How does a consent management platform work?

When a visitor visits your website, the CMP code is automatically activated before all other scripts are loaded. If your visitor is not recognized, i.e. is a new user, the CMP will show the cookie banner. This is because your new visitor has never given his or her consent before and thus has yet to do so. The moment a visitor is not recognized and the cookie banner is still shown, the CMP blocks all cookies and scripts that require consent. The visitor is shown a cookie banner that explains what data you want to collect and for what purposes. The CMP presents different cookie categories: necessary cookies (always allowed), preferences, statistics and marketing cookies. The visitor makes a choice by clicking on specific buttons or turning categories on/off.

‍

Processing consent

Once the visitor makes a choice, the CMP stores these preferences in a consent cookie. This cookie contains information about:

• Which categories are accepted
• When consent is given
• A unique identifier for this particular permission

The CMP then communicates these preferences to your Web site via an API or data layer. Scripts and cookies that fall under accepted categories are now loaded; others remain blocked.

‍

Passing on to other systems

A good CMP integrates seamlessly with your marketing tools and analytics platforms by actively relaying consent information. To do this, it uses a standardized protocol such as the IAB Transparency and Consent Framework or a proprietary API connection.

For example, when a visitor consents to analytics cookies but refuses marketing cookies, the CMP communicates these specific preferences directly to Google Analytics and your Facebook Pixel. This integration works via custom variables in Google Tag Manager or directly via script injections on your website. The big advantage of this is that your tracking tools automatically know what data they are allowed to collect without you having to manually program this for each marketing tool individually.

‍

Management and documentation

The CMP keeps a detailed log of all consents given. This serves as evidence that you are complying with privacy laws. As an administrator, many CMPs give you access to a dashboard where you:

• Be able to customize banner design and text
• Reports on consent statistics can be viewed
• Be able to manage cookie inventories

Through this automated process, a CMP takes the complex work of consent management out of your hands, while keeping you compliant with privacy laws.

‍