Cookie Consent Setup Manchester
We audit the cookies your website sets and install a consent banner that holds back non-essential scripts until a visitor agrees. It is for Manchester businesses that want analytics and advertising tags set up in line with UK PECR, UK GDPR and published ICO guidance.
- Since 2003trading in Manchester
- 20,000+UK businesses helped
- Collect M8Unit 3, 116 Bury New Road
- A personchecks every file
Tracking and analytics
Every job is a fixed quote, agreed in writing before any work starts. No obligation.
- Google Analytics 4 SetupWEB 101Quote
- Google Tag Manager SetupWEB 102Quote
- Search Console SetupWEB 103Quote
- Conversion TrackingWEB 104Quote
- Analytics and ReportingWEB 105Quote
What the rules ask of a UK website
Under PECR you need consent before setting cookies or similar technologies that are not strictly necessary for the service a visitor asked for. Analytics, advertising pixels, heatmaps and many embedded videos fall into that group. UK GDPR sets the standard for valid consent: freely given, specific, informed and shown by a clear positive action.
ICO guidance is direct about design. Rejecting should be as easy as accepting, boxes must not be pre-ticked, and carrying on browsing is not consent. A banner offering only “Accept”, with settings buried two clicks deep, falls short.
Google adds its own requirement. Consent Mode v2 introduced two signals, ad_user_data and ad_personalization, and since March 2024 Google has required them for ad personalisation for UK and EEA users. A site running Google Ads needs its banner to send them, usually through Tag Manager. We set things up in line with published guidance; this is not legal advice, and you should take legal advice for your situation.
Sites that need a working banner
If your site sets anything beyond strictly necessary cookies, this applies to you.
- Sites running GA4, Google Ads or the Meta Pixel.
- Online shops using remarketing audiences.
- Sites whose current banner is decorative and scripts load before anyone clicks.
- Pages with embedded YouTube videos, maps or live chat widgets.
- Charities, schools and membership bodies that want their data handling in good order.
Our consent setup process
Cookie audit
We scan your pages and log every cookie and storage item, the script that sets it, its purpose and its duration.
Categorise each cookie
Each one is placed as strictly necessary, functional, analytics or marketing.
Install the banner
A consent management platform goes in with Accept and Reject given equal weight, granular settings and nothing pre-ticked.
Block until consent
Non-essential scripts are wired so they cannot run before a choice, and Consent Mode v2 defaults to denied.
Test both paths
In a clean browser we reject, then accept, checking which cookies appear and which consent signals Google tags receive.
Update your notices
We draft cookie policy and privacy notice updates based on the audit, for you to review.
What you receive
- A cookie audit listing every cookie, its source, purpose and duration.
- A configured consent banner with equal Accept and Reject options.
- Script blocking checked on reject and accept.
- Consent Mode v2 sending ad_user_data and ad_personalization.
- Draft wording for your cookie policy and privacy notice.
Problems we find in cookie audits
The same faults come up again and again. Google Analytics cookies set on first load, before the banner has even appeared. A Meta Pixel added by a plugin outside the consent system, so it ignores the visitor’s choice entirely. A banner that records a choice but blocks nothing. Consent Mode defaults set to granted rather than denied.
Embedded content causes trouble too. YouTube videos and maps can set cookies as soon as the page loads, so we place them behind a click-to-load placeholder. And cookie policies frequently list cookies the site stopped using years ago while missing the ones it sets now. Where scripts are hard-coded, our custom script installation service moves them under consent control.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a cookie banner if I only use Google Analytics?
In most cases yes, because analytics cookies have generally been treated as non-essential under PECR. Guidance in this area does change, so we set things up to the current ICO position and recommend legal advice for your own circumstances.
Which consent platform do you use?
We work with established platforms such as CookieYes, Complianz and Cookiebot, and choose one to suit your site platform, the tags you run and any Google Ads requirements you have.
Will my analytics numbers drop once consent is enforced?
Usually, yes. Visitors who reject are no longer tracked with cookies, so recorded sessions fall. Consent mode lets Google tags adjust to each choice, and your GA4 setup can be configured to work with it.
What exactly is Consent Mode v2?
It is Google’s way for your banner to tell Google tags what a visitor agreed to. Version 2 added ad_user_data and ad_personalization signals, which Google requires for ad personalisation for UK and EEA users since March 2024.
Is a Reject button really necessary?
ICO guidance says rejecting non-essential cookies should be as easy as accepting them. A Reject option on the first layer of the banner, with the same prominence as Accept, is the straightforward way to follow that.
Related services
- Web design Manchester services: everything in our web section.
- Google Tag Manager setup: where per-tag consent settings are applied.
- Conversion tracking: ad tags that need consent signals to work properly.
- Google Analytics setup: GA4 configured to respect visitor choices.
- Website security audit: a wider check on the scripts your site runs.
Send us your website address and we will run a first check on what it sets before anyone clicks. Request a cookie consent quote, call 0161 315 1151 or WhatsApp 07737 902425.
Ready to get started?
Tell us what you need and we'll come back with an honest, fixed-price quote — no obligation.