Cookie Policy Generator: Auto-Generated from Your Scan Results

## The Policy That Became Evidence A German company was audited by their state DPA. The regulator compared the company's cookie policy against an automated scan of their website. The policy listed 8 cookies. The scan found 34. The discrepancy wasn't just embarrassing—it was evidence of inadequate documentation. The company's "compliance" was a fiction. Their €85,000 fine specifically cited the gap between documented and actual cookies. Generic templates don't know what's on your website. And regulators check. ## Why Generic Cookie Policies Fail ### Template Mismatch Template cookie policies list common cookies: - "We use Google Analytics..." - "Facebook Pixel helps us..." But your site might have Hotjar, LinkedIn, Criteo, and 12 other services. The template doesn't mention them. Your policy is instantly incomplete. ### Static Documents You wrote your cookie policy 18 months ago. Since then: - Marketing added TikTok Pixel - Development integrated a new chat widget - The CRM switched analytics providers - Someone installed A/B testing tools Your policy reflects none of these changes. ### Legal Updates GDPR requires cookie policies to be: - Complete (all cookies disclosed) - Accurate (purposes correctly described) - Current (reflecting actual practices) - Clear (understandable to average users) Templates optimize for looking good, not being accurate. ## How the Cookie Policy Generator Works ### Step 1: Scan Your Website Enter your URL. The tool: - Loads your pages in a browser environment - Records every cookie set - Identifies cookie sources and purposes - Categorizes by function (essential, analytics, marketing, etc.) ### Step 2: Enrich Cookie Data For each detected cookie: - Match against database of 50,000+ known cookies - Identify provider and purpose - Determine default duration - Classify by regulation category Unknown cookies are flagged for manual classification. ### Step 3: Generate Policy The generator creates: - Cookie policy matching your actual inventory - Category-by-category breakdown - Duration and purpose disclosure - Third-party provider information - User rights and control options ### Step 4: Export and Embed Get your policy as: - HTML (for direct website embedding) - Markdown (for CMS integration) - PDF (for documentation) - JSON (for programmatic use) Or use the auto-updating embed that stays current. ## Generated Policy Structure ### Section 1: Introduction Explains what cookies are and why the policy exists. Compliant boilerplate customized with your site name. ### Section 2: Types of Cookies Used Categories based on your scan: **Essential Cookies (X cookies)** Required for basic site function. Cannot be disabled. | Cookie | Purpose | Duration | Provider | |--------|---------|----------|----------| | session_id | User session management | Session | First-party | | csrf_token | Security protection | Session | First-party | **Analytics Cookies (X cookies)** Help understand how visitors use the site. | Cookie | Purpose | Duration | Provider | |--------|---------|----------|----------| | _ga | Google Analytics visitor ID | 2 years | Google | | _gid | Google Analytics session ID | 24 hours | Google | **Marketing Cookies (X cookies)** Used for advertising and remarketing. | Cookie | Purpose | Duration | Provider | |--------|---------|----------|----------| | _fbp | Facebook Pixel | 90 days | Meta | | IDE | Google Ads remarketing | 1 year | Google | ### Section 3: Third-Party Cookies Detailed disclosure of external services. ### Section 4: Managing Your Preferences How to change consent, including: - Consent banner re-access - Browser settings - Opt-out links for major providers ### Section 5: Cookie Policy Updates Last updated date and change notification process. ### Section 6: Contact Information DPO or privacy contact details. ## Auto-Updating Cookie Declaration The most powerful feature: a declaration that updates itself. ### Embed Code ```html ``` ### How It Works 1. Script loads on your privacy policy page 2. Fetches current cookie inventory from GetCookies API 3. Renders formatted table of all detected cookies 4. Updates automatically when scans detect changes ### Benefits - **Always accurate**: Reflects latest scan results - **Zero maintenance**: No manual updates needed - **Regulatory alignment**: Disclosure matches reality - **Audit-ready**: Historical version tracking available ## Comparison: Template vs Generated | Aspect | Generic Template | Generated Policy | |--------|------------------|------------------| | Cookie list | Generic examples | Your actual cookies | | Accuracy | Approximate | Precise | | Currency | Static | Auto-updating | | Providers | Common ones only | All detected | | Purposes | Generic descriptions | Specific to each cookie | | Compliance | Questionable | Documented | ## Real Example Output Input: E-commerce site scanned **Cookies Detected**: 28 **Generated Policy Excerpt**: > **Marketing Cookies (12)** > > We use marketing cookies to deliver relevant advertising and measure campaign effectiveness. > > | Cookie | Purpose | Duration | Provider | > |--------|---------|----------|----------| > | _fbp | Facebook Pixel tracking | 90 days | Meta Platforms | > | _gcl_au | Google Ads conversion linking | 90 days | Google | > | IDE | DoubleClick remarketing | 13 months | Google | > | fr | Facebook advertising delivery | 90 days | Meta Platforms | > | _pin_unauth | Pinterest user identification | 365 days | Pinterest | > | li_fat_id | LinkedIn advertising | 30 days | LinkedIn | > | MUID | Microsoft Advertising | 13 months | Microsoft | > | _tt_enable_cookie | TikTok Pixel | 13 months | TikTok | > > These cookies require your consent. You can manage your preferences using our cookie settings. This level of detail would take hours to compile manually—and would be outdated within months. ## Multi-Language Support The generator produces policies in 40+ languages: - English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese - Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish - Polish, Czech, Hungarian, Romanian, Bulgarian - Japanese, Korean, Chinese (Simplified/Traditional) - Arabic, Hebrew (with RTL support) - And more... Essential for multi-market compliance. ## Integration Options ### Standalone Page Host the generated HTML on `/cookie-policy` or similar URL. ### CMS Integration Export markdown and paste into: - WordPress pages - Webflow rich text - Contentful entries - Any CMS with HTML support ### Dynamic Embed Use the embed script for: - Real-time accuracy - Automatic language detection - Consistent styling with your site ## Regulatory Requirements Met ### GDPR (EU) - ✅ Complete cookie disclosure - ✅ Purpose specification - ✅ Duration disclosure - ✅ Third-party identification - ✅ Rights information ### CCPA (California) - ✅ Categories of data collected - ✅ Business purposes - ✅ Third-party disclosures - ✅ Opt-out rights ### ePrivacy Directive - ✅ Prior information before cookie placement - ✅ Clear explanation of storage purpose ## Getting Started ### Free Version 1. Go to [getcookies.co/tools/cookie-policy-generator](https://getcookies.co/tools/cookie-policy-generator) 2. Enter your URL 3. Wait for scan (30-60 seconds) 4. Download generated policy ### Full Version (with GetCookies account) - Auto-updating declaration embed - Multi-page scanning - Historical version tracking - Custom branding options - Scheduled regeneration ## Stop Guessing, Start Documenting Your cookie policy should reflect reality. Generic templates are legal theater—they look compliant without being compliant. The generator creates documentation that matches what your website actually does. When a regulator scans your site and reads your policy, they'll match. That's the difference between compliance theater and actual compliance.