Question

Why doesn’t ASP offer built-in cookie compliance tools, such as banners or consent management?

Introduction

Since March 2024, the legal and technical requirements around cookie compliance have become significantly more demanding. Website owners now have to meet stricter regional regulations (e.g. UK GDPR, EU ePrivacy Directive, US state laws) to protect visitor data and ensure consent is properly handled.

To help our clients remain compliant, ASP has made a strategic decision to recommend specialist third-party cookie compliance providers rather than building and maintaining a bespoke in-house solution.

What Changed in 2024?

The rules for cookie compliance are no longer just about showing a banner. A compliant setup now typically requires:

• Showing consent banners only in specific regions where it’s legally required
• Grouping cookies into necessary and non-essential categories
• Preventing non-essential cookies (like GA4, Meta, HubSpot) from firing before consent
• Allowing users to update or withdraw consent at any time
• Storing consent logs to demonstrate compliance
• Supporting integrations like Google Tag Manager and Consent Mode v2

These changes led to the rise of a new category of services: cookie compliance providers.

Why ASP Recommends Third-Party Providers

To build and maintain a fully compliant cookie solution would require ASP to:

• Invest in ongoing legal reviews across multiple regions
• Develop and maintain complex cookie-scanning and consent-tracking tools
• Guarantee correct behaviour across all websites and integrations
• Provide consent logs, geolocation handling, and more

Given the scale and complexity involved, ASP made a commercial decision:
✅ Rather than reinvent the wheel, we refer clients to trusted, low-cost providers who specialise in this space.

Providers such as Cookiebot, OneTrust, and Termly are:

• Approved by Google
• Trusted by thousands of websites
• Cost-effective and easy to implement
• Regularly updated to meet new legal requirements

What Should I Do Instead?

We suggest that you:

1. Choose a specialist cookie compliance provider like Cookiebot
2. Set up your cookie banner with region-based display, consent categories, and logging
3. Implement the script via Google Tag Manager for better control and integration
4. Ensure Consent Mode v2 is activated for Google Ads and Analytics compatibility

Helpful Guides

To support you further, we’ve published the following articles:

• Cookie Update: Switch to a Specialist Cookie Provider
• Cookie Consent for UK Event Websites and Third-Party Forms
• What to Do When a Client Asks About Cookies or Lacks a Compliant Banner
• Understanding Cookie Compliance: Why It Matters & How It Affects Your Data

Need Help?

If you’re unsure where to start or would like help integrating Cookiebot or another provider into your ASP website, our support team will be happy to assist.