Basics
20 guides
Introductory guides explaining core concepts
The Consent Mode v2 Parameters: A Plain-English Reference
All seven Google Consent Mode signals explained: what each controls, which are storage permissions versus data-use instructions, and which Google product depends on which parameter.
What Is a Cookie Banner and How Does It Work?
A cookie banner isn't just a notice you click away. Under the hood it decides which scripts are allowed to run. Here's the anatomy of a banner and the sequence it goes through on every page load.
What Happens When You Reject Cookies?
Clicking reject shouldn't break the site. Here's what actually changes when you decline cookies, what a website is still allowed to do, and what it's legally not allowed to do.
What Are Tracking Cookies and How Do They Work?
Tracking cookies recognise you across pages and sites using a unique ID that maps to a profile on someone else's server. Here's what they actually do, how the mechanism works, and why they need consent.
Session vs Persistent Cookies: What's the Difference?
Session cookies vanish when you close the browser; persistent cookies stick around until they expire. One attribute decides which is which, and it has real consequences for privacy and compliance.
Secure and HttpOnly Cookie Flags Explained
Two cookie flags do a lot of quiet security work: Secure keeps a cookie off unencrypted connections, HttpOnly hides it from JavaScript. Here's what each protects against and where the __Host- prefix fits.
The SameSite Cookie Attribute: Lax, Strict, None
SameSite decides whether a cookie rides along on cross-site requests. Here's what Strict, Lax, and None each do, why the default flipped to Lax in 2020, and how it affects third-party scripts.
How Cookies Work: The Set-Cookie Header
A cookie is a name-value pair a server hands the browser in one HTTP header, and the browser hands back on every matching request. Here's the full round trip and every attribute that shapes it.
What Is Consent? GDPR Legal Bases Explained Simply
The GDPR gives you six legal reasons to process personal data. Cookies almost always rely on one of them: consent. Here's what the six bases are and what makes consent actually valid.
Cookies vs Pixels vs Local Storage: What's the Difference?
Cookies, tracking pixels, and local storage are three different browser technologies that get lumped together. Here's how each one actually stores and moves data, and why consent law covers all three.
Cookie Syncing Explained (Cookie Matching)
Ad platforms can't read each other's cookies, so they run a hidden handshake to agree you're the same person. Here's how cookie syncing works, and why third-party cookie limits are ending it.
Cookie Domain and Path: How Scope Works
Two attributes decide which requests carry a cookie: Domain controls which hosts, Path controls which URLs. Get them wrong and you either leak a cookie or lose it. Here's how scoping works.
Browser-Level Blocking vs Consent Management
Browsers block trackers to protect their own users. A consent manager makes your data collection lawful and documented. They do different jobs, and one can't stand in for the other.
First-Party vs Third-Party Cookies in 2026: Life After the Privacy Sandbox
What the difference between first-party and third-party cookies actually means in 2026, after Google cancelled third-party cookie deprecation and wound down the Privacy Sandbox. Why first-party data still wins.
What Is TCF (Transparency & Consent Framework)?
Learn what the IAB Transparency & Consent Framework is, which versions exist, who needs it, and how it relates to GDPR and Google Consent Mode v2.
Is Consent Mode v2 Mandatory?
Learn where Consent Mode v2 is required. Google requires consent signals in the EEA/UK for Ads/Analytics. Some products require a Google-certified CMP.
What Is Google Consent Mode v2?
Consent Mode v2 lets your site respect user consent while maintaining measurement. Learn the new signals (ad_user_data, ad_personalization) and how CookieBeam integrates via GTM.
GDPR Requirements for Websites
A practical overview of GDPR requirements for websites: lawful basis, consent, transparency, user rights, DPAs, security, and breach notification.
What Is GDPR?
Understand the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR): scope, principles, and what it means for websites that use cookies and trackers.
What Is a CMP (Consent Management Platform)?
Learn what a Consent Management Platform does and how it helps you collect valid consent, control tags, and keep audit trails for compliance.