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

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 New

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  1. Search for “WP Consent API”

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  1. Click on "Install Now"

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  1. Click on "Active"

Step 2: Install the Consently Plugin

Method 1: Install from WordPress Dashboard [Coming soon]

  1. Go to Plugins → Add New

  2. Search for “Consently”

  3. Click Install Now

  4. Click Activate

⚠️ Warning:

If the WP Consent API is not installed, you will see a warning message.

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Method 2: Upload Plugin Manually

  1. Download the plugin .zip file

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  1. Go to Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin

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  1. Upload the file and click Install Now → Activate

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Step 3: Generate API Key from Consently

To connect your website:

  1. Log in to your Consently dashboard

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  1. Navigate to API Keys Settings

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  1. Click the + Create API Key button

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  1. Copy the API key

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Step 4: Connect Your Website

  1. Go to Consently → Dashboard in WordPress

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  1. Enter your API Key & Click the Connect button

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 ✅ Once connected:

  • Your website will automatically appear in your Consently dashboard

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Step 5: Navigate Plugin Sections

After connecting, you will see the following tabs:

  1. Dashboard → Overview and connection status

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 2. Cookie Scanner → Detect cookies used on your site

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 3. Settings → Configure behavior and consent options

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 4. Diagnostics → Check system status and debug issues

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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

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Settings

The Settings tab controls how consent behaves on your site.

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 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

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Diagnostics

The Diagnostics section helps identify issues with your setup.

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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

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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