What is GDPR compliance for a website?

GDPR compliance (General Data Protection Regulation) is a legal requirement under European Union law that governs how websites collect, store, and use personal data of users located in the EU or EEA. Even if your website is based outside the EU (for example, in Canada), it still applies if you receive traffic, leads, or clients from the EU.

🧩 1. Website-Level GDPR Compliance

These are the functional and legal measures your website must include.

A. Cookie Consent Banner

• You must inform visitors if your site uses cookies that collect personal data (e.g., Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, etc.).
• Visitors must be able to:
  • Accept, Reject, or Customize cookie preferences.
  • See a clear explanation of what each cookie does.
• Consent must be opt-in, not assumed (so “pre-ticked” boxes are not allowed).

Example Tools:
CookieYes, Complianz, Cookiebot, or built-in consent options in your theme/plugin.

B. Privacy Policy Page

Your website needs a clearly visible, detailed Privacy Policy that explains:

• What data you collect (e.g., names, emails, IPs).
• Why you collect it and how it’s used.
• Whether you share it with third parties (like analytics or payment gateways).
• How users can request, correct, or delete their data.
• How long you retain the data.

C. Contact Forms and Newsletter Opt-ins

• You must include a checkbox for consent before users submit their data.
  Example: “I consent to having this website store my submitted information.”
• The checkbox must not be pre-checked.
• You should store proof of consent (many form plugins support this).

D. Data Access and Deletion

• Users must be able to request a copy or deletion of their personal data.
• Your site (and backend systems) should allow you to comply with these requests quickly.

E. Secure Data Storage (Encryption)

• Use SSL (HTTPS) to protect transmitted data.
• Make sure your hosting and database are secured and compliant with modern encryption standards.

🎨 2. Theme-Level GDPR Compliance

This concerns how your WordPress theme or custom website theme handles data.

A. No Hidden Tracking

Your theme should not:

• Embed third-party scripts (e.g., fonts, maps, analytics) that track users without consent.
• Load external resources (like Google Fonts or YouTube) before the visitor gives consent.

Tip:
Many GDPR-compliant themes now self-host Google Fonts and delay third-party scripts until cookies are accepted.

B. GDPR-Compatible Plugins and Widgets

If your theme includes:

• Sliders, contact forms, or analytics widgets, check that they don’t automatically collect personal data.
• Some non-compliant themes silently load external trackers.

C. Built-in Cookie and Privacy Features

Modern themes (like Astra, Kadence, or GeneratePress) often include:

• Cookie consent popups.
• Privacy policy link placeholders.
• Compatibility with GDPR plugins.

If your theme doesn’t, you’ll need to add these through plugins.

✅ Summary Checklist

Here’s a quick GDPR checklist for your website: