13.1 Install & Setup Consently WordPress Plugin

Overview

The Consently WordPress Plugin helps you manage cookie consent, script blocking, and privacy compliance directly from your WordPress website.

⚠️ Important: This plugin requires the WP Consent API plugin to work properly.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure:

• You have a WordPress website

• You have admin access to your dashboard

• You have generated API Key on Consently

• You have downloaded the Consently WordPress Plugin

Step 1: Install Required Plugin (WP Consent API)

Consently depends on the WP Consent API plugin. Without it, the plugin will not activate properly and will show a warning.

Steps:

1. Go to Plugins → Add Plugin

2. Search for “WP Consent API”

3. Click on "Install Now"

4. Click on "Active"

Step 2: Install the Consently Plugin

1. Go to Plugins → Add Plugin

2. Search for “Consently”

3. Click Install Now

4. Click Activate

Step 4: Generate API Key from Consently

To connect your website:

1. Log in to your Consently dashboard

2. Navigate to API Keys Settings

3. Click the + Create API Key button

4. Copy the API key

Step 5: Connect Your Website

1. Go to Consently → Dashboard in WordPress

2. Enter your API Key & Click the Connect button

 ✅ Once connected:

• Your website will automatically appear in your Consently dashboard

Step 6: Navigate Plugin Sections

After connecting, you will see the following tabs:

1. Dashboard → Overview and connection status

 2. Cookie Scanner → Detect cookies used on your site

 3. Settings → Configure behavior and consent options

 4. Diagnostics → Check system status and debug issues

Cookie Scanner

The Cookie Scanner helps detect cookies used on your website.

How it works:

• May prompt to connect your account (if not already connected)

• Run a scan

• View detected cookies and results

Settings

The Settings tab controls how consent behaves on your site.

 Local Settings Explained

• Test Mode: Enables testing without saving real user consent

• Skip Banner for Admins: Hides the banner for logged-in admins

• Auto-Scan on Plugin Changes: Automatically scans cookies when plugins change

• Admin Bar Cookie Count: Shows cookie count in admin bar

• Google Consent Mode v2: Sends consent signals to Google services (Analytics, Ads, Tag Manager)

• WP Consent API: Allows other plugins to check consent status

Save Settings

After making changes:

1. Click Save Settings

Diagnostics

The Diagnostics section helps identify issues with your setup.

System Diagnosis

This section displays:

• PHP Version

• WordPress Version

• Plugin Version

• Connection Status

• CDN Reachable

• SSL Enabled

• WP Consent API Status

• Cache Plugin Detection

• WP Cron Status

• Multisite Status

 💡 Tip: If something is not working correctly, check this section first.

Final Step: Verify on Your Website

1. Visit your website frontend

2. Check if the cookie banner appears

What's Next

Now that you understand installing consently plugin into your WordPress site, you should know about:

1. How to Customize Cookie Banner

2. Consent Tracking & Analysis

3. API Keys

Troubleshooting

Plugin not working?

→ Make sure WP Consent API is installed and active

Site not showing in the dashboard?

→ Check API key

→ Reconnect

Banner not visible?

→ Clear cache (browser/CDN)

→ Check plugin conflicts