Light Weight Cookie Consent

Overview

This package provides a fully GDPR-compliant cookie consent solution with server-side consent logging and external tracking script management.

Features:

• User Consent Banner – Fully customizable placement (bottom-left, bottom-right, full modal).
• Tracking Scripts Loader – Loads Google Analytics, Microsoft Clarity, Facebook Pixel only after consent.
• Server-Side Logging – GDPR-compliant logging of user consent.
• Manage Cookies Button – Users can revoke consent anytime using an include file.
• Admin Panel (in /lwca/ folder) – Secure admin section for viewing consent logs.
• .htaccess Security by Default – Prevent unauthorized access to the admin panel.
• Standalone PHP Files – Easy to include in any project.

Installation

1. Clone or Download the Code

You can clone this repository using Git:

git clone https://github.com/adrianspeyer/light-weight-cookie-consent.git

Or download the ZIP file from GitHub and extract the contents.

2. Set Up the Database (MySQL)

Before uploading the files, create the database for logging consent:

1. Locate the file lwca/database_setup.sql in this package.
2. Run the SQL script in your MySQL database.
   • This will create a cookie_consent table to log user consent.
3. Open lwca/save_consent.php and update your database credentials:

   $dsn = "mysql:host=your_host;dbname=your_database;charset=utf8mb4";
   $username = "your_db_user";
   $password = "your_db_password";

3. Upload Required Files to Your Website

Once the database is set up, upload the following files to your website directory:

Main Files

• cookie-consent.php (Main consent banner)
• trackingscripts.js (Tracking script loader)
• manage-cookies.php (Include file for Manage Cookies button)
• terms-and-conditions.html (T&C page placeholder)
• cookie-policy.html (Cookie policy page placeholder)
• README.md (Setup guide)

Admin Panel (Secure) - Upload to /lwca/

Move these admin files into a secure folder called lwca/:

• lwca/admin_dashboard.php (Admin panel for consent logs)
• lwca/admin_login.php (Login page for admin panel, optional)
• lwca/admin_logout.php (Logout script)
• lwca/save_consent.php (Handles consent logging)
• lwca/database_setup.sql (SQL file to create the consent log table)
• lwca/htaccess.txt (Rename to .htaccess to enable security)

4. Secure the Admin Panel (lwca/ folder) with .htaccess (Default)

By default, .htaccess security is enabled to prevent unauthorized access. This ensures only authenticated users can view consent logs.

📌 How to Enable .htaccess Security

Inside the lwca/ folder, rename the file:

htaccess.txt → .htaccess

📌 How to Set Up .htpasswd for Authentication

Follow these steps to restrict access to the lwca/ folder.

1️⃣ Create an .htpasswd File
The .htpasswd file stores the username & encrypted password for authentication.

📌 On Linux/macOS
Run this command in Terminal:

htpasswd -c /path/to/.htpasswd admin

• Replace /path/to/.htpasswd with the actual file path.
• Replace admin with your desired username.
• It will prompt you to set a password.

📌 On Windows

1. Download htpasswd.exe from Apache website.
2. Open Command Prompt and run:

   htpasswd -c C:\path	o\.htpasswd admin

3. Enter a password when prompted.

2️⃣ Verify Protection

• Try accessing /lwca/admin_dashboard.php in your browser.
• You should now see a popup asking for a username & password.

3️⃣ Keep .htpasswd Secure

• Never store .htpasswd inside /lwca/.
• Store it above your web root directory, e.g.:

  /home/youruser/.htpasswd
  

4️⃣ Changing Your Password
To change the password, use:

htpasswd /path/to/.htpasswd admin

5. Configure Tracking Scripts (trackingscripts.js)

This package only loads tracking scripts after user consent is given.

📌 How to Add Your Trackers:

1. Open the file trackingscripts.js.
2. Replace the placeholders:
   • "G-XXXXXXXXXX" → Your Google Analytics 4 ID
   • "YOUR_CLARITY_ID" → Your Microsoft Clarity ID
   • "YOUR_FACEBOOK_PIXEL_ID" → Your Facebook Pixel ID
3. You can also add additional trackers inside trackingscripts.js.
4. These scripts only run if the user has accepted cookies (ensuring GDPR compliance).

6. Using the Placeholder Pages (terms-and-conditions.html, cookie-policy.html)

• The terms-and-conditions.html and cookie-policy.html pages are placeholders.
• You can either:
  • Edit these files with your actual policies, OR
  • Update cookie-consent.php to link to existing legal pages on your website.

7. Manage Cookie Preferences (User Control)

Users can revoke their consent at any time by clicking the "Manage Cookies" button.
Add this button to your footer or menu:

<?php include 'manage-cookies.php'; ?>

Support & Customization

If you need additional features or support, feel free to modify the code, fork or contact a developer. This is released as-is. I will not provide support.