Quick Start Guide

Get up and running with GetCookies in under 10 minutes. This guide walks you through creating an account, adding your first domain, installing the consent banner, running your first scan, and verifying everything works.

Step 1: Create Your Account

1. Visit getcookies.co/register and sign up with your email or Google account.
2. Confirm your email address by clicking the link in your inbox (check spam if it does not arrive within a few minutes).
3. Once verified, you will land on the dashboard.

Tip: If you prefer passwordless login, you can use a magic link instead. See "Sign in with a magic link" for details.

Step 2: Create an Organization

Organizations hold your domains, team members, and billing settings.

1. Click Create Organization from the dashboard.
2. Enter a name (e.g., your company name).
3. Choose your default region/language settings.
4. Click Create. You are now the owner of the organization.

You can invite teammates later under Team Members with admin or member roles.

Step 3: Add Your First Domain

1. Inside your organization, click Domains then New Domain.
2. Enter the primary hostname of your site (e.g., example.com -- do not include https:// or trailing slashes).
3. Select the default compliance framework:

• GDPR -- for European visitors (opt-in consent required)
• CCPA/CPRA -- for California visitors (opt-out model)
• Both -- recommended if you serve a global audience

1. Choose default language and region settings.
2. Click Save. Your domain workspace is now created.

After saving, note your Domain ID -- you will need it for installation. Find it in Domains > Widget Configuration.

Step 4: Configure the Banner

Before installing, configure the basics so the banner matches your brand from day one:

1. Go to Widget Configuration for your domain.
2. Set your brand colors (primary, secondary, background, text) and upload a logo.
3. Choose the banner position: bottom bar, top bar, bottom-left popup, bottom-right popup, or centered modal.
4. Review the consent categories: Necessary (always on), Analytics, Marketing, and Preferences.
5. Enable or disable the Reject All button (recommended for GDPR regions).
6. Set default consent states -- deny everything except Necessary for EEA/UK/CH visitors.
7. Add any additional languages your audience needs.
8. Preview the banner on desktop and mobile.

Step 5: Install the Widget

Copy the embed code from Widget Configuration and paste it into your website's <head> tag:

<!-- GetCookies - Cookie Banner -->
<script src="https://app.getcookies.co/api/v1/widget/loader.js"
        data-domain-id="YOUR_DOMAIN_ID"
        async></script>

Replace YOUR_DOMAIN_ID with the actual Domain ID from your dashboard.

Alternative installation methods

Step 6: Run Your First Scan

Scans detect cookies, scripts, and trackers on your site so you can classify them correctly.

1. Go to Domains and select your domain.
2. Click Start Scan (or Run Scan Now).
3. Wait for the scan to complete -- small sites finish in under a minute; larger sites may take a few minutes.
4. Review the results:

• Detected cookies are listed with their name, domain, category, and expiration.
• Unclassified items need your attention -- assign them to the correct category (Analytics, Marketing, or Preferences).
• Errors like "blocked by robots.txt" or "banner not detected" tell you what to fix.

1. After classifying, the banner will display accurate cookie information to your visitors.

Tip: Schedule recurring scans (weekly or monthly) so your cookie inventory stays current as you add new tools.

Step 7: Verify Everything Works

1. Open your site in an incognito/private window (no existing cookies).
2. Confirm the consent banner appears on the first page load.
3. Open DevTools > Network and reload. Verify that tracking scripts (GA, Meta Pixel, etc.) do NOT fire before consent.
4. Click Accept All and confirm the trackers now load.
5. Clear cookies and reload. Click Reject All and confirm trackers stay blocked.
6. Check the Consent Logs in your GetCookies dashboard to see the test consent recorded.

Next Steps

• Customize further: Adjust colors, text, and layout in Widget Configuration.
• Set up Google Consent Mode v2: See "Google Consent Mode v2 Setup" for proper analytics integration.
• Invite your team: Add colleagues under Team Members so they can manage domains and view analytics.
• Enable A/B testing: Test different banner designs to optimize consent rates.
• Review compliance: Walk through our "GDPR Compliance Checklist" or "CCPA/CPRA Compliance Guide."