2.1. Setting up the cookie popup.
2.2. Popup texts and behavior.
2.3.1. Cookie consent manager cookie.
2.3.2. Cool Tabs visit tracking cookies.
2.3.4. Google Analytics cookie.
2.3.5. Google Tag Manager tracking code.
3.1. Implementing the popup in your campaign.
3.2. Documentation and legal terms.
1. Introduction.
In this tutorial we explain how to add a cookie consent popup to your Cool Tabs campaigns and which cookies and trackers are used, so you can decide which ones to enable and properly document them in your campaign's legal terms.
Having a properly configured cookie popup is essential to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and other privacy regulations, which require informing users transparently and obtaining their explicit consent before collecting data or tracking them through cookies.
Cookies are small files stored in the user's browser that serve very different purposes: from remembering user preferences to enabling statistical analysis of visits or measuring the effectiveness of advertising campaigns. At Cool Tabs, we mainly use them to manage the participant's session and, when you configure it, for analytical tracking of the campaign.
In this tutorial you will learn:
- How to activate and configure the consent popup.
- Which cookies and trackers you can enable, and what each one does.
- How to customize the texts and behavior of the popup.
- What to include in your campaign's legal terms.
2. Step by step.
2.1. Setting up the cookie popup.
To activate the consent manager:
- Go to your campaign settings in Cool Tabs.
- Navigate to 'Trackers and cookies' > 'Consent cookie mnager' tab and enable it.
Here you can configure all the cookies and trackers you're going to use, so they appear in the consent panel. Keep in mind that if you disable a tracker, it will stop being recorded for all users and you will lose that information in the statistics panel.
Once activated, the popup will appear in the bottom-right corner of the campaign and will let the user choose which cookies and trackers to accept.
Important: if the user rejects a cookie or tracker, it won't be loaded in their browser, and any existing ones will be automatically deleted.
2.2. Popup texts and behavior.
All popup texts are customizable. If you don't modify them, the default texts configured by Cool Tabs will be displayed.
Popup notice text. Shown in the initial popup, before the user opens the options. Default: "We use cookies for the following purposes".
Modal window title. The header of the window that opens when the user expands the options. Default: "These are the cookies we use".
Modal window description. Explanatory text inside that window. Default: "Here you can view and customize the cookies we use".
Block the screen with the modal until permissions are accepted or rejected. By default, the popup appears discreetly and users can ignore it. If you enable this option, the popup will be centered on the screen and will block it until the user accepts or rejects the cookies.
2.3. Configuring cookies.
After customizing the texts, the next step is to decide which cookies and trackers you want to activate in your campaign. To properly inform your users and comply with regulations, it's helpful to understand what each one does.
Most cookies are associated with a specific campaign and include its ID in the name. In the tutorial examples we'll always use 12345 as a reference ID, but in your campaign it will be a 5 or 6-digit number.
2.3.1. Cookie consent manager cookie.
When you enable the consent manager, a cookie is automatically created to remember the user's preferences:
- consent_12345: stores the user's consent. Duration: 15 days.
2.3.2. Cool Tabs visit tracking cookies.
This tracker is what allows us to show you the visits panel for your campaign. If you disable it, we won't be able to collect visit data and you'll lose that information in the statistics.
It is integrated with the consent manager, so users can reject it if they wish.
It generates the following internal cookies:
- cm12345
- cn12345
- cs12345
- uv12345
- lr12345
- lcm12345
- lcn12345
2.3.3. Technical cookies.
These cookies are essential for the campaign to work and therefore cannot be disabled. Without them, users wouldn't be able to register, upload content (photos, videos…) or complete the participation form.
They are used to manage the participant's session, prevent duplicate entries, and ensure the integrity of the data they submit.
You can customize the display name and description that will appear in the consent popup.
Technical cookies used:
_cp: stores the campaign configuration. Deleted when the browser is closed.
an_token: stores the user's authentication token. In campaigns with social login it is a session cookie; in campaigns with anonymous login it has a duration of 1 month.
auth_12345: internal authentication ID, specific to each campaign. Deleted when the browser is closed.
2.3.4. Google Analytics cookie.
Google Analytics lets you understand and analyze how visitors use your campaign, using an anonymous user ID. With it, you'll get data such as how many times your campaign is visited, when the first and last visits occurred, or where users are coming from.
Activating this tracker is necessary to send participant data to your Analytics and so we can show you the conversion funnels for your campaign. If you disable it, you'll lose information such as: total visits, unique users, page views, views by hour and day of the week, usage by device, and referred visits.
To display it in the consent manager, enable the option 'Show Analytics checkbox in permissions popup'.
If you set up your own GA4, the following cookies will be used:
- _ga
_ga_XXXXXXXXXX (where XXXXXXXXXX corresponds to your GA4 property ID).
This setup is integrated with the consent manager, so participants can disable Analytics tracking if they wish.
Additional options you can configure:
The user will not be able to disable the Analytics cookie: it will activate on page load with no option for the user to disable it.
The Analytics checkbox will appear checked by default: it will appear pre-selected in the consent manager, although the user can still uncheck it.
You can also customize the display name and description that will appear in the popup.
If you don't use Google Analytics, simply leave this option unchecked.
2.3.5. Google Tag Manager tracking code.
Google Tag Manager is a tag and tracking code manager that lets you measure visits and also track Google Ads conversions.
Since GTM can be used to include any type of tracker, we can't know exactly how you're using it: you'll need to communicate that to users in your campaign's legal terms.
To display it in the consent manager, enable the option 'Show Google Tag Manager checkbox in permissions popup'.
Available options:
The user will not be able to disable the GTM tracker: it will load automatically and the user won't be able to disable it.
The GTM checkbox will appear checked by default: it will appear pre-selected, although the user can uncheck it.
Since we don't know how you'll be using GTM, we recommend explaining it to users in your campaign's legal terms. You can customize the display name and description to suit your specific use.
2.3.6. Facebook pixel cookie.
The Facebook tracker lets you track the actions of participants in your campaign and measure the performance of your Facebook Ads.
To display it in the consent manager, enable the option 'Show Facebook pixel checkbox in permissions popup'.
If you don't use the Facebook pixel, you don't need to enable this option.
Available options:
The user will not be able to disable the Facebook pixel: it will load on page open and the user won't be able to disable it.
The Facebook pixel checkbox will appear checked by default: it will appear pre-selected, although the user can uncheck it.
You can also customize the display name and description that will appear in the popup.
2.3.7. Custom tracking code.
If you need to add a tracker that isn't listed in the options above, you can add it as a custom tracker and it will be integrated into the consent manager.
You can configure:
- Title and description that will appear in the consent popup.
- Enabled/disabled: activate or deactivate the tracker without deleting it.
-
JavaScript code for the tracking pixel (without
<script>tags): runs on all campaign screens. - Do not include this tracking code on the final screen: if enabled, the tracking code will not run on the thank-you/final screen.
-
JavaScript code for the conversion pixel (without
<script>tags): runs only on the final screen, once the user has completed their participation. Ideal for conversion pixels.
Custom trackers are classified by categories in the consent manager. The available categories are: Analytics, Advertising and Session. By default, custom trackers are assigned to the Analytics category. If you need to assign it to a different category, contact us at help@cool-tabs.com.
Once you've configured the popup and cookies, don't forget to click 'Save' so the changes are applied.
2.4. Cookie warning popup.
If you don't want to offer users a consent manager, you can instead display only an informational cookie notice, with no option for users to manage their preferences. In this case, all available trackers and cookies in the campaign will be used.
You can activate it from the 'Cookie warning' tab and customize the text that will appear in the notice.
Here is an example of how it will be displayed.
3. Other specifications.
All trackers (Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, Facebook…) are compatible with each other, so you can enable all the ones you need at the same time.
3.1. Implementing the popup in your campaign.
A well-implemented cookie popup not only ensures legal compliance but also conveys transparency and trust to users. Clearly inform them about how their data will be used and always give them the option to accept or reject non-essential cookies.
Before launching your campaign, test the popup and check that all cookies and trackers behave as configured.
3.2. Documentation and legal terms.
To comply with privacy regulations, your campaign's legal terms must clearly document:
- Description of each cookie: name, purpose and duration.
- Consent options: how the user can accept or reject cookies.
- Privacy policy: how personal data is processed and how cookies are used.
If you need the full list of cookies and third parties used for your privacy policy, check this article: Cookies and third-party services used in Cool Tabs campaigns.
If you have any questions, contact us at help@cool-tabs.com.
4. Related content.
How to set up campaign tracking and conversion codes.
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