--- title: "Our Cookie Consent Plugin is Now Smarter and More Compliant" date: 2025-05-28 author: "Tassos Antoniou" featured_image: "https://pressidium.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Pressidium-Cookie-Consent-Plugin-update-Blog-post.png" categories: - name: "News & Updates" url: "/blog/category/news-updates.md" tags: - name: "newsletter" url: "/blog/tag/newsletter2311.md" url: "https://pressidium.com/blog/cookie-consent-plugin-update-smarter-compliance/" --- # Our Cookie Consent Plugin is Now Smarter and More Compliant ## Introducing Version 1.8.0 We just shipped the most substantial update to the [Pressidium Cookie Consent plugin](https://wordpress.org/plugins/pressidium-cookie-consent/) since its launch. The **1.8.0 release brings major changes** under the hood and on the surface: AI-assisted translations, full support for the WordPress Consent API, a native Block Editor integration, and new tools for developers who want more control. It’s built for teams that care about privacy compliance, but don’t want to compromise performance or flexibility in the process. Whether you’re managing multilingual sites or rolling out policies across dozens of clients, this update is **designed to make things easier, faster, and more reliable**. But before we get into the new features, let’s set the stage. ## What’s Already Built In Before this release, our [Cookie Consent plugin](https://pressidium.com/open-source/cookie-consent-plugin/) had already solved many of the hardest problems in cookie compliance, without adding bloat or complexity, and [it earned strong feedback](https://wordpress.org/plugins/pressidium-cookie-consent/#reviews) from developers and site owners alike for being fast, reliable, and easy to customize. It offered: - A **lightweight, dependency-free build** that keeps your site fast - A fully **customizable banner and modal**, including layouts, fonts, and colors - Built-in support for **Google Consent Mode v2** (gtag.js and GTM) - **Conditional script loading** based on user consent - Full **accessibility** (WAI-ARIA compliant) and mobile responsiveness - **Consent logging** with CSV export for audits - **Manual cookie categorization**, including regex-based matching - **Floating settings button** for changing consent at any time - **Translation support** with auto-detection (browser or HTML markup) Under the hood, the plugin was already engineered with developers in mind. Its modular, **object-oriented** architecture makes it **easy to extend and maintain**. The admin and front end are cleanly separated, while the settings interface is built using modern WordPress components and React. **This update builds directly on that foundation**, with smarter tools, better integrations, and powerful new ways to manage compliance at scale. Let’s look at what’s new and why it matters. ## Major New Features Smarter tools for smarter compliance. Let’s see what they do, why they matter, and how to use them. ### **✓** AI-Powered Translations The plugin now integrates with GPT and Gemini to **automatically generate translations and cookie descriptions**. Translating cookie notices and category descriptions manually can be tedious, especially for multilingual sites. This feature **saves time**, **reduces errors**, and ensures your consent interface is **consistent across languages**. It’s especially useful for global websites or agencies managing multiple clients with international audiences. #### How to use it: Go to **Settings → Translations** in your WordPress dashboard. Choose your auto-detection method (browser or HTML markup), then add a new language. ![AI translation settings in the Pressidium Cookie Consent plugin showing language detection options](https://pressidium.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/cookie-consent-plugin-ai_translations-1440x810.png) Use the **AI Settings** button to **choose between OpenAI and Gemini** as your provider, and select the model that best fits your account and use case. Only [models available to your API key](https://github.com/pressidium/pressidium-cookie-consent/wiki/AI-Integration#selecting-a-model) will be shown. ![Choose between OpenAI or Gemini as AI provider in the Pressidium Cookie Consent plugin](https://pressidium.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/cookie-consent-translations-choose-provider.png) Then click the **AI Translation** button at the top -or the one next to any translation field- to instantly generate content using GPT or Gemini. ⚠️ Keep in mind that AI-generated translations and descriptions may be inaccurate. Always review the output before publishing. You can do the same for cookie descriptions: go to **wp-admin → Cookie Consent → Cookies**, select a cookie, and click the **“AI Generate”** button in the toolbar. You can **fine-tune or override** the AI-generated content as needed, so you’re always in control of what gets shown. 🔗 For more details and troubleshooting tips, feel free to visit [the AI integration guide on our GitHub wiki →](https://github.com/pressidium/pressidium-cookie-consent/wiki/AI-Integration) ### **✓** Block Editor Support The plugin now includes a native block for the WordPress Block Editor (Gutenberg). ![WordPress Block Editor with Pressidium Cookie Consent table block inserted into page layout](https://pressidium.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/cookie-consent-plugin-block-1-1440x810.png) This new block makes it easy for you to **display an always up-to-date table of cookies by categor**y, right where visitors expect to find it. This is especially helpful for compliance documentation and transparency, and it makes the plugin feel truly integrated with modern WordPress workflows. #### How to Use It You can insert a cookie table directly into any page or post using the new “**Pressidium Cookie Table**” block **without the need for shortcodes or custom code**. Once added, you can: - **Select which cookie category** to display (e.g., Analytics or Targeting) - **Toggle column visibility** to show or hide Name, Domain, Expiration, Path, and Description - **Style the block** using built-in options for fonts, spacing, colors, borders, and layout - Use the **block toolbar** to align the table, header row, or individual columns for better visual balance Any updates you make to your cookies list under **Settings → Cookies** will automatically appear wherever the block is used. For more customization options and workarounds, [read the full Cookies Table block guide on GitHub →](https://github.com/pressidium/pressidium-cookie-consent/wiki/Pressidium-Cookies-Table-block) ### **✓** WP Consent API Integration WordPress is moving toward a [standardized way of handling consent](https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-consent-api/), and the Pressidium Cookie Consent plugin already supports it. With this release, the plugin integrates directly with the **WordPress Consent API**. That means a user’s cookie choices are now stored in a consistent format that other plugins and themes can access. **No setup required.** When a visitor makes a choice in the banner, their preferences are automatically shared with the Consent API. This improves compatibility and reduces the need for custom code to sync cookie logic between plugins. If you’re a developer, you can retrieve consent values using functions like `wp_get_consent()` to control which scripts load based on user preferences. It’s cleaner, safer, and built to last. ## Additional Enhancements Alongside the headline features, version 1.8.0 includes several **quick wins & developer features**. We are confident you will appreciate these enhancements as they improve performance, flexibility, and developer experience. ### **✓** Google Tag Manager Event Support The Pressidium Cookie Consent plugin now supports custom event tracking for Google Tag Manager (GTM), giving you precise **control over how and when your tags fire**. When a user interacts with the cookie banner, the plugin pushes two events to the GTM data layer: - `pressidium-cookie-consent-accepted` is fired when a user gives consent - `pressidium-cookie-consent-changed` is fired when a user updates their preferences These events let you configure your GTM setup to load analytics, advertising, or tracking scripts only after the appropriate consent has been given. ### **✓** New Shortcode and Global Function The `[pressidium_cookie_consent_cookies]` shortcode lets you display a table of cookies on any WordPress page or post **without using the Block Editor**. This is especially useful if you’re using the **Classic Editor** or a page builder like Elementor, or need to [embed cookie info dynamically](https://github.com/pressidium/pressidium-cookie-consent/wiki/Shortcode) in your privacy or cookie policy page. ### **✓** Access Cookie Data Programmatically The Pressidium Cookie Consent plugin allows developers to retrieve the full cookie list in PHP using the `pressidium_cookie_consent_get_cookies()` function. This returns all defined cookies, grouped by category. It’s perfect for building **custom cookie tables**, **integrating with external systems**, or conditionally **loading features based on user consent**. For details on usage and output structure, see the [Pressidium Cookie Consent developer guide for programmatic control](https://github.com/pressidium/pressidium-cookie-consent/wiki/Control-programmatically). ### **✓** Improved Translation UI Text fields for cookie descriptions are now textareas, making long translations easier to manage. The domain column in the settings modal has also been adjusted for better readability. ### **✓** Updated Requirements The minimum PHP version has been bumped to **8.1**, ensuring compatibility with modern WordPress environments and keeping the codebase future-proof. ### **✓** Dependency Updates Version 1.8.0 of the Pressidium Cookie Consent plugin includes refreshed Composer and npm packages. These updates improve stability, reduce the risk of version conflicts, and ensure **compatibility with modern WordPress and JavaScript environments**. ## Ready to Upgrade? This update makes the Pressidium Cookie Consent plugin smarter, faster, and more capable while staying true to its core values: simplicity, performance, and full control. If you’re already using the plugin, update to the latest version today to start using the new features. For new users, it’s [available for free on the WordPress Plugin Directory](https://wordpress.org/plugins/pressidium-cookie-consent/). **Need help getting started or want to contribute?** We welcome feedback, bug reports, and feature suggestions on GitHub. - [Open an issue or contribute on GitHub](https://github.com/pressidium/pressidium-cookie-consent) - [Read the full documentation and setup guides](https://github.com/pressidium/pressidium-cookie-consent/wiki) --- **The Pressidium Cookie Consent plugin is just one part of how we help you build faster, more secure WordPress sites.** **Try our enterprise-grade managed WordPress hosting**, built by the same team, with the same focus on reliability, speed, and privacy compliance. Start Your 14 Day Free Trial Try our award winning WordPress Hosting! 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