[FAQ]

Hi everyone,

Okay, so I understand that I need a privacy policy and a cookie consent notice for my website to be compliant in 2025. My next question is… how do I actually create them?

I’m looking for some practical advice on the best methods. Are there reliable free generators or templates that people recommend? Is it better to pay for a service to make sure it’s done right? Or is hiring a lawyer the only truly safe option? And how do you technically get the cookie consent banner to show up on your site?

Any guidance on the best tools or processes would be really appreciated. Thanks!

[Jeff Bullas]

It is important to state at the outset that this is general information and not legal advice. For advice specific to your business and to ensure full compliance with all relevant regulations, you should always consult with a qualified legal professional.

With that understood, there are several common methods for creating a privacy policy and a cookie consent notice for your site.

First, regarding your Privacy Policy, a very common starting point is to use an online privacy policy generator. There are many services available where you answer a series of questions about your website’s operations – for example, what personal data you collect through forms, if you use analytics tools like Google Analytics, if you display ads, and so on. The service then generates a policy based on your answers. Many of these platforms offer a basic free version, while more comprehensive policies that cover specific regulations like GDPR and CCPA in greater detail often require a one-time fee or an ongoing subscription.

Another option is to use a template from a reputable legal or business source. If you use a template, it is absolutely crucial that you carefully customise it to accurately reflect your website’s specific data collection and processing practices. A generic, unedited template will likely not be compliant.

The safest and most thorough method is to hire a legal professional who specialises in data privacy law to draft a policy specifically for your business. This is the recommended approach for businesses that handle sensitive user data, operate in highly regulated industries, or have complex international operations.

Second, for the Cookie Consent Notice, which is the banner or pop-up that informs users about cookies and asks for their consent, the easiest way to implement this is by using a Consent Management Platform (CMP) or a plugin. Many reputable CMPs offer free plans for smaller websites with limited traffic. These tools provide the customisable banner, manage the record of user consent, and can often be configured to automatically block non-essential cookies from running until a user gives their consent. If your website is built on a platform like WordPress, there are many plugins available that provide this functionality.

The general process you should follow is this. First, you need to audit your website to understand exactly what data you are collecting and what cookies are being used, both by your site directly and by any third-party services you have integrated. Second, generate or draft your privacy policy document based on this audit. Third, choose and implement a cookie consent banner solution. And fourth, make your privacy policy easily accessible on your website, typically by placing a link to it in the footer of every page.

While online generators and consent management platforms can be effective solutions for many small websites, for absolute certainty and compliance, especially as your business grows, consulting with a legal expert remains the best course of action.

Cheers,

Jeff

[Author]

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