{ "title": "CookieAdmin", "seo_title": "CookieAdmin: review, recommended GDPR settings and limits", "h1": "CookieAdmin", "description": "CookieAdmin free or Pro: strengths, limitations, pricing, recommended settings for a GDPR-compliant cookie banner and checks to run after setup.", "lead": "CookieAdmin, by Softaculous, shows a cookie consent banner hosted on your own site, with no account and no quota. Our take on the free and Pro versions, the settings to check for GDPR and what the free plan leaves out.", "language": "en", "locale": "en-US", "type": "plugin-sheet", "url": "https://www.wp-masquerade.com/features/camouflaged-plugins/cookieadmin/", "canonical": "https://www.wp-masquerade.com/features/camouflaged-plugins/cookieadmin/", "markdown": "https://www.wp-masquerade.com/features/camouflaged-plugins/cookieadmin/index.md", "json": "https://www.wp-masquerade.com/features/camouflaged-plugins/cookieadmin/index.json", "published": "2026-11-04T08:00:00+00:00", "modified": "2026-11-05T21:03:57+00:00", "site": { "name": "WP Masquerade", "url": "https://www.wp-masquerade.com/" }, "translations": [ { "language": "en", "hreflang": "en-US", "title": "CookieAdmin", "url": "https://www.wp-masquerade.com/features/camouflaged-plugins/cookieadmin/", "markdown": "https://www.wp-masquerade.com/features/camouflaged-plugins/cookieadmin/index.md", "json": "https://www.wp-masquerade.com/features/camouflaged-plugins/cookieadmin/index.json" }, { "language": "fr", "hreflang": "fr-FR", "title": "CookieAdmin", "url": "https://www.wp-masquerade.com/fr/fonctionnalites/extensions-camouflees/cookieadmin/", "markdown": "https://www.wp-masquerade.com/fr/fonctionnalites/extensions-camouflees/cookieadmin/index.md", "json": "https://www.wp-masquerade.com/fr/fonctionnalites/extensions-camouflees/cookieadmin/index.json" }, { "language": "es", "hreflang": "es-ES", "title": "CookieAdmin", "url": "https://www.wp-masquerade.com/es/funcionalidades/plugins-camuflados/cookieadmin/", "markdown": "https://www.wp-masquerade.com/es/funcionalidades/plugins-camuflados/cookieadmin/index.md", "json": "https://www.wp-masquerade.com/es/funcionalidades/plugins-camuflados/cookieadmin/index.json" }, { "language": "de", "hreflang": "de-DE", "title": "CookieAdmin", "url": "https://www.wp-masquerade.com/de/funktionen/getarnte-plugins/cookieadmin/", "markdown": "https://www.wp-masquerade.com/de/funktionen/getarnte-plugins/cookieadmin/index.md", "json": "https://www.wp-masquerade.com/de/funktionen/getarnte-plugins/cookieadmin/index.json" }, { "language": "it", "hreflang": "it-IT", "title": "CookieAdmin", "url": "https://www.wp-masquerade.com/it/funzionalita/plugin-camuffati/cookieadmin/", "markdown": "https://www.wp-masquerade.com/it/funzionalita/plugin-camuffati/cookieadmin/index.md", "json": "https://www.wp-masquerade.com/it/funzionalita/plugin-camuffati/cookieadmin/index.json" }, { "language": "pt", "hreflang": "pt-BR", "title": "CookieAdmin", "url": "https://www.wp-masquerade.com/pt/recursos/plugins-wordpress-camuflados/cookieadmin/", "markdown": "https://www.wp-masquerade.com/pt/recursos/plugins-wordpress-camuflados/cookieadmin/index.md", "json": "https://www.wp-masquerade.com/pt/recursos/plugins-wordpress-camuflados/cookieadmin/index.json" }, { "language": "nl", "hreflang": "nl-NL", "title": "CookieAdmin", "url": "https://www.wp-masquerade.com/nl/functies/gecamoufleerde-plugins/cookieadmin/", "markdown": "https://www.wp-masquerade.com/nl/functies/gecamoufleerde-plugins/cookieadmin/index.md", "json": "https://www.wp-masquerade.com/nl/functies/gecamoufleerde-plugins/cookieadmin/index.json" } ], "headings": [ { "level": 1, "text": "CookieAdmin" }, { "level": 2, "text": "What CookieAdmin does on your site" }, { "level": 2, "text": "Which sites CookieAdmin is a good fit for" }, { "level": 2, "text": "CookieAdmin strengths and limitations" }, { "level": 3, "text": "Strengths" }, { "level": 3, "text": "Limitations" }, { "level": 2, "text": "The settings we recommend for CookieAdmin" }, { "level": 2, "text": "CookieAdmin security: a short track record so far" }, { "level": 2, "text": "CookieAdmin frequently asked questions", "id": "faq" } ], "body": "## The essentials\n\n- Best for brochure sites and blogs that want a self-hosted GDPR banner with no account or quota.\n- Main caveat: the free version has neither consent logs nor Consent Mode v2.\n- Free; Pro costs $39 per year for one site, $69 for 5 sites and $199 for 100 sites.