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WP Consent API

By Rogier Lankhorst

Security & Privacy / GDPR & Privacy Compliance

WP Consent API Review - In-Depth Analysis

A plugin to manage consent categories for compliance with privacy laws. It standardizes communication between plugins and cookie banners.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

6.8/10

User Rating

5/5 (based on 2+ reviews)

Active Installations

200,000+

Update Frequency

Below Average It is calculated using the weighted average of same category plugins.

Security Score

1 / 10 (Very Low Risk) It is calculated using the weighted average of all versions.

What It Does

WP Consent API is a plugin that standardizes the communication of accepted consent categories between plugins. It requires a cookie banner plugin and at least one other plugin that supports the WP Consent API.

With this plugin, all supporting plugins can use the same set of methods to read and register the current consent category, allowing consent management plugins and other plugins to work together, improving compliance with privacy laws.

WARNING: the plugin itself will not handle consent. It will show you how many plugins you have without Consent API support and will improve compliance on your site by ensuring smooth communication between cookie banner plugins and plugins that set cookies or track user data.

Comparing to Alternatives

WP Consent API offers a lightweight and standardized approach to managing user consent, distinguishing itself from other cookie consent plugins by focusing on a core API rather than a full-featured consent banner solution.

Top alternatives

Simple GDPR Cookie Compliance ( WPS: 6.65)
Lightweight Cookie Notice – Cookie Banner for Cookie Consent ( WPS: 6.57)
Complianz – GDPR/CCPA Cookie Consent ( WPS: 7.24)

Strengths

Provides a clean, standardized API for consent management.
Lightweight and minimal impact on site performance.
Facilitates consistent consent handling across plugins and themes.
Strong developer support and responsiveness.

Weaknesses

Lacks a built-in user interface for consent banners.
Not a complete out-of-the-box cookie compliance solution.
Requires additional plugins or development for full compliance features.
No premium version with extended features.

User Sentiment Analysis

Users appreciate the plugin's clean approach and helpful support, though some note its limited scope compared to full consent management solutions.

Positive highlights

'Provides a clean, standardized way to manage user consent' – Brian Haas
'Lightweight API solves a core problem effectively' – Brian Haas
'Great support team, very helpful' – brightvesseldev
'Plugin works great and is highly recommended' – brightvesseldev

Common complaints

Lacks a user-facing consent banner out of the box
Limited features compared to comprehensive consent plugins

Weaknesses

No built-in UI for consent management
Requires integration with other tools for full compliance

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Developers and site owners looking for a lightweight, standardized API to manage user consent programmatically across multiple plugins and themes.

Not ideal for

Users seeking a complete, ready-to-use cookie consent banner or full compliance solution without additional development or plugins.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version offers a lightweight API for managing user consent, enabling developers to build compliant consent experiences tailored to their needs.

Final Verdict

WP Consent API fills an important niche by providing a standardized, lightweight API for consent management, making it ideal for developers who want to implement custom consent solutions.

However, it is not a full-featured cookie consent plugin and requires additional tools or development to create a complete compliance experience for end users.

Other Notable Features

Here are a few other notable features of this free WP Consent API plugin.

Consent management

Privacy compliance

Cookie consent

FAQ

No, this plugin provides a framework through which plugins can know if they are allowed to place cookies or track user data.
The plugin requires both a consent management plugin for consent management and a plugin that follows the consent level as can be read from this API.