# [Cookie policy texts](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/cookie-texts/) **Optimize Cookie Texts for Compliance & Consent | Cookiebot™** · [Learn more about Cookiebot CMP](https://usercentrics.com/website-consent-management/) · [Learn more about Cookiebot CMP for Shopify](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/cookiebot-cmp-for-shopify/) · [Learn more about Cookiebot for Wix](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/cookiebot-for-wix-by-usercentrics-app/) Your website uses cookies and other tracking technologies. This is no secret; pretty much all websites do. But how you choose to communicate this fact to your users makes a world of difference. ![Cookies text for GDPR compliance](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2020/10/cb_blog_hero_770x513_cookie_text_202310.svg?v=f60e1f5a53bee3ed) The *cookie text* or *cookie message* is the actual written content displayed by cookie consent banners that communicate to a website's users about its use of cookies. It's not the cookies’ text files themselves that are referred to here. The cookie text is also not the same thing as a [*cookie policy*](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/cookie-policy/) text or *cookie policy message*, which are terms for policy statements about the overall strategy and position of a company regarding the privacy of its users. Here's an example of a good and informative cookie notice text (on a GDPR-compliant banner): ![Cookiebot Pop Up Banner - Cookiebot](https://www.cookiebot.com/media/4333/consent_en.png?width=500) The GDPR-compliant Cookiebot CMP cookie consent message and its cookie consent text. The [cookie consent banner](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/cookie-banner/) is a familiar sight on many websites today, since the GDPR came into force in Europe and many other data privacy laws have been enacted around the world. --- ## What is a cookie text or cookie message? The cookie consent banner is a familiar sight on many websites today, since the GDPR came into force in Europe and many other data privacy laws have been enacted around the world. However, there are many ways that websites choose to declare their cookies and tracking. There are many different cookie messages on websites, too. A cookies agreement message targeted at the EU for GDPR compliance should not only state that your website uses cookies and be accompanied only by an “okay” or “accept” button. That does not enable valid consent, as users do not have equal access to an option to decline cookie usage. Many cookie messages (in fact many cookie banners as a whole) are still noncompliant with the GDPR or other laws because they leave no real choice of consent for the user and explain poorly how their personal data is collected by the website and used. ## Cookies text for GDPR compliance The [EDPB guidelines](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/edpb-guidelines/) clarify that: - Pre-ticked checkboxes on cookie banners are noncompliant. Checkboxes must always be deselected by default, except for the use of strictly necessary cookies, which don’t require user consent. - Scrolling, ignoring a [cookie banner](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/cookie-banner/), or other continued use of a website is not considered valid [cookie consent](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/cookie-consent/). Users must give a clear and affirmative consent, not an implied or assumed consent. - Cookie walls (consent conditional for access to a website) are noncompliant. The GDPR mandates that all websites that collect personal data from EU-based visitors have to: - obtain **clear and unambiguous** **consent** from users - **consent must be obtained** **prior** to any collection or processing of personal data - **after** **specifying all types of cookies** and **other tracking technologies** present and operating on the site - use easy to understand language - enable users **to consent and to change or revoke consent** on each specific category of cookies at any time - **safely, confidentially, and securely** **document** each user consent - renew consent annually, or as often as required by relevant laws, e.g. some national data protection guidelines recommend more frequent renewal, like every 6 months ## Cookies text for CCPA compliance The CCPA/CPRA are different from the European GDPR because they don't require organizations to obtain prior consent before the collection and processing of personal data in many cases. There are exceptions, like when the personal data is that of children, for example. The CCPA/CPRA states that businesses must inform users of what categories of personal information their websites collect (e.g. through cookies), for what purpose and which third parties it may be shared with or sold to. The CCPA/CPRA also requires websites to implement a “**Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information”** link through which users can opt out of having personal information sold to third parties, like Google and Facebook. Users can allow access to their personal data, but if they change their minds later they must be able to revoke consent, and then sharing or sale of their personal data must cease. --- ## Cookies message examples ![Cookiebot CCPA compliant cookie declaration screenshot - Cookiebot](https://www.cookiebot.com/media/4337/ccpa_main_en.png?width=500) A CCPA/CPRA-compliant cookie text with the mandatory “Do Not Share Or Sell My Personal Information” link integrated by Cookiebot CMP. ## Best practices for a legally compliant cookie banner text - **Keep it simple:** Use straightforward language that any user can understand even without legal or technical knowledge. Keep the cookie text short so that users will read the whole thing to make an informed decision about allowing cookies or not. - **Specify purposes:** Explicitly state why you use cookies. Here is the Cookiebot™ website’s cookie consent message example that says, “We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information that you’ve provided to them or that they’ve collected from your use of their services.” The cookie text makes it clear that Cookiebot™ uses marketing cookies (personalizing content and ads, personalizing social media features) and analytics cookies (analyzing site traffic), and that it shares the data collected with third-party