Complianz (CMP) — consent fix

Complianz is a popular Consent Management Plugin for WordPress. Just like with Cookiebot, our scanner issues a warning when Complianz is misconfigured. The issue does not lie with the plugin itself, but with how it has been set up, causing trackers to fire too early or rendering the collected consent invalid.

Why Complianz triggers a warning

Most violations involving Complianz fall into one of these three categories:

1. Google Tag Manager (GTM) loads too early: By default, GTM loads before the cmplz:consent event is fired, causing the tags within GTM (such as Google Ads or the Meta Pixel) to fire blindly.
2. Auto-blocking is incomplete: The "Script Center" in Complianz has not been activated, or specific scripts are missing from the block list.
3. Opt-out settings: The 'Statistics' or 'Marketing' categories are already checked by default (Pre-ticked). The GDPR only permits an active, empty 'Opt-in'.

The Fix: Make Complianz watertight

You can resolve this issue by reviewing the settings within your WordPress dashboard and tightening the integration with GTM.

1. Prevent pre-ticked categories (Opt-in)

1. In your WordPress dashboard, go to Complianz > Wizard (or Settings).
2. Navigate to the section regarding Cookies & Statistics.
3. Verify that the consent setting is configured to Ask for consent before tracking (Opt-in), rather than opt-out.

2. Configure the Script Center

1. Go to Complianz > Script Center.
2. Turn on the toggle for Automatic script blocking. Complianz will now attempt to automatically block known trackers.
3. Check the integrations: is GTM listed here? Ensure it is not accidentally marked as 'Essential' unless you are working with Consent Mode v2.

3. The correct GTM Integration (Crucial)

If you use GTM, Complianz must communicate perfectly with GTM.

• The Built-in method (Recommended): Go to Complianz > Integrations > Google Tag Manager. Follow the wizard to have Complianz load GTM itself. Complianz will now automatically handle the cmplz:consent event wiring.
• The Manual method: If you placed GTM manually, you must create a Custom Event trigger in GTM that listens for the name cmplz_event_marketing (or cmplz_event_statistics). Link this trigger to your tracking tags so they wait for the green light from Complianz.

How to Verify the Fix

Run a test via your browser to ensure your changes work.

1. Open your website in an incognito window.
2. Check the banner: are the boxes for statistics/marketing empty?
3. Ignore the banner (do not click anything) and open Developer Tools (F12).
4. Check the Network tab. There should be no network requests to Facebook, Google Ads, or other trackers visible yet.
5. Now click 'Accept' and see if the scripts load properly afterwards.

Not sure if the fix worked, or want to verify that no other scripts are leaking data? Run a free scan with ConsentChecker.eu for instant confirmation.

Sources

• Definitive Guide to Google Tag Manager and Complianz