Cookies
If the cookies associated with the service, such as persist:hs-beacon-*, are listed, you can manage these cookies. You’ll be able to view, add, or remove cookies, or even sync them again if necessary.
Same as above, to make any edits, you’ll need to uncheck the ‘Sync service with Cookiedatabase.org’ option first, as the information will otherwise be based on the data from Cookiedatabase.org.
Additionally, you can check the “Show cookie on Cookie Policy” box to display the cookie in your website’s cookie policy.
Categorization and Purpose of Cookies
Cookies can serve different functions and purposes. The function refers to the specific task a cookie performs, like e.g. storing an IP address. The purpose explains why this task is necessary, such as for statistical analysis, marketing, or functionality.
When modifying cookies in Complianz, you’ll select a purpose for each cookie using the dropdown menu. This helps categorize cookies based on their role on your site. There are five main categories to choose from:
- Statistics-Anonymous: Cookies used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes, where the information stored or retrieved cannot be used to identify you without additional records from a third party.
- Statistics/Analytics (Performance): Cookies used for statistical analysis, such as tracking performance metrics on your site.
- Marketing/Tracking: Cookies used to track users across websites or create user profiles for advertising and marketing purposes.
- Functional (Essential): Cookies necessary for the transmission of communications or to provide a requested service (e.g., remembering items in a shopping cart).
- Preferences: Cookies used to store user preferences, which are not strictly necessary for functionality but improve the user experience (e.g., language settings).
For accuracy, we recommend enabling the ‘Sync with Cookiedatabase.org’ option, which ensures your service details stay updated with the external database.
Delete Service
If you no longer want to use a service, simply click the Delete Service button to remove it from the list.
Step 4: Save and Publish Changes
Once you’ve made your adjustments, remember to save your changes by clicking the Continue button at the bottom of the page. This will apply your modifications. After saving, make sure that the cookie banner and other legal documents are updated to reflect the latest cookies and services you’ve added or edited.
Errors and Troubleshooting
Occasionally, you may encounter issues with cookies or services that are not syncing correctly. Here are some common problems and solutions:
Syncing issues due to caching (recommended first step)
Before performing further troubleshooting, disable caching temporarily (e.g., clear cache plugins or disable CDN caching) and retry the sync from Wizard > Consent > Cookiedatabase.org. Caching can sometimes prevent Complianz from correctly detecting cookies and services during the scan.
Missing cookies or services
If you notice a cookie or service is missing after the sync, try manually adding it through the interface.
Incorrect cookie descriptions
Double-check the descriptions and categories for accuracy. If you have doubts, check with the third-party service or consult the Cookiedatabase.org documentation.
Synced cookies are not showing up
If cookies are not displaying correctly, make sure the sync process was successful and that you’ve followed the correct steps.
To troubleshoot, you can also clear the cache or force a re-sync from Wizard > Consent > Cookiedatabase.org.
