Umbraco Cookie Consent: NuGet Package for .NET Developers

## The .NET Developer's Compliance Challenge A government agency in the Netherlands was running 23 public websites on Umbraco. When the Dutch DPA announced stricter enforcement of cookie consent requirements, their development team faced a problem: most cookie consent solutions were built for WordPress or JavaScript-first stacks. The available options required extensive custom integration, didn't follow .NET conventions, and lacked proper NuGet packaging. Their team spent three months building a custom solution—only to discover it didn't support the new Google Consent Mode v2 requirements. Umbraco developers deserve a consent solution built for .NET, not adapted from WordPress plugins. ## Why Umbraco Needs Native Consent Management Umbraco powers enterprise websites, government portals, and high-traffic applications. These sites have specific requirements: - **.NET ecosystem integration**: DI, configuration, middleware patterns - **Backoffice administration**: Content editors need to manage settings without developer involvement - **Multi-site deployments**: Many Umbraco installations host multiple domains - **Performance requirements**: Enterprise sites can't afford blocking JavaScript loads Generic JavaScript-only consent tools create friction. A native NuGet package integrates properly. ## GetCookies for Umbraco The GetCookies Umbraco package provides full consent management built for .NET developers: ### Key Features | Feature | Description | |---------|-------------| | **NuGet Installation** | Standard .NET package management | | **Umbraco 10-13 Support** | Works with current LTS and latest versions | | **.NET 6/7/8** | Full modern .NET support | | **IAB TCF 2.2** | Certified for programmatic advertising | | **Google Consent Mode v2** | Native integration with proper signal timing | | **Backoffice Dashboard** | Consent analytics in Umbraco admin | | **Tag Helpers** | Razor-native components | ## Installation ### Via .NET CLI ```bash dotnet add package GetCookie.Umbraco ``` ### Via Package Manager Console ```powershell Install-Package GetCookie.Umbraco ``` ### Via NuGet Package Manager Search for "GetCookie.Umbraco" in Visual Studio's NuGet Package Manager. ## Configuration ### Step 1: Add Settings to appsettings.json ```json { "GetCookie": { "DomainId": "your-domain-id", "ApiKey": "your-api-key", "ApiUrl": "https://getcookies.co" } } ``` Get your Domain ID and API key from your [GetCookies Dashboard](https://app.getcookies.co). ### Step 2: Register Services In your `Program.cs`: ```csharp using GetCookie.Umbraco; var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args); // Add GetCookie services builder.Services.AddGetCookie(builder.Configuration); // Add to Umbraco pipeline builder.CreateUmbracoBuilder() .AddBackOffice() .AddWebsite() .AddGetCookieIntegration() // GetCookie integration .Build(); var app = builder.Build(); ``` ### Step 3: Add to Layout In your `_Layout.cshtml`: ```html @using GetCookie.Umbraco @* GetCookie head scripts (consent defaults, early initialization) *@ @await Html.PartialAsync("_GetCookieHead") @RenderBody() @* GetCookie widget (banner, privacy trigger) *@ @await Html.PartialAsync("_GetCookieWidget") ``` That's it. Your site now has compliant cookie consent. ## Using Tag Helpers The package includes Razor Tag Helpers for cleaner markup: ### Cookie Declaration Add a cookie declaration to your privacy policy page: ```html ``` This renders an auto-updating list of all cookies detected on your site. ### Script Blocking Mark scripts that should only load after consent: ```html @* Analytics scripts - blocked until analytics consent *@ @* Marketing scripts - blocked until marketing consent *@ ``` The `type="text/plain"` prevents execution. GetCookie activates the scripts when the user consents to the specified category. ### Conditional Rendering Use the consent service in Razor: ```csharp @inject IGetCookieService CookieService @if (await CookieService.HasConsentAsync("analytics")) { } ``` ## Umbraco Backoffice Integration The package adds a "GetCookie" section to the Umbraco backoffice: ### Dashboard Tab View consent analytics directly in Umbraco: - Daily consent rate trends - Category breakdown (what users accept/reject) - Geographic distribution - Device type analysis ### Settings Tab Configure consent behavior without deploying code: - Banner style selection - Category customization - Region-specific rules - Language settings ### Scan Results Tab Review cookies detected on your site: - Cookie inventory with sources - Classification status - Compliance warnings - Missing cookies alerts ### Cookie Declaration Preview See exactly what your privacy policy will display: - Cookie list by category - Duration and purpose - Provider information - Declaration history ## Multi-Site Configuration For Umbraco installations hosting multiple domains, configure per-domain settings: ```json { "GetCookie": { "Domains": { "example.com": { "DomainId": "domain-id-1", "ApiKey": "api-key-1" }, "example.de": { "DomainId": "domain-id-2", "ApiKey": "api-key-2" } } } } ``` The package automatically selects the correct configuration based on the request host. ## Google Consent Mode v2 Integration GetCookie handles Google Consent Mode automatically: ```csharp // This happens automatically in _GetCookieHead partial: // 1. dataLayer initialized window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} // 2. Consent defaults set BEFORE Google tags gtag('consent', 'default', { 'ad_storage': 'denied', 'ad_user_data': 'denied', 'ad_personalization': 'denied', 'analytics_storage': 'denied', 'wait_for_update': 500 }); // 3. After user consent, signals are updated gtag('consent', 'update', { 'analytics_storage': 'granted' // ... other categories based on user choice }); ``` Your Google Analytics and Google Ads tags receive proper consent signals with correct timing. ## Microsoft UET Consent Mode For sites using Microsoft Advertising (Bing Ads), GetCookie also supports UET Consent Mode: ```javascript // Automatic integration: window.uetq = window.uetq || []; window.uetq.push('consent', 'default', { 'ad_storage': 'denied' }); // After marketing consent: window.uetq.push('consent', 'update', { 'ad_storage': 'granted' }); ``` ## Common Integration Patterns ### With Umbraco Commerce Block e-commerce tracking until consent: ```html ``` ### With Examine Search If you're tracking search analytics: ```csharp public class SearchController : SurfaceController { private readonly IGetCookieService _cookieService; public async Task Search(string query) { // Only track search analytics if consent given if (await _cookieService.HasConsentAsync("analytics")) { _analyticsService.TrackSearch(query); } return View(results); } } ``` ### With Form Submissions Gate form tracking behind consent: ```csharp public class ContactFormController : SurfaceController { [HttpPost] public async Task Submit(ContactForm form) { // Always process the form await _formService.ProcessAsync(form); // Only track conversion if consent given if (await _cookieService.HasConsentAsync("marketing")) { await _conversionService.TrackFormSubmissionAsync(); } return Redirect("/thank-you"); } } ``` ## Troubleshooting ### Banner Not Appearing 1. Verify Domain ID is correct in appsettings.json 2. Check `_GetCookieWidget` partial is in the layout 3. Ensure no JavaScript errors in browser console 4. Verify domain is active in GetCookies dashboard ### Backoffice Section Missing 1. Clear Umbraco runtime cache 2. Restart the application 3. Verify user has access to the GetCookie section ### Script Blocking Not Working 1. Ensure `type="text/plain"` attribute is set 2. Verify `data-olc-category` matches your category ID 3. Check that `_GetCookieHead` partial loads before the blocked script ## Getting Started 1. **Install package** via NuGet 2. **Add configuration** to appsettings.json 3. **Register services** in Program.cs 4. **Add partials** to your layout 5. **Configure banner** in GetCookies dashboard Umbraco developers shouldn't have to build consent management from scratch. GetCookie brings enterprise compliance to .NET with native tooling.