Checklist for universally designed cookie banners

This list is designed to help website owners ensure that cookie banners and related functions are accessible to all users, including people with disabilities. By following these guidelines, you will not only meet legal requirements and standards, but also improve user experiences for everyone.

This checklist provides recommendations in areas like design, clarity, navigation, and technical accessibility.

The aim is to make it easy for users to understand, navigate and choose cookie preferences in an informed way, regardless of which device or assistive tool they use.

1. Design and visibility

Ensure that the cookie banner is immediately visible upon the first visit to the website. It should be easy to find and not be hidden or difficult to access.

• Ensure that the cookie banner is at the beginning of the reading order.
• Keep the banner simple and focused, without too much text.
• Use a clear and large design that stands out so that users can quickly understand the purpose and what is expected.
• If the cookie banner is placed on a smaller screen, ensure that it takes up enough space to make it easy to interact with.

2. User-friendly options

• Provide three clear and simple options for users, and ensure that each option is clear and easy to understand so that users can quickly make an informed decision:
  • “Reject optional cookies”: An option that allows users to choose to only accept necessary cookies and reject optional ones. A brief explanation should be provided for what “optional” entails.
  • “Accept all cookies”: A choice that makes it easy to quickly accept all cookies.
  • “Customise settings”: An option that gives the user full control over cookie settings and lets them choose exactly which cookies they want to accept.

3. Clarity and transparency

• Be clear about what the different cookie options mean for the user and what they can expect from the website’s functionality depending on what they choose.
• If the cookie contains longer texts that provide more detailed information about how their data is used, put this in collapsible paragraphs or as links, so that a user can choose how much information they want to see.

4. Comprehension

• Use clear, easy-to-understand language instead of technical jargon to make it easy for all users to make informed decisions.
• Where possible, add links to plain-language explanations of terms.

5. Easy navigation

• Give users the ability to quickly and easily reject or accept all cookies with a single click, without having to go through multiple steps.
• Ensure there is a clear and easily accessible link for users who want to change their choices or get more information about cookies and their purpose.

6. Technical accessibility

• Ensure that the cookie banner works well on both desktop and mobile devices.
• Ensure that the cookie banner is accessible to users with different types of assistive tools.
• Check that the cookie banner complies with relevant accessibility standards (WCAG2.1/EN301549).

7. User-friendly settings

• Provide a simple and intuitive method that allows users to change cookie settings at any time after they have made an initial choice.
• Users should not have to search long to find where they can change their settings. Provide a clear link or button to return to cookie choices.

For questions about the checklist, please contact: