Ways to implement consent

Choosing how to implement a consent solution depends on your site’s complexity, budget, and internal resources. There are three main routes: using a Consent Management Platform (CMP), a Tag Manager, or direct code.

1. Consent Management Platform (CMP)

A Consent Management Platform (CMP) is a specialised tool that handles the user interface, cookie scanning, and consent signal management. Popular examples include OneTrust, Cookiebot, and Didomi.

• Pros: Fast implementation, automated cookie scanning and classification, and usually stays up-to-date with changing regulations.
• Cons: Ongoing subscription costs, third-party dependency, and can sometimes be heavy, impacting site performance.
• Best for: Most businesses that want a reliable, managed solution with minimal technical overhead.

2. Tag Manager

Implementing consent via a tag manager like Google Tag Manager (GTM) often involves using community templates or custom scripts to trigger tags based on consent signals.

• Pros: Centralised control over all tags, highly flexible, and lower direct cost (if using free versions of the tag manager).
• Cons: Requires more technical knowledge to set up correctly and requires manual mapping of tags to consent categories.
• Best for: Teams already using GTM who have the technical resources to manage the logic themselves.

3. Direct code

This involves hand-coding your consent banner and the logic that blocks or fires other scripts.

• Pros: Zero subscription cost, maximum performance control, and no third-party dependencies.
• Cons: Very high maintenance, high risk of implementation errors, and must be manually updated for every new cookie or legal change.
• Best for: Simple sites with very few cookies or highly security-conscious applications where third-party scripts are restricted.

Comparison of methods

Method	Speed	Cost	Maintenance	Control
CMP	Fast	Medium/High	Low	Medium
Tag Manager	Medium	Low	Medium	High
Direct code	Slow	Zero	High	Absolute

Auto-blocking

Many modern CMPs offer auto-blocking technology. This automatically detects third-party scripts and blocks them from executing until the user gives consent. While convenient, auto-blocking can sometimes break site functionality by blocking essential scripts or causing race conditions. It should always be tested thoroughly before going live.