partners. ## Privacy paradox: cookie messages vs information avoidance [A recent study out of Harvard University tested the “privacy paradox”](http://www.law.harvard.edu/programs/olin_center/fellows_papers/pdf/Svirsky_81_revision.pdf), i.e. how people express the importance of their privacy, yet act in ways that are in direct opposition to those supposedly strongly held beliefs. The experiment found that people are, indeed, inconsistent about their privacy. They are willing to pay for privacy, but they are also willing to trade off their privacy for small amounts of money. ## Frequently asked questions What is personal data? Under the GDPR, personal data is any kind of information that can identify a living individual, either directly or indirectly. This includes names, postal addresses, location data from phones, online identifiers such as IP addresses, unique IDs in cookies, search and browser history, etc. [Learn more about GDPR compliance](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/cookie-compliance/) ## Resources *Used by: Brand A, Brand B, Brand C* [General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/gdpr/) [EDPB guidelines on valid consent](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/edpb-guidelines/) [California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/ccpa/) [Take a good, hard look at the privacy paradox study conducted at Harvard Business School](http://www.law.harvard.edu/programs/olin_center/fellows_papers/pdf/Svirsky_81_revision.pdf) [You Care More About Your Privacy Than You Think, says the NY Times](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/11/opinion/privacy-facebook-sexting.html?rref=collection%2Fseriescollection%2Fnew-york-times-privacy-project) [GDPR, cookies and consent](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/gdpr-cookies/) ## Stay informed Join our growing community of data privacy enthusiasts now. Subscribe to the Cookiebot™ newsletter and get all the latest updates right in your inbox. Enter your email Subscribe By clicking on “Subscribe” I confirm that I want to subscribe to the Cookiebot™ newsletter. I can easily cancel my Cookiebot™ newsletter subscription and revoke consent to use my data by clicking the unsubscribe link or I can write to [[email protected]](https://www.cookiebot.com/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection) to make the request. [Privacy policy](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/privacy-policy/). ## Download the CMP integration for your preferred CMS Subscribing to Cookiebot CMP enables easy, automatic privacy protection on your website for GDPR and CCPA/CPRA compliance. Cookiebot CMP can be implemented on your website with a few lines of JavaScript. ## Usercentrics Cookiebot WordPress Plugin Once employed, it will automatically scan and find all cookies and tracking technologies in use, then block all activation and data collection until the end users have given consent—in the case of GDPR compliance. For CCPA compliance, the cookie declaration, which is the automated result of the deep scan listing all cookies and trackers uncovered, includes the required “Do Not Sell Or Share My Personal Information” link to enable users to exercise their rights to opt out. ## Usercentrics for Wix Cookiebot CMP is available for Wix users, providing a seamless solution for cookie consent management. --- ## Product [Cookiebot™ Consent Solution](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/cookie-consent-solution/) · [Usercentrics for Wix](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/cookiebot-for-wix-by-usercentrics-app/) · [WordPress Plugin](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/new-wp-cookie-plugin/) · [Pricing](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/pricing/) ## Regulations [DMA (EU)](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/digital-markets-act-dma/) · [GDPR (EU)](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/gdpr/) · [CCPA (California)](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/what-is-ccpa/) · [VCDPA (Virginia)](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/virginia-vcdpa/) · [LGPD (Brazil)](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/lgpd/) · [TCF v2.3 (IAB)](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/tcf/) · [Google Consent Mode](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/cookiebot-cmp-google-consent-mode/) · [Microsoft UET Consent Mode](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/microsoft-consent-mode-cmp/) ## Partners [Become an affiliate](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/affiliates/) · [Become a partner](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/resellers/) · [Find a partner](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/cookiebot-reseller/) ## Resources [Blog](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/blog/) · [Digital Markets Act Hub](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/digital-markets-act-dma-resources/) · [Google Consent Mode Hub](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/google-consent-mode-resources/) · [Google Consent Mode V2 Certification](https://courses.usercentrics.com/course/google-consent-mode-v2) · [Google Consent Audit Fixes](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/google-consent-audit-fixes/) · [Developer documentation](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/developer/) · [Cookiebot vs CookieYes](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/cookiebot-best-cookieyes-alternative/) · [Cookiebot vs OneTrust](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/onetrust-alternative/) · [Cookie Banner Cost Calculator](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/cookie-banner-pricing-calculator/) ## Company [About us](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/about/) · [Careers](https://usercentrics.com/career/) · [Support](https://support.cookiebot.com/hc/en-us/) --- [Privacy Policy](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/privacy-policy/) · [Terms of Service](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/terms-of-service/) · [Cookie Declaration](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/cookie-declaration/) · [Data Processing Agreement](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/data-processing-agreement/) ©2026 Cookiebot™ by [Usercentrics](https://usercentrics.com/)