Privacy and GDPR settings in Wordpress - Step-by-Step Execution

Concept Flow - Privacy and GDPR settings

User visits site

↓

Cookie consent banner shown

↓

User accepts or rejects cookies

↓

Settings saved in browser

↓

Site respects user choices

↓

User requests data or deletion

↓

Site processes GDPR requests

This flow shows how WordPress handles user privacy by showing cookie consent, saving choices, and processing GDPR data requests.

Execution Sample

Wordpress

<?php
// Enable privacy features
add_action('init', function() {
  add_theme_support('privacy-policy');
});

This code enables WordPress privacy features to support GDPR compliance.

Execution Table

Step	Action	Result	User Impact
1	User visits site	Site loads with cookie banner	User sees cookie consent banner
2	User clicks 'Accept'	Consent saved in cookie	Site can use cookies
3	User clicks 'Reject'	Consent saved in cookie	Site disables non-essential cookies
4	User requests data export	Site generates data file	User receives personal data
5	User requests data deletion	Site deletes user data	User data removed from site
6	User revisits site	Banner not shown again if consent saved	User experience respects choice

💡 Process ends when user consent is saved and GDPR requests are handled

Variable Tracker

Variable	Start	After Step 2	After Step 3	After Step 4	After Step 5	Final
cookie_consent	null	"accepted"	"rejected"	"rejected"	"rejected"	"rejected" or "accepted"
user_data_request	null	null	null	"export_requested"	"deletion_requested"	null

Key Moments - 3 Insights

Why does the cookie banner sometimes not show after the first visit?

Because the user's consent choice is saved in a cookie (see execution_table step 6), so the site remembers and does not show the banner again.

What happens if a user rejects cookies?

The site saves the rejection in a cookie and disables non-essential cookies (execution_table step 3), respecting user privacy.

How does WordPress handle user data requests?

When a user requests data export or deletion (steps 4 and 5), WordPress processes these requests and updates user data accordingly.

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution_table, what is the user impact at step 3?

A Site can use cookies freely

B Site disables non-essential cookies

C User data is deleted

D Cookie banner is shown again

💡 Hint

Check the 'User Impact' column at step 3 in the execution_table

At which step does the site generate a data file for the user?

A Step 2

B Step 3

C Step 4

D Step 5

💡 Hint

Look at the 'Action' and 'Result' columns in the execution_table for data export

If the user never clicks accept or reject, what happens to the cookie_consent variable?

A "accepted"

B "rejected"

C null

D undefined

💡 Hint

Check variable_tracker for cookie_consent before any user action

Concept Snapshot

WordPress Privacy & GDPR Settings:
- Show cookie consent banner on site load
- Save user choice in cookie
- Respect user choice by enabling/disabling cookies
- Handle user data export and deletion requests
- Use add_theme_support('privacy-policy') to enable features
- Consent remembered to avoid repeated banners

Full Transcript

This visual trace shows how WordPress manages privacy and GDPR settings. When a user visits the site, a cookie consent banner appears. The user can accept or reject cookies, and their choice is saved in a cookie. The site then respects this choice by enabling or disabling cookies accordingly. Users can also request their personal data or ask for deletion, which WordPress processes. The cookie consent variable changes from null to accepted or rejected based on user action. The cookie banner does not show again if consent is saved. This flow ensures the site complies with GDPR rules and respects user privacy.