TL;DR: Dashboard → Cookie Banner → Configuration → Consent Templates → Toggle GDPR and/or US State Laws. Your banner automatically displays the correct template based on visitor location.

Overview

Consent templates determine how your banner collects visitor consent. Consently offers two templates: GDPR (opt-in) for EU visitors and US State Laws (opt-out) for California and other US states. You can enable one or both templates depending on your audience.

Before You Begin

Make sure you have:

Time required: About 2 minutes

How to Select Your Consent Template

Step 1: Open banner configuration

Navigate to Cookie Banner in your site dashboard, then click the Configuration section under General in the left sidebar.

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Step 2: Locate Consent Templates

Scroll to the Consent Templates section, which shows two toggles: GDPR (Opt-in Model) and US State Laws / CCPA (Opt-out Model).

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Step 3: Enable templates for your audience

Choose which template(s) to enable:

  • For EU/UK visitors only: Enable GDPR (Opt-in Model) only

  • For US visitors only: Enable US State Laws / CCPA (Opt-out Model) only

  • For worldwide audiences: Enable both templates 

💡 Tip: Enabling both templates is recommended for international websites. Consently automatically displays the correct template based on each visitor's location.
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Step 4: Understand the differences

Each template works differently to match regional laws:

  1. GDPR (Opt-in Model)

    • Blocks non-essential cookies until consent is given

    • Shows Accept All, Reject All, and Manage Preferences buttons

    • Requires explicit action before cookies load

    • Applies to: EU, UK, and regions with similar laws (Brazil, Canada, South Africa, Switzerland, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Andorra, Faroe Islands)

  2. US State Laws (Opt-out Model)

    • Allows cookies by default

    • Shows "Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information" link

    • Gives visitors the option to opt out

    • Applies to: California (CCPA/CPRA), Virginia (VCDPA), Colorado (CPA), Connecticut (CTDPA), Utah (UCPA)

For a detailed comparison, see Understanding Consent Frameworks.

Step 5: Save your configuration

Click Save at the bottom of the configuration panel to apply your template selection.

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Done!

Your consent templates are now configured. When both templates are enabled, Consently automatically detects the visitor's location and displays the appropriate template.

✅ Success indicator: The toggles you enabled appear in blue, and your changes are saved.

How Automatic Switching Works

When both templates are enabled, Consently uses visitor IP geolocation to determine which template to display:

  • EU/UK visitors see the GDPR template with opt-in consent

  • California visitors see the US State Laws template with opt-out options

  • Other US states with privacy laws (Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, Utah) see the US State Laws template

  • All other visitors see your default template (typically GDPR if enabled)

What's Next

Now that you've selected your template(s), you should:

  1. Customize your banner content

  2. Configure the Preference Center

Troubleshooting

I enabled both templates, but only see one on my website

Why this happens: You're seeing the template for your current location.

Solution:

  1. Use a VPN to change your location (e.g., switch between the US and EU)

  2. Clear your browser cookies before testing

  3. Check the preview modes in the Cookie Banner settings to see both templates

Which template should I choose if I'm not sure?

Solution: Enable both templates if you have any international visitors. This ensures compliance regardless of visitor location. If you only serve local customers in one region, enable just that region's template.

Can I customize each template separately?

Solution: Yes. Each template has its own content fields in the banner content section. Changes to one template don't affect the other.

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