Unofficial

Internal

Components

Cookie banner

Experimental

This component is currently experimental because more research is needed to validate it.

Allow users to accept or reject cookies which are not essential to making your service work.

HTML
React

<div
  class="govuk-cookie-banner"
  data-nosnippet="true"
  role="region"
  aria-label="Cookies on [name of service]"
>
  <div
    class="govuk-width-container govuk-cookie-banner__message"
  >
    <div class="govuk-grid-row">
      <div class="govuk-grid-column-two-thirds">
        <h2
          class="govuk-cookie-banner__heading govuk-heading-m"
        >
          Cookies on [name of service]
        </h2>
        <div class="govuk-cookie-banner__content">
          <p class="govuk-body">
            We use some essential cookies to make this
            service work.
          </p>
          <p class="govuk-body">
            We’d also like to use analytics cookies so
            we can understand how you use the service
            and make improvements.
          </p>
        </div>
      </div>
    </div>
    <div class="govuk-button-group">
      <button
        data-module="govuk-button"
        value="accept"
        name="cookies"
        class="govuk-button"
      >
        Accept analytics cookies
      </button>
      <button
        data-module="govuk-button"
        value="reject"
        name="cookies"
        class="govuk-button"
      >
        Reject analytics cookies
      </button>
      <a class="govuk-link" href="#">View cookies</a>
    </div>
  </div>
</div>

<CookieBanner
  aria-label="Cookies on [name of service]"
  messages={[
    {
      heading: "Cookies on [name of service]",
      content: (
        <Fragment>
          <p className="govuk-body">
            We use some essential cookies to make this
            service work.
          </p>
          <p className="govuk-body">
            We’d also like to use analytics cookies so
            we can understand how you use the service
            and make improvements.
          </p>
        </Fragment>
      ),
      actions: (
        <Fragment>
          <Button value="accept" name="cookies">
            Accept analytics cookies
          </Button>
          <Button value="reject" name="cookies">
            Reject analytics cookies
          </Button>
          <A href="#">View cookies</A>
        </Fragment>
      ),
    },
  ]}
/>

Props

Name	Type	Description
id	string	'id' attribute to place on the base HTML element
classBlock	string	Block name override in BEM style classes applied to all elements
classModifiers	other	BEM style modifiers to apply to the base HTML element
className	string	Extra classes to apply to the base HTML element
defaultChecked	boolean
defaultValue	other
suppressContentEditableWarning	boolean
suppressHydrationWarning	boolean
accessKey	string
autoFocus	boolean
contentEditable	other
contextMenu	string
dir	string
draggable	other
hidden	boolean
lang	string
nonce	string
placeholder	string
slot	string
spellCheck	other
style	other
tabIndex	number
title	string
translate	enum
radioGroup	string
role	other
about	string
content	string
datatype	string
inlist	other
prefix	string
property	string
rel	string
resource	string
rev	string
typeof	string
vocab	string
autoCapitalize	string
autoCorrect	string
autoSave	string
color	string
itemProp	string
itemScope	boolean
itemType	string
itemID	string
itemRef	string
results	number
security	string
unselectable	enum
inputMode	enum	Hints at the type of data that might be entered by the user while editing the element or its contents
is	string	Specify that a standard HTML element should behave like a defined custom built-in element
aria-activedescendant	string	Identifies the currently active element when DOM focus is on a composite widget, textbox, group, or application.
aria-atomic	other	Indicates whether assistive technologies will present all, or only parts of, the changed region based on the change notifications defined by the aria-relevant attribute.
aria-autocomplete	enum	Indicates whether inputting text could trigger display of one or more predictions of the user's intended value for an input and specifies how predictions would be presented if they are made.
aria-busy	other	Indicates an element is being modified and that assistive technologies MAY want to wait until the modifications are complete before exposing them to the user.
aria-checked	other	Indicates the current "checked" state of checkboxes, radio buttons, and other widgets.
aria-colcount	number	Defines the total number of columns in a table, grid, or treegrid.
aria-colindex	number	Defines an element's column index or position with respect to the total number of columns within a table, grid, or treegrid.
aria-colspan	number	Defines the number of columns spanned by a cell or gridcell within a table, grid, or treegrid.
aria-controls	string	Identifies the element (or elements) whose contents or presence are controlled by the current element.
aria-current	other	Indicates the element that represents the current item within a container or set of related elements.
aria-describedby	string	Identifies the element (or elements) that describes the object.
aria-details	string	Identifies the element that provides a detailed, extended description for the object.
aria-disabled	other	Indicates that the element is perceivable but disabled, so it is not editable or otherwise operable.
aria-dropeffect	enum	Indicates what functions can be performed when a dragged object is released on the drop target.
aria-errormessage	string	Identifies the element that provides an error message for the object.
aria-expanded	other	Indicates whether the element, or another grouping element it controls, is currently expanded or collapsed.
aria-flowto	string	Identifies the next element (or elements) in an alternate reading order of content which, at the user's discretion, allows assistive technology to override the general default of reading in document source order.
aria-grabbed	other	Indicates an element's "grabbed" state in a drag-and-drop operation.
aria-haspopup	other	Indicates the availability and type of interactive popup element, such as menu or dialog, that can be triggered by an element.
aria-hidden	other	Indicates whether the element is exposed to an accessibility API.
aria-invalid	other	Indicates the entered value does not conform to the format expected by the application.
aria-keyshortcuts	string	Indicates keyboard shortcuts that an author has implemented to activate or give focus to an element.
aria-label	string	Defines a string value that labels the current element.
aria-labelledby	string	Identifies the element (or elements) that labels the current element.
aria-level	number	Defines the hierarchical level of an element within a structure.
aria-live	enum	Indicates that an element will be updated, and describes the types of updates the user agents, assistive technologies, and user can expect from the live region.
aria-modal	other	Indicates whether an element is modal when displayed.
aria-multiline	other	Indicates whether a text box accepts multiple lines of input or only a single line.
aria-multiselectable	other	Indicates that the user may select more than one item from the current selectable descendants.
aria-orientation	enum	Indicates whether the element's orientation is horizontal, vertical, or unknown/ambiguous.
aria-owns	string	Identifies an element (or elements) in order to define a visual, functional, or contextual parent/child relationship between DOM elements where the DOM hierarchy cannot be used to represent the relationship.
aria-placeholder	string	Defines a short hint (a word or short phrase) intended to aid the user with data entry when the control has no value. A hint could be a sample value or a brief description of the expected format.
aria-posinset	number	Defines an element's number or position in the current set of listitems or treeitems. Not required if all elements in the set are present in the DOM.
aria-pressed	other	Indicates the current "pressed" state of toggle buttons.
aria-readonly	other	Indicates that the element is not editable, but is otherwise operable.
aria-relevant	enum	Indicates what notifications the user agent will trigger when the accessibility tree within a live region is modified.
aria-required	other	Indicates that user input is required on the element before a form may be submitted.
aria-roledescription	string	Defines a human-readable, author-localized description for the role of an element.
aria-rowcount	number	Defines the total number of rows in a table, grid, or treegrid.
aria-rowindex	number	Defines an element's row index or position with respect to the total number of rows within a table, grid, or treegrid.
aria-rowspan	number	Defines the number of rows spanned by a cell or gridcell within a table, grid, or treegrid.
aria-selected	other	Indicates the current "selected" state of various widgets.
aria-setsize	number	Defines the number of items in the current set of listitems or treeitems. Not required if all elements in the set are present in the DOM.
aria-sort	enum	Indicates if items in a table or grid are sorted in ascending or descending order.
aria-valuemax	number	Defines the maximum allowed value for a range widget.
aria-valuemin	number	Defines the minimum allowed value for a range widget.
aria-valuenow	number	Defines the current value for a range widget.
aria-valuetext	string	Defines the human readable text alternative of aria-valuenow for a range widget.
dangerouslySetInnerHTML	other
onCopy	other
onCopyCapture	other
onCut	other
onCutCapture	other
onPaste	other
onPasteCapture	other
onCompositionEnd	other
onCompositionEndCapture	other
onCompositionStart	other
onCompositionStartCapture	other
onCompositionUpdate	other
onCompositionUpdateCapture	other
onFocus	other
onFocusCapture	other
onBlur	other
onBlurCapture	other
onChange	other
onChangeCapture	other
onBeforeInput	other
onBeforeInputCapture	other
onInput	other
onInputCapture	other
onReset	other
onResetCapture	other
onSubmit	other
onSubmitCapture	other
onInvalid	other
onInvalidCapture	other
onLoad	other
onLoadCapture	other
onError	other
onErrorCapture	other
onKeyDown	other
onKeyDownCapture	other
onKeyPress	other
onKeyPressCapture	other
onKeyUp	other
onKeyUpCapture	other
onAbort	other
onAbortCapture	other
onCanPlay	other
onCanPlayCapture	other
onCanPlayThrough	other
onCanPlayThroughCapture	other
onDurationChange	other
onDurationChangeCapture	other
onEmptied	other
onEmptiedCapture	other
onEncrypted	other
onEncryptedCapture	other
onEnded	other
onEndedCapture	other
onLoadedData	other
onLoadedDataCapture	other
onLoadedMetadata	other
onLoadedMetadataCapture	other
onLoadStart	other
onLoadStartCapture	other
onPause	other
onPauseCapture	other
onPlay	other
onPlayCapture	other
onPlaying	other
onPlayingCapture	other
onProgress	other
onProgressCapture	other
onRateChange	other
onRateChangeCapture	other
onSeeked	other
onSeekedCapture	other
onSeeking	other
onSeekingCapture	other
onStalled	other
onStalledCapture	other
onSuspend	other
onSuspendCapture	other
onTimeUpdate	other
onTimeUpdateCapture	other
onVolumeChange	other
onVolumeChangeCapture	other
onWaiting	other
onWaitingCapture	other
onAuxClick	other
onAuxClickCapture	other
onClick	other
onClickCapture	other
onContextMenu	other
onContextMenuCapture	other
onDoubleClick	other
onDoubleClickCapture	other
onDrag	other
onDragCapture	other
onDragEnd	other
onDragEndCapture	other
onDragEnter	other
onDragEnterCapture	other
onDragExit	other
onDragExitCapture	other
onDragLeave	other
onDragLeaveCapture	other
onDragOver	other
onDragOverCapture	other
onDragStart	other
onDragStartCapture	other
onDrop	other
onDropCapture	other
onMouseDown	other
onMouseDownCapture	other
onMouseEnter	other
onMouseLeave	other
onMouseMove	other
onMouseMoveCapture	other
onMouseOut	other
onMouseOutCapture	other
onMouseOver	other
onMouseOverCapture	other
onMouseUp	other
onMouseUpCapture	other
onSelect	other
onSelectCapture	other
onTouchCancel	other
onTouchCancelCapture	other
onTouchEnd	other
onTouchEndCapture	other
onTouchMove	other
onTouchMoveCapture	other
onTouchStart	other
onTouchStartCapture	other
onPointerDown	other
onPointerDownCapture	other
onPointerMove	other
onPointerMoveCapture	other
onPointerUp	other
onPointerUpCapture	other
onPointerCancel	other
onPointerCancelCapture	other
onPointerEnter	other
onPointerEnterCapture	other
onPointerLeave	other
onPointerLeaveCapture	other
onPointerOver	other
onPointerOverCapture	other
onPointerOut	other
onPointerOutCapture	other
onGotPointerCapture	other
onGotPointerCaptureCapture	other
onLostPointerCapture	other
onLostPointerCaptureCapture	other
onScroll	other
onScrollCapture	other
onWheel	other
onWheelCapture	other
onAnimationStart	other
onAnimationStartCapture	other
onAnimationEnd	other
onAnimationEndCapture	other
onAnimationIteration	other
onAnimationIterationCapture	other
onTransitionEnd	other
onTransitionEndCapture	other
maxContentsWidth	number	Maximum width of the contents in px units (-1 for full width)
messages	other	List of messages to display

When to use this component

Use this component if your service sets any cookies on a user’s device.

Remember, you must:

tell users about the cookies your service sets on their device
let users accept or reject any cookies that are not essential to providing your service

The term ‘non-essential cookies’ includes:

HTML5 local storage
service workers
any other technologies that store files on the user’s device

This cookie banner and the cookies page pattern are based on the approach to getting cookie consent used on the GOV.UK website.

This component page shows several options for using a cookie banner, based on the types of cookies you’re using in the service. We also tell you what to cover in your cookie banner, with some text examples.

Before you start

Audit and categorise your cookies as shown in the cookies page pattern to help you choose the best option for your service.

You must not take the information on this page as legal advice. Your organisation is responsible and accountable for what they do to comply with data protection legislation, such as:

Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR)
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

Check with your organisation’s privacy expert to see how data protection legislation affects your website and service.

How it works

Show the cookie banner every time the user accesses your service until they either:

accept or reject cookies using the buttons in the cookie banner
save their cookie preferences on the service’s cookies page

Once the user has accepted or rejected cookies, the cookie banner should:

hide the cookie banner message
show a confirmation message — and a ‘hide’ button to let the user close the banner
set a cookie to save the user’s preferences for 1 year

Make sure the cookie banner does not:

show when the user visits again, once their preferences have been saved
set any non-essential cookies unless the user accepted them on a previous visit

Position the cookie banner after the opening <body> tag and before the ’skip to main content‘ link.

Option 1: If you’re only using essential cookies

You can choose not to have a cookie banner if the service only sets essential or ‘strictly necessary’ cookies, as these do not need user consent.

However, you must tell users that you set essential cookies. You can do this with a cookies page — link to this page in the footer.

Option 2: If you set non-essential cookies on the server

You can choose this option if your service sets non-essential cookies on the server — your service may also set non-essential cookies on the client.

To get consent from the user, display the cookie banner inside a form that lets them submit their choice to accept or reject cookies.

All users will be able to see the banner as this approach does not rely on JavaScript.

Here’s an example of a cookie banner inside a form:

HTML
React

<form method="POST">
  <div
    class="govuk-cookie-banner"
    data-nosnippet="true"
    role="region"
    aria-label="Cookies on [name of service]"
  >
    <div
      class="govuk-width-container govuk-cookie-banner__message"
    >
      <div class="govuk-grid-row">
        <div class="govuk-grid-column-two-thirds">
          <h2
            class="govuk-cookie-banner__heading govuk-heading-m"
          >
            Cookies on [name of service]
          </h2>
          <div class="govuk-cookie-banner__content">
            <p class="govuk-body">
              We use some essential cookies to make
              this service work.
            </p>
            <p class="govuk-body">
              We’d also like to use analytics cookies
              so we can understand how you use the
              service and make improvements.
            </p>
          </div>
        </div>
      </div>
      <div class="govuk-button-group">
        <button
          data-module="govuk-button"
          value="accept"
          type="submit"
          name="cookies"
          class="govuk-button"
        >
          Accept analytics cookies
        </button>
        <button
          data-module="govuk-button"
          value="reject"
          type="submit"
          name="cookies"
          class="govuk-button"
        >
          Reject analytics cookies
        </button>
        <a class="govuk-link" href="#">
          View cookies
        </a>
      </div>
    </div>
  </div>
</form>

<form method="POST">
  <CookieBanner
    aria-label="Cookies on [name of service]"
    messages={[
      {
        heading: "Cookies on [name of service]",
        content: (
          <Fragment>
            <p className="govuk-body">
              We use some essential cookies to make
              this service work.
            </p>
            <p className="govuk-body">
              We’d also like to use analytics cookies
              so we can understand how you use the
              service and make improvements.
            </p>
          </Fragment>
        ),
        actions: (
          <Fragment>
            <Button
              value="accept"
              type="submit"
              name="cookies"
            >
              Accept analytics cookies
            </Button>
            <Button
              value="reject"
              type="submit"
              name="cookies"
            >
              Reject analytics cookies
            </Button>
            <A href="#">View cookies</A>
          </Fragment>
        ),
      },
    ]}
  />
</form>

Once the user has accepted or rejected cookies and set their cookie preferences, reload the page to show a confirmation message.

Here’s an example of a confirmation message inside a form:

HTML
React

<form method="POST">
  <div
    class="govuk-cookie-banner"
    data-nosnippet="true"
    role="region"
    aria-label="Cookies on [name of service]"
  >
    <div
      class="govuk-width-container govuk-cookie-banner__message"
    >
      <div class="govuk-grid-row">
        <div class="govuk-grid-column-two-thirds">
          <h2
            class="govuk-cookie-banner__heading govuk-heading-m"
          >
            Cookies on [name of service]
          </h2>
          <div class="govuk-cookie-banner__content">
            <p class="govuk-body">
              You’ve accepted additional cookies. You
              can
              <a class="govuk-link" href="#">
                change your cookie settings
              </a>
              at any time.
            </p>
          </div>
        </div>
      </div>
      <div class="govuk-button-group">
        <a
          data-module="govuk-button"
          draggable="false"
          role="button"
          class="govuk-button"
          href="#"
        >
          Hide this message
        </a>
      </div>
    </div>
  </div>
</form>

<form method="POST">
  <CookieBanner
    aria-label="Cookies on [name of service]"
    messages={[
      {
        heading: "Cookies on [name of service]",
        content: (
          <p className="govuk-body">
            You’ve accepted additional cookies. You
            can{" "}
            <a class="govuk-link" href="#">
              change your cookie settings
            </a>{" "}
            at any time.
          </p>
        ),
        actions: (
          <Button href="#">Hide this message</Button>
        ),
      },
    ]}
  />
</form>

Show the same message to all users

In the cookie banner, tell the user about all the cookies you’re using in the service — whether they’ve enabled JavaScript or not. This way, you will not need to ask the user to give their consent again on their next visit.

Help users keep their place using progressive enhancement

If the user is entering information into a form as part of the service, they might lose their place when they submit their choice to accept or reject cookies.

To help users running JavaScript on their device, you can write some JavaScript code to let them submit their choice and prevent the page from reloading.

Include all possible messages that the user could see in the cookie banner when the page loads. Hide these with the hidden HTML attribute where needed.

Here’s an example of a progressively enhanced cookie banner that includes all possible messages which are hidden using HTML — the cookie banner message is shown using JavaScript to remove the hidden attribute:

HTML
React

<form method="POST">
  <div
    class="govuk-cookie-banner"
    data-nosnippet="true"
    role="region"
    aria-label="Cookies on [name of service]"
  >
    <div
      class="govuk-width-container govuk-cookie-banner__message"
    >
      <div class="govuk-grid-row">
        <div class="govuk-grid-column-two-thirds">
          <h2
            class="govuk-cookie-banner__heading govuk-heading-m"
          >
            Cookies on [name of service]
          </h2>
          <div class="govuk-cookie-banner__content">
            <p class="govuk-body">
              We use some essential cookies to make
              this service work.
            </p>
            <p class="govuk-body">
              We’d also like to use analytics cookies
              so we can understand how you use the
              service and make improvements.
            </p>
          </div>
        </div>
      </div>
      <div class="govuk-button-group">
        <button
          data-module="govuk-button"
          value="accept"
          type="submit"
          name="cookies"
          class="govuk-button"
        >
          Accept analytics cookies
        </button>
        <button
          data-module="govuk-button"
          value="reject"
          type="submit"
          name="cookies"
          class="govuk-button"
        >
          Reject analytics cookies
        </button>
        <a class="govuk-link" href="#">
          View cookies
        </a>
      </div>
    </div>
    <div
      hidden=""
      class="govuk-width-container govuk-cookie-banner__message"
    >
      <div class="govuk-grid-row">
        <div class="govuk-grid-column-two-thirds">
          <div class="govuk-cookie-banner__content">
            <p class="govuk-body">
              You’ve accepted additional cookies. You
              can
              <a class="govuk-link" href="#">
                change your cookie settings
              </a>
              at any time.
            </p>
          </div>
        </div>
      </div>
      <div class="govuk-button-group">
        <a
          data-module="govuk-button"
          draggable="false"
          role="button"
          class="govuk-button"
          href="#"
        >
          Hide this message
        </a>
      </div>
    </div>
    <div
      hidden=""
      class="govuk-width-container govuk-cookie-banner__message"
    >
      <div class="govuk-grid-row">
        <div class="govuk-grid-column-two-thirds">
          <div class="govuk-cookie-banner__content">
            <p class="govuk-body">
              You’ve rejected additional cookies. You
              can
              <a class="govuk-link" href="#">
                change your cookie settings
              </a>
              at any time.
            </p>
          </div>
        </div>
      </div>
      <div class="govuk-button-group">
        <a
          data-module="govuk-button"
          draggable="false"
          role="button"
          class="govuk-button"
          href="#"
        >
          Hide this message
        </a>
      </div>
    </div>
  </div>
</form>

<form method="POST">
  <CookieBanner
    aria-label="Cookies on [name of service]"
    messages={[
      {
        heading: "Cookies on [name of service]",
        content: (
          <Fragment>
            <p className="govuk-body">
              We use some essential cookies to make
              this service work.
            </p>
            <p className="govuk-body">
              We’d also like to use analytics cookies
              so we can understand how you use the
              service and make improvements.
            </p>
          </Fragment>
        ),
        actions: (
          <Fragment>
            <Button
              value="accept"
              type="submit"
              name="cookies"
            >
              Accept analytics cookies
            </Button>
            <Button
              value="reject"
              type="submit"
              name="cookies"
            >
              Reject analytics cookies
            </Button>
            <A href="#">View cookies</A>
          </Fragment>
        ),
      },
      {
        content: (
          <p className="govuk-body">
            You’ve accepted additional cookies. You
            can{" "}
            <a class="govuk-link" href="#">
              change your cookie settings
            </a>{" "}
            at any time.
          </p>
        ),
        actions: (
          <Button href="#">Hide this message</Button>
        ),
        hidden: true,
      },
      {
        content: (
          <p className="govuk-body">
            You’ve rejected additional cookies. You
            can{" "}
            <a class="govuk-link" href="#">
              change your cookie settings
            </a>{" "}
            at any time.
          </p>
        ),
        actions: (
          <Button href="#">Hide this message</Button>
        ),
        hidden: true,
      },
    ]}
  />
</form>

Here’s the same example of a progressively enhanced cookie banner, with the confirmation message shown instead:

HTML
React

<form method="POST">
  <div
    class="govuk-cookie-banner"
    data-nosnippet="true"
    role="region"
    aria-label="Cookies on [name of service]"
  >
    <div
      hidden=""
      class="govuk-width-container govuk-cookie-banner__message"
    >
      <div class="govuk-grid-row">
        <div class="govuk-grid-column-two-thirds">
          <h2
            class="govuk-cookie-banner__heading govuk-heading-m"
          >
            Cookies on [name of service]
          </h2>
          <div class="govuk-cookie-banner__content">
            <p class="govuk-body">
              We use some essential cookies to make
              this service work.
            </p>
            <p class="govuk-body">
              We’d also like to use analytics cookies
              so we can understand how you use the
              service and make improvements.
            </p>
          </div>
        </div>
      </div>
      <div class="govuk-button-group">
        <button
          data-module="govuk-button"
          value="accept"
          type="submit"
          name="cookies"
          class="govuk-button"
        >
          Accept analytics cookies
        </button>
        <button
          data-module="govuk-button"
          value="reject"
          type="submit"
          name="cookies"
          class="govuk-button"
        >
          Reject analytics cookies
        </button>
        <a class="govuk-link" href="#">
          View cookies
        </a>
      </div>
    </div>
    <div
      class="govuk-width-container govuk-cookie-banner__message"
    >
      <div class="govuk-grid-row">
        <div class="govuk-grid-column-two-thirds">
          <div class="govuk-cookie-banner__content">
            <p class="govuk-body">
              You’ve accepted additional cookies. You
              can
              <a class="govuk-link" href="#">
                change your cookie settings
              </a>
              at any time.
            </p>
          </div>
        </div>
      </div>
      <div class="govuk-button-group">
        <a
          data-module="govuk-button"
          draggable="false"
          role="button"
          class="govuk-button"
          href="#"
        >
          Hide this message
        </a>
      </div>
    </div>
    <div
      hidden=""
      class="govuk-width-container govuk-cookie-banner__message"
    >
      <div class="govuk-grid-row">
        <div class="govuk-grid-column-two-thirds">
          <div class="govuk-cookie-banner__content">
            <p class="govuk-body">
              You’ve rejected additional cookies. You
              can
              <a class="govuk-link" href="#">
                change your cookie settings
              </a>
              at any time.
            </p>
          </div>
        </div>
      </div>
      <div class="govuk-button-group">
        <a
          data-module="govuk-button"
          draggable="false"
          role="button"
          class="govuk-button"
          href="#"
        >
          Hide this message
        </a>
      </div>
    </div>
  </div>
</form>

<form method="POST">
  <CookieBanner
    aria-label="Cookies on [name of service]"
    messages={[
      {
        heading: "Cookies on [name of service]",
        content: (
          <Fragment>
            <p className="govuk-body">
              We use some essential cookies to make
              this service work.
            </p>
            <p className="govuk-body">
              We’d also like to use analytics cookies
              so we can understand how you use the
              service and make improvements.
            </p>
          </Fragment>
        ),
        actions: (
          <Fragment>
            <Button
              value="accept"
              type="submit"
              name="cookies"
            >
              Accept analytics cookies
            </Button>
            <Button
              value="reject"
              type="submit"
              name="cookies"
            >
              Reject analytics cookies
            </Button>
            <A href="#">View cookies</A>
          </Fragment>
        ),
        hidden: true,
      },
      {
        content: (
          <p className="govuk-body">
            You’ve accepted additional cookies. You
            can{" "}
            <a class="govuk-link" href="#">
              change your cookie settings
            </a>{" "}
            at any time.
          </p>
        ),
        actions: (
          <Button href="#">Hide this message</Button>
        ),
      },
      {
        content: (
          <p className="govuk-body">
            You’ve rejected additional cookies. You
            can{" "}
            <a class="govuk-link" href="#">
              change your cookie settings
            </a>{" "}
            at any time.
          </p>
        ),
        actions: (
          <Button href="#">Hide this message</Button>
        ),
        hidden: true,
      },
    ]}
  />
</form>

Option 3: If you set non-essential cookies, but only on the client

You can choose to make your banner only work with JavaScript if your service only needs to set non-essential cookies on the client.

When the page loads, include all the cookie banner messages that the user might see, but hide these with the hidden HTML attribute.

Show the cookie banner only to users that have enabled JavaScript

Use JavaScript to show cookie banner messages to users that have not accepted or rejected cookies by removing the hidden attribute as needed.

Write your own JavaScript code so that when the user accepts or rejects cookies, the cookie banner will:

hide the cookie message by adding the hidden attribute
show a confirmation message by removing its hidden attribute
give the confirmation message the tabindex="-1" and role="alert" attributes — this will allow the element to be focused so assistive technology can read the message
shift focus to the confirmation message

Here’s an example:

HTML
React

<div
  class="govuk-cookie-banner"
  data-nosnippet="true"
  role="region"
  aria-label="Cookies on [name of service]"
>
  <div
    class="govuk-width-container govuk-cookie-banner__message"
  >
    <div class="govuk-grid-row">
      <div class="govuk-grid-column-two-thirds">
        <h2
          class="govuk-cookie-banner__heading govuk-heading-m"
        >
          Cookies on [name of service]
        </h2>
        <div class="govuk-cookie-banner__content">
          <p class="govuk-body">
            We use some essential cookies to make this
            service work.
          </p>
          <p class="govuk-body">
            We’d also like to use analytics cookies so
            we can understand how you use the service
            and make improvements.
          </p>
        </div>
      </div>
    </div>
    <div class="govuk-button-group">
      <button
        data-module="govuk-button"
        name="cookies"
        class="govuk-button"
      >
        Accept analytics cookies
      </button>
      <button
        data-module="govuk-button"
        name="cookies"
        class="govuk-button"
      >
        Reject analytics cookies
      </button>
      <a class="govuk-link" href="#">View cookies</a>
    </div>
  </div>
  <div
    hidden=""
    role="alert"
    class="govuk-width-container govuk-cookie-banner__message"
  >
    <div class="govuk-grid-row">
      <div class="govuk-grid-column-two-thirds">
        <div class="govuk-cookie-banner__content">
          <p class="govuk-body">
            You’ve accepted additional cookies. You
            can
            <a class="govuk-link" href="#">
              change your cookie settings
            </a>
            at any time.
          </p>
        </div>
      </div>
    </div>
    <div class="govuk-button-group">
      <a
        data-module="govuk-button"
        draggable="false"
        role="button"
        class="govuk-button"
        href="#"
      >
        Hide this message
      </a>
    </div>
  </div>
  <div
    hidden=""
    role="alert"
    class="govuk-width-container govuk-cookie-banner__message"
  >
    <div class="govuk-grid-row">
      <div class="govuk-grid-column-two-thirds">
        <div class="govuk-cookie-banner__content">
          <p class="govuk-body">
            You’ve rejected additional cookies. You
            can
            <a class="govuk-link" href="#">
              change your cookie settings
            </a>
            at any time.
          </p>
        </div>
      </div>
    </div>
    <div class="govuk-button-group">
      <a
        data-module="govuk-button"
        draggable="false"
        role="button"
        class="govuk-button"
        href="#"
      >
        Hide this message
      </a>
    </div>
  </div>
</div>

<CookieBanner
  aria-label="Cookies on [name of service]"
  messages={[
    {
      heading: "Cookies on [name of service]",
      content: (
        <Fragment>
          <p className="govuk-body">
            We use some essential cookies to make this
            service work.
          </p>
          <p className="govuk-body">
            We’d also like to use analytics cookies so
            we can understand how you use the service
            and make improvements.
          </p>
        </Fragment>
      ),
      actions: (
        <Fragment>
          <Button name="cookies">
            Accept analytics cookies
          </Button>
          <Button name="cookies">
            Reject analytics cookies
          </Button>
          <A href="#">View cookies</A>
        </Fragment>
      ),
    },
    {
      content: (
        <p className="govuk-body">
          You’ve accepted additional cookies. You can{" "}
          <a class="govuk-link" href="#">
            change your cookie settings
          </a>{" "}
          at any time.
        </p>
      ),
      actions: (
        <Button href="#">Hide this message</Button>
      ),
      hidden: true,
      role: "alert",
    },
    {
      content: (
        <p className="govuk-body">
          You’ve rejected additional cookies. You can{" "}
          <a class="govuk-link" href="#">
            change your cookie settings
          </a>{" "}
          at any time.
        </p>
      ),
      actions: (
        <Button href="#">Hide this message</Button>
      ),
      hidden: true,
      role: "alert",
    },
  ]}
/>

When the user has accepted cookies

Show a confirmation message confirming that the user has either accepted or rejected cookies by removing the hidden attribute.

HTML
React

<div
  class="govuk-cookie-banner"
  data-nosnippet="true"
  role="region"
  aria-label="Cookies on [name of service]"
>
  <div
    hidden=""
    class="govuk-width-container govuk-cookie-banner__message"
  >
    <div class="govuk-grid-row">
      <div class="govuk-grid-column-two-thirds">
        <h2
          class="govuk-cookie-banner__heading govuk-heading-m"
        >
          Cookies on [name of service]
        </h2>
        <div class="govuk-cookie-banner__content">
          <p class="govuk-body">
            We use some essential cookies to make this
            service work.
          </p>
          <p class="govuk-body">
            We’d also like to use analytics cookies so
            we can understand how you use the service
            and make improvements.
          </p>
        </div>
      </div>
    </div>
    <div class="govuk-button-group">
      <button
        data-module="govuk-button"
        name="cookies"
        class="govuk-button"
      >
        Accept analytics cookies
      </button>
      <button
        data-module="govuk-button"
        name="cookies"
        class="govuk-button"
      >
        Reject analytics cookies
      </button>
      <a class="govuk-link" href="#">View cookies</a>
    </div>
  </div>
  <div
    role="alert"
    class="govuk-width-container govuk-cookie-banner__message"
  >
    <div class="govuk-grid-row">
      <div class="govuk-grid-column-two-thirds">
        <div class="govuk-cookie-banner__content">
          <p class="govuk-body">
            You’ve accepted additional cookies. You
            can
            <a class="govuk-link" href="#">
              change your cookie settings
            </a>
            at any time.
          </p>
        </div>
      </div>
    </div>
    <div class="govuk-button-group">
      <a
        data-module="govuk-button"
        draggable="false"
        role="button"
        class="govuk-button"
        href="#"
      >
        Hide this message
      </a>
    </div>
  </div>
  <div
    hidden=""
    role="alert"
    class="govuk-width-container govuk-cookie-banner__message"
  >
    <div class="govuk-grid-row">
      <div class="govuk-grid-column-two-thirds">
        <div class="govuk-cookie-banner__content">
          <p class="govuk-body">
            You’ve rejected additional cookies. You
            can
            <a class="govuk-link" href="#">
              change your cookie settings
            </a>
            at any time.
          </p>
        </div>
      </div>
    </div>
    <div class="govuk-button-group">
      <a
        data-module="govuk-button"
        draggable="false"
        role="button"
        class="govuk-button"
        href="#"
      >
        Hide this message
      </a>
    </div>
  </div>
</div>

<CookieBanner
  aria-label="Cookies on [name of service]"
  messages={[
    {
      heading: "Cookies on [name of service]",
      content: (
        <Fragment>
          <p className="govuk-body">
            We use some essential cookies to make this
            service work.
          </p>
          <p className="govuk-body">
            We’d also like to use analytics cookies so
            we can understand how you use the service
            and make improvements.
          </p>
        </Fragment>
      ),
      actions: (
        <Fragment>
          <Button name="cookies">
            Accept analytics cookies
          </Button>
          <Button name="cookies">
            Reject analytics cookies
          </Button>
          <A href="#">View cookies</A>
        </Fragment>
      ),
      hidden: true,
    },
    {
      content: (
        <p className="govuk-body">
          You’ve accepted additional cookies. You can{" "}
          <a class="govuk-link" href="#">
            change your cookie settings
          </a>{" "}
          at any time.
        </p>
      ),
      actions: (
        <Button href="#">Hide this message</Button>
      ),
      role: "alert",
    },
    {
      content: (
        <p className="govuk-body">
          You’ve rejected additional cookies. You can{" "}
          <a class="govuk-link" href="#">
            change your cookie settings
          </a>{" "}
          at any time.
        </p>
      ),
      actions: (
        <Button href="#">Hide this message</Button>
      ),
      hidden: true,
      role: "alert",
    },
  ]}
/>

<div
  class="govuk-cookie-banner"
  data-nosnippet="true"
  role="region"
  aria-label="Cookies on [name of service]"
>
  <div
    hidden=""
    class="govuk-width-container govuk-cookie-banner__message"
  >
    <div class="govuk-grid-row">
      <div class="govuk-grid-column-two-thirds">
        <h2
          class="govuk-cookie-banner__heading govuk-heading-m"
        >
          Cookies on [name of service]
        </h2>
        <div class="govuk-cookie-banner__content">
          <p class="govuk-body">
            We use some essential cookies to make this
            service work.
          </p>
          <p class="govuk-body">
            We’d also like to use analytics cookies so
            we can understand how you use the service
            and make improvements.
          </p>
        </div>
      </div>
    </div>
    <div class="govuk-button-group">
      <button
        data-module="govuk-button"
        name="cookies"
        class="govuk-button"
      >
        Accept analytics cookies
      </button>
      <button
        data-module="govuk-button"
        name="cookies"
        class="govuk-button"
      >
        Reject analytics cookies
      </button>
      <a class="govuk-link" href="#">View cookies</a>
    </div>
  </div>
  <div
    hidden=""
    role="alert"
    class="govuk-width-container govuk-cookie-banner__message"
  >
    <div class="govuk-grid-row">
      <div class="govuk-grid-column-two-thirds">
        <div class="govuk-cookie-banner__content">
          <p class="govuk-body">
            You’ve accepted additional cookies. You
            can
            <a class="govuk-link" href="#">
              change your cookie settings
            </a>
            at any time.
          </p>
        </div>
      </div>
    </div>
    <div class="govuk-button-group">
      <a
        data-module="govuk-button"
        draggable="false"
        role="button"
        class="govuk-button"
        href="#"
      >
        Hide this message
      </a>
    </div>
  </div>
  <div
    role="alert"
    class="govuk-width-container govuk-cookie-banner__message"
  >
    <div class="govuk-grid-row">
      <div class="govuk-grid-column-two-thirds">
        <div class="govuk-cookie-banner__content">
          <p class="govuk-body">
            You’ve rejected additional cookies. You
            can
            <a class="govuk-link" href="#">
              change your cookie settings
            </a>
            at any time.
          </p>
        </div>
      </div>
    </div>
    <div class="govuk-button-group">
      <a
        data-module="govuk-button"
        draggable="false"
        role="button"
        class="govuk-button"
        href="#"
      >
        Hide this message
      </a>
    </div>
  </div>
</div>

<CookieBanner
  aria-label="Cookies on [name of service]"
  messages={[
    {
      heading: "Cookies on [name of service]",
      content: (
        <Fragment>
          <p className="govuk-body">
            We use some essential cookies to make this
            service work.
          </p>
          <p className="govuk-body">
            We’d also like to use analytics cookies so
            we can understand how you use the service
            and make improvements.
          </p>
        </Fragment>
      ),
      actions: (
        <Fragment>
          <Button name="cookies">
            Accept analytics cookies
          </Button>
          <Button name="cookies">
            Reject analytics cookies
          </Button>
          <A href="#">View cookies</A>
        </Fragment>
      ),
