WP Statistics is designed to respect user privacy. By default, it does not record any Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and does not use cookies. Therefore, in most cases, WP Statistics does not require user consent to function. However, some optional features (e.g., IP address recording) may involve collecting PII and could require consent under certain privacy laws.
To help you determine whether your setup requires consent, WP Statistics includes a Privacy Audit feature. If consent is needed, you can integrate WP Statistics with compatible consent management plugins to ensure data is only recorded when the user explicitly agrees.
When Does WP Statistics Require Consent?
- Default Behavior: By default, WP Statistics does not collect PII, so consent is generally not needed.
- PII-Enabling Features: Certain settings within WP Statistics can record PII. If you enable these settings, you may be required by law (e.g., GDPR, CCPA) to request user consent before tracking begins.
- Privacy Audit: To quickly check whether your WP Statistics configuration collects PII and thus requires consent, go to:
- WordPress Admin → Statistics → Privacy Audit.
- Review your current settings to see if they enable data collection that necessitates user consent.
If the audit indicates that you need consent, you can integrate WP Statistics with your preferred consent plugin.
How WP Statistics Handles Consent
When WP Statistics is integrated with a consent management plugin:
- No Data for Non-Consenting Users
In most cases, if a user declines or ignores the consent request, WP Statistics will not record any data for that user. However, the exact behavior may differ based on how your consent plugin’s integration is configured (e.g., partial tracking options or conditional consent settings).
- Data Collection on Approval
Once a user consents, WP Statistics begins collecting visitor data in accordance with your selected configuration and settings. Again, the scope of the data collected may vary if your consent plugin supports more granular or customized consent levels.
Always review the documentation for your chosen consent plugin to confirm how it handles non-consenting users or partial-consent scenarios.
Supported Consent Integrations
WP Statistics currently supports two main pathways for integrating consent:
- WP Consent API
- Any consent plugin that is compatible with the WP Consent API will also work with WP Statistics.
- For details on how to enable WP Consent Level Integration in WP Statistics, see our WP Consent Level Integration documentation.
- Real Cookie Banner
- WP Statistics can integrate directly with Real Cookie Banner. If you are using Real Cookie Banner, follow the instructions in our dedicated documentation to set it up.
Additional or Future Integrations
We continually work on supporting more consent management solutions. Check our list of compatible consent plugins for the most up-to-date information. If your favorite plugin is missing, let us know so we can consider adding it.
Configuring WP Statistics for Consent
Once you have installed and activated your chosen consent plugin, follow these steps to enable consent integration within WP Statistics:
- Open WP Statistics Settings
- Go to your WordPress Admin → Statistics → Settings → Privacy & Data Protection → User Preferences.
- Enable the Relevant Integration
- If you are using a plugin compatible with the WP Consent API, enable WP Consent Level Integration.
- If you are using Real Cookie Banner, follow the setup instructions found in our Real Cookie Banner documentation.
- Set the Correct Consent Category (if using WP Consent API)
- Under the “WP Consent Level Integration” section, choose the appropriate category (e.g., Functional, Statistics-Anonymous, Statistics, Marketing) based on your tracking needs.
- Save Your Changes
- Click Save Changes. Make sure you clear any cache (plugin or server-level) so your new settings take effect immediately.
Tips and Best Practices
- Perform a Privacy Audit: After making any changes, re-run the Privacy Audit (under Statistics → Privacy Audit) to confirm your new settings comply with privacy regulations.
- Communicate Clearly: Even if WP Statistics does not collect PII by default, informing users about your data collection practices fosters transparency and builds trust.
- Review Regularly: Data protection laws evolve. Periodically review your consent setup and WP Statistics settings to ensure ongoing compliance.
Next Steps & Further Information
- Explore Our Documentation:
- Cache Clearing: Remember to clear your cache if you use a caching plugin (e.g., WP Rocket, WP Super Cache, W3 Total Cache, LiteSpeed Cache) after updating settings.
