Do you need a cookie banner?

Updated November 2026

What counts as a cookie

A cookie is a small file a website stores on a visitor’s device. The rules also cover similar technologies, such as tracking pixels and local storage. Many come from tools added to a website rather than from the site itself: analytics, social media buttons, embedded videos and maps, and advertising tags.

When you need consent

In Ireland, you need a visitor’s consent before setting any cookie that isn’t strictly necessary for something they’ve asked for. Analytics and advertising cookies are not strictly necessary, so they need consent first.

Cookies that are strictly necessary don’t need consent. A shopping basket that remembers what someone added, or a login that keeps them signed in, are typical examples. You should still mention them in your privacy or cookie notice.

What a proper banner looks like

The Data Protection Commission has published guidance on cookies. In practice, a compliant banner:

• makes rejecting cookies as easy as accepting them
• doesn’t use pre-ticked boxes or count scrolling as consent
• sets no non-essential cookies until the visitor has agreed
• explains what each type of cookie is for
• lets people change their mind later

A banner with a big “Accept all” button and a hidden “Settings” link usually falls short.

The simpler option: no cookies

If your website doesn’t set any non-essential cookies, you don’t need a consent banner. For most small business sites that’s easy to achieve: leave out analytics you don’t look at, link to your Facebook page instead of embedding it, and use a plain map link rather than an embedded map.

That’s how we build by default, and it’s how this website works.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. The Data Protection Commission publishes the official guidance.