Refuse Button
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Applies to: WordPress Plugin Where: WP Admin > Compliance (top-level menu) > Cookie Consent tab > Consent Behavior (unconnected sites). Connected sites see a read-only Refuse button card on the Cookie Consent tab. |
Overview
The refuse button gives visitors an explicit way to decline cookie consent. When enabled, a "Refuse" (or custom-labeled) button appears alongside the accept button in your consent banner. Visitors who click it are recorded as having refused cookies. The button belongs to the basic banner used while the site is not connected; a connected site shows the Cookie Compliance banner instead, where visitors choose Private to refuse.
This is a WordPress setting. You can change it only while the site is not connected; a connected site shows the current value on a card:
- Unconnected (Banner Only) sites: Cookie Consent tab → Consent Behavior accordion (toggle + text field).
- Connected users: Cookie Consent tab → Refuse button card. It shows the value only; there is no editor.
There is no refuse-button field in the Admin Portal.
Enabling the Refuse Button
- In your WordPress dashboard, go to
Compliance(top-level menu). - Click the Settings tab.
- Open the Consent Behavior section (shown only while the site is not connected).
- Check the Enable refuse button toggle. The description reads: "Allow visitors to refuse cookie consent."
- Click Save Settings.
Customizing the Refuse Button Text
When the refuse button is enabled, an additional text field appears:
- In the Consent Behavior section, locate the Refuse button text field (appears below the toggle).
- Enter your preferred button label. The default placeholder text is "No".
- Click Save Settings.
The button text can be customized to match your site's tone, for example: "Decline," "No thanks," or "Reject all."
How the Refuse Button Works
- When a visitor clicks the refuse button, the plugin records a "refused" consent state.
- Non-essential cookies and scripts blocked by autoblocking remain blocked.
- A consent cookie is set to remember the visitor's refusal. The cookie duration follows the Rejected expiry setting. Unconnected sites configure it in
Cookie Consent tab → Cookie Expiry; a connected site has no separate rejected expiry. Duration is the three values on Configuration → Behavior. - After the rejection cookie expires, the banner reappears to prompt the visitor again.
Refuse Button vs. Update Consent
These are two different features:
| Feature | When It Appears | What It Does |
|---|---|---|
| Refuse button | In the initial consent banner, before the visitor makes any choice | Lets the visitor decline consent upfront |
| Update consent | After the visitor has already accepted consent | Lets the visitor withdraw consent they previously gave |
Both features can be enabled independently. To enable Update consent, check the Enable Update consent toggle in the same Consent Behavior section.
GDPR Considerations
Under GDPR Article 7(3), it must be as easy to withdraw consent as it is to give it. Providing a visible refuse button in the initial banner is one way to meet this requirement. For full GDPR compliance, consider enabling both the refuse button and revoke consent.
Related Articles
- Duration — Configure how long accepted and rejected consent cookies persist.
- Consent on Click — Automatically accept consent on any page click.
- Consent on Scroll — Automatically accept consent when the visitor scrolls.