How do you run a Cookie Audit & Why?


Do you have a cookie consent banner? Congratulations! You’re well on your way to being compliant with laws both locally and globally. Well-known laws like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) both have provisions around cookies and the information you may collect from your end users.  

 

While GDPR explicitly talks about cookies, CCPA does not – but that doesn’t mean your business is exempt. In fact, CCPA dances around the idea of cookie consent, while claiming they don’t require it. That couldn’t be further from the truth.  

 

Let’s explore!  

 

Cookies: A Review  

 

Cookies are small bits of information you gather from your end users. This could be as simple as a form with information like name, email address, location and so on. That’s standard for pretty much any business.  

 

If you’re selling something, you might also gather credit card information or social security numbers. We can all describe that as personal and sensitive information. But, it goes further than that. Here’s where things get tricky. What your customers tell you is data. If you have a form on your website for feedback or reviews, that all gets munched up in the machine to create an algorithm or customer profile. Whether you don’t know or like it, that can be sent to third parties, sold and re-sold and used against your customers.  

 

Without the proper protections in place, you could be jeopardizing your end users’ information.  

 

Cookie Consent Audit 

 

Before we go any further, let’s take a look at the cookies you’ve gathered from your customers.  

 

Do you have a form on your website?  

 

  • What information does it require? 

  • Do you have a plan in place to store that information?  

  • How much information have you gathered?  

 

Once you figure this out, you’ll need to categorize and label this information. Three of the most common cookie categories are:  

 

  • Strictly necessary/Functional cookies – these allow your website to operate normally, even if a user ignores your cookie banner or declines all other cookies.  

 

  • First-party cookies – allow collecting the information you get about your users from things like forms.  

 

  • Third-party cookies – these could be sent to other companies who will use this information to market targeted products to your customers 

 

Now that you know the cookie categories, let’s dive a little deeper. You’ll also need to determine what kind of information you are gathering. Is it highly sensitive (social security number, healthcare information, financial status), or run of the mill (e.g., name, email address)? 

 

For many small businesses or startups, this is not an issue. If you only get a few submissions per week, it’s easy to keep up. However, this becomes more complicated as your business grows. Mid-sized businesses may run into a roadblock as they get too much information to keep up with. An Excel spreadsheet might be useful at first, but it will soon become overwhelming. If you’re a small business right now with high hopes to succeed, it’s better to have a plan in place and a solid solution to help you manage later on down the road.  

 

Automation is Your Friend  

 

Using a tool like a cookie scanner will help you quickly identify and categorize cookies. That’s a great start! Next, the right cookie consent management tool will hold the information for you, neatly arranged, and accessible right when you need it. You might have requests from customers for where their information is going (Data Subject Access Requests), or you may be asked by regulatory bodies for proof you are in compliance.  

 

Unlike humans, automation rarely has errors and doesn’t take a day off. You can rest assured knowing that your customers’ data is in safe hands. Even if an end user accesses your website on the weekend, automation will handle that information safely and securely.  

 

Cookies for Everyone  

 

Here’s another great thing about automation: it can adapt to different laws no matter where your end users are accessing your website.  

 

For instance, GDPR has an opt-in clause, and CCPA has an opt-out clause. Doesn’t sound like a big deal, but it does make a difference in whether or not your website is compliant.  

 

Good news! You don’t have to worry about that with automation. It’ll adjust your cookie policy and calls to action according to region. Your main points should stay the same – such as where you send cookies, if you sell them, what information you gather, and how long you keep it. However, the wording may be slightly different.  

 

Don’t Do it Manually 

 

Even if you think you can handle cookies manually right now, you won’t be able to in the future as your business grows. Hours per day can be spent on sorting and labeling cookies. What a waste! You could be using that to further your business. And that’s what you’re good at, right? You shouldn’t have to worry about cookies.  

 

Final Take 

A cookie audit is exhausting, time-consuming, and burdensome. The right cookie consent management tool will take all of your worries away and keep your business in compliance, no matter where your end users are located.  

 

Check out the Adzapier Cookie Scan tool to get an idea of where your site stands. Then, call one of our friendly data privacy experts to get your business on the road to compliance in just a few minutes. We’ll also give you 14 days of compliance for free… because we’re nice like that.  

 

Schedule a Demo 

 

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