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Metrics

Detailed explanation of all analytics metrics

Overview

CookieConfig tracks detailed metrics about how users interact with your cookie consent banner. Understanding these metrics helps you optimize your consent experience, maintain compliance, and make data-driven decisions.

Core Metrics

Banner Impressions

Definition: The total number of times your cookie consent banner was displayed to visitors.

How it's calculated: Incremented each time the banner appears on a user's screen. If a returning visitor has already consented, the banner won't show again, so no new impression is counted.

What it means: This represents your total potential audience for consent collection. Higher impressions mean more traffic to your site.

Typical values: Should correlate closely with new visitor count or sessions where consent has not been previously recorded.

Troubleshooting:

  • Lower than expected: Banner may not be loading on all pages, check installation code
  • Higher than traffic: May indicate the banner is re-appearing for users who already consented
  • Zero impressions: Banner script not installed or blocked by ad blockers

Consent Rate

Definition: The percentage of banner impressions that resulted in a user interaction.

How it's calculated: (Total Interactions / Banner Impressions) × 100

What it means: A key indicator of banner effectiveness. High consent rates mean users are making decisions rather than abandoning or ignoring the banner.

Industry benchmarks:

  • Excellent: 80-95%
  • Good: 60-80%
  • Needs Improvement: Below 60%

Improving consent rate:

  • Make the banner more prominent but not intrusive
  • Simplify button choices (limit to Accept/Reject/Customize)
  • Use clear, concise language
  • Ensure mobile optimization
  • Test different banner positions

Acceptance Rate

Definition: The percentage of interactions that resulted in "Accept All" being clicked.

How it's calculated: (Accept All clicks / Total Interactions) × 100

What it means: Indicates willingness of users to share data and accept all cookie categories. Higher rates mean better data collection capabilities for analytics and marketing.

Industry benchmarks:

  • United States: 50-70%
  • European Union: 30-50% (lower due to GDPR awareness)
  • United Kingdom: 35-55%
  • Asia-Pacific: 55-75% (varies widely by country)

Important note: Don't use dark patterns or deceptive design to artificially inflate acceptance rates. This violates privacy regulations and erodes user trust.

Rejection Rate

Definition: The percentage of interactions where users clicked "Reject All."

How it's calculated: (Reject All clicks / Total Interactions) × 100

What it means: Shows how many users explicitly opt out of optional cookies. This is a healthy indicator that users have real choice and your banner isn't coercive.

Typical values: 10-40% depending on region and industry

What to do: Respect these choices. High rejection rates are not necessarily bad - they indicate transparency and user control, which builds trust long-term.

Cookie Category Metrics

Necessary Cookies

Definition: Cookies essential for website functionality (login, shopping cart, security).

Acceptance rate: Always 100% (cannot be disabled under GDPR/CCPA)

What it means: These cookies don't require consent but should always be disclosed to users.

Functional Cookies

Definition: Cookies that enhance user experience (language preferences, video players, chat widgets).

How it's calculated: (Users who accepted Functional / Total Interactions) × 100

Industry benchmarks: 60-80% acceptance

Why users accept: Clear value proposition - these cookies improve their experience

Analytics Cookies

Definition: Cookies for measuring site usage, traffic sources, and user behavior (Google Analytics, Mixpanel, etc.).

How it's calculated: (Users who accepted Analytics / Total Interactions) × 100

Industry benchmarks: 40-60% acceptance

Regional variations:

  • EU: 35-50% (GDPR impact)
  • US: 50-70%
  • Rest of world: 45-65%

Impact: Lower analytics acceptance means less data for understanding user behavior. Consider privacy-preserving analytics alternatives.

Marketing Cookies

Definition: Cookies for advertising, retargeting, and cross-site tracking (Google Ads, Facebook Pixel, etc.).

How it's calculated: (Users who accepted Marketing / Total Interactions) × 100

Industry benchmarks: 20-40% acceptance (lowest of all categories)

Why acceptance is low: Users are increasingly privacy-conscious about advertising and tracking

Implications:

  • Retargeting campaigns will reach fewer users
  • Ad performance measurement becomes less accurate
  • Consider contextual advertising as an alternative
  • Focus on first-party data strategies

Important Reminder

The goal is not to maximize acceptance at all costs. The goal is to provide a transparent, user-friendly consent experience that respects privacy while maintaining compliance. Trust and transparency lead to better long-term relationships with your users.

Best Practices

  • Focus on informed consent rather than maximizing acceptance
  • Track month-over-month trends rather than absolute targets
  • Use metrics to identify and fix user experience issues
  • Compare your metrics against industry benchmarks
  • Respect user choices and build trust over time

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