\n\n## What CookieAdmin does on your site\n\nCookieAdmin shows a cookie consent banner with three buttons, \"Accept All\", \"Reject All\" and \"Customize\", followed by a preferences panel where visitors pick the categories they allow: necessary, functional, analytics and advertising. The choice is stored in a `cookieadmin_consent` cookie, and a small icon lets visitors change their mind later. Everything stays on your WordPress server: there is no account to create with the vendor and no page view quota.\n\nThe free scanner crawls your site from the server, starting at the homepage and following links for up to ten pages. It records the cookies set by HTTP responses and categorizes them with the Open Cookie Database, which ships with the plugin. The script blocking option, on by default, holds back scripts tied to detected cookies until the visitor accepts their category. The free version offers two frameworks: GDPR and US state privacy laws.\n\nThe developer is Softaculous, best known for its app installer. CookieAdmin Pro, a separate plugin, adds consent logs, Google Consent Mode v2, blocking of embedded videos and maps, geotargeting, a multilingual banner and an advanced scanner that also finds cookies set by JavaScript. The admin screens are in English, which is the language of the labels quoted below.\n\n![Diagram: CookieAdmin works on visitors and bots, wordpress, database and files. Public traces: folder name (hidden with Pro); tag IDs (hidden with Pro); JavaScript variables (still visible); CSS classes (still visible); cookies (still visible).](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/media/wpm-sheets/cookieadmin/diagram-en.svg?v=a59d3be6)\n\n## Which sites CookieAdmin is a good fit for\n\nCookieAdmin targets sites that want a simple, self-hosted banner without subscribing to an outside service:\n\n- **Brochure sites and blogs with few third-party tools**: a GDPR banner with a reject button, categories and script blocking is often enough.\n- **High-traffic sites that won’t accept a quota**: neither the free version nor the paid plans cap page views or scans.\n- **Customers of hosts running Softaculous Premium**: according to the vendor, CookieAdmin Pro is then included for every site on that server.\n- **Small site portfolios**: the Business plan covers up to 100 sites you own for a single yearly price.\n\nIt is the wrong pick if you need proof of every consent or want to send consent signals to Google without paying: logs and Consent Mode v2 require Pro, while [CookieYes](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/features/camouflaged-plugins/cookieyes/) includes Consent Mode v2 in every plan. For a site full of embedded videos and maps, [Complianz](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/features/camouflaged-plugins/complianz/) blocks them for free with placeholders.\n\n## CookieAdmin strengths and limitations\n\n### Strengths\n\n- **Self-hosted, no account.** The banner, consent choices and cookie list live in your WordPress database, with no traffic limit.\n- **Rejecting is as easy as accepting.** \"Reject All\" sits next to \"Accept All\" on the first screen, and only necessary cookies load before a choice is made.\n- **Script blocking in the free version.** Scripts tied to detected cookies wait for consent to their category.\n- **Reasonable multisite pricing.** $69 per year for 5 sites and $199 per year for 100 sites, as long as you own them.\n\n### Limitations\n\n- **No proof of consent in the free version.** Consent logs and their export are part of Pro.\n- **Consent Mode v2 costs extra.** Google Consent Mode v2 and the Microsoft Clarity equivalent require Pro.\n- **Shallow free scan.** Ten pages at most and only server-set cookies; cookies created in JavaScript, such as those of analytics tools, need the Pro scanner.\n- **One language and a credit link.** The multilingual banner and removing the \"Powered by CookieAdmin\" link are paid features.\n- **A young plugin.** Released in 2025, it is still fixing script blocking conflicts, such as the WooCommerce checkout issue fixed in 1.2.6.\n\n## The settings we recommend for CookieAdmin\n\nThe menus live under CookieAdmin in the left-hand admin menu. The last two rows apply to CookieAdmin Pro.\n\n| Setting | Recommended value | Why |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| **Consent Type** CookieAdmin > Consent Form > General Settings | GDPR for a site aimed at Europe | GDPR requires consent before any non-necessary cookie; \"US State Laws\" is designed for US state privacy laws. |\n| **Load cookies prior to consent** CookieAdmin > Settings > Cookie Loading | Necessary only (default) | The plugin itself warns that loading other categories before consent makes the site non-compliant with GDPR. |\n| **Block scripts** CookieAdmin > Settings > Resource Blocking | On (default) | Without it, the banner collects a choice your scripts ignore. Then test your page builder and the WooCommerce checkout. |\n| **Reload page on consent** CookieAdmin > Settings > Cookie Loading | Depends on testing | Turn it on if your analytics scripts don’t start after acceptance until the page is reloaded. |\n| **Policy Links** CookieAdmin > Consent Form | URLs of your privacy and cookie policies, visible in the banner and preferences | Visitors should be able to read what cookies are for before choosing. |\n| **Consent Expiry** CookieAdmin > Consent Form > General Settings | 365 days by default, or the period stated in your policy | How long the choice is kept should match what you tell visitors. |\n| **Google Consent Mode v2** (Pro) CookieAdmin > Settings > Advanced Features | On if you use Google Analytics or Google Ads | Google receives the consent state; leave \"Load Google tags before consent\" off, its default, unless you choose otherwise on purpose. |\n| **Respect GPC** (Pro) CookieAdmin > Settings > Global Privacy Control | On for a US audience | Browsers that send the GPC signal automatically get non-essential cookies rejected. |\n\n- Run a scan in CookieAdmin > Scan Cookies, then use the Edit icon to categorize every cookie left as unknown.\n- Open the site in a private window, click \"Reject All\", then check in your browser’s developer tools that no analytics or advertising cookie was set.\n- Then accept everything and check that your analytics records the visit.\n- With WooCommerce or a page builder, place a test order and open the visual editor after turning on script blocking.\n\n## CookieAdmin security: a short track record so far\n\nAt the time of writing, the WPScan database lists no published vulnerability for CookieAdmin. That is reassuring but not very telling: the plugin has only existed since 2025. Since version 1.2.4, CookieAdmin Pro checks the signature of every update before installing it.\n\nThe useful step is still to turn on automatic updates for CookieAdmin and CookieAdmin Pro in Plugins (see our guide to automatic plugin updates). Keep in mind that the Pro consent logs hold personal data: set their retention under \"Consent Log Cleanup\" to match your policy, as our article on GDPR and WordPress logs explains. Finally, the banner marks your pages with its classes, script and cookie, all useful for [fingerprinting](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/glossary/fingerprinting/): WP Masquerade Pro removes its script and style identifiers, while the `cookieadmin_consent` cookie and the banner classes stay visible because the banner needs them to work.\n\n## CookieAdmin frequently asked questions\n\n**Is the free version of CookieAdmin enough for GDPR?**\n\nIt covers the visitor-facing essentials: a banner with a reject option, categories, script blocking and an icon to change your mind. What it lacks is the consent log, which serves as proof during an audit, and Consent Mode v2 if you use Google tools.\n\n**How much does CookieAdmin Pro cost?**\n\nThe official pricing page lists $39 per year for one site, $69 per year for 5 sites and $199 per year for 100 sites, the last two limited to your own sites. Agencies get a pay-as-you-go plan on request, and the vendor offers refunds within one month.\n\n**Can CookieAdmin show the cookie list in my cookie policy?**\n\nYes with Pro, through the `[cookieadmin_render]` shortcode, which outputs a table of cookies that can be filtered by category. The free version does not generate a cookie policy: write it yourself and add its URL under Policy Links.\n\n**Can the CookieAdmin banner be shown in several languages?**\n\nYes, but only with Pro: the vendor lists about twenty languages and support for Polylang and WPML. In the free version, you write the banner text yourself, in a single language.\n\n## Key facts\n\n- Category: Cookies and GDPR\n- Vendor: Softaculous\n- Price: Free; CookieAdmin Pro from $39 per year for one site\n- Active installations (wordpress.org): 400 000+\n- Version: 1.2.6\n- Official page: https://wordpress.org/plugins/cookieadmin/\n\n## What WP Masquerade hides\n\n- Handled by WP Masquerade Pro only\n- With Pro: folder name, tag IDs\n- Still visible: JavaScript variables, CSS classes, cookies", "catalog": "cookieadmin", "essentials": [ "Best for brochure sites and blogs that want a self-hosted GDPR banner with no account or quota.", "Main caveat: the free version has neither consent logs nor Consent Mode v2.", "Free; Pro costs $39 per year for one site, $69 for 5 sites and $199 for 100 sites." ], "format": "application/json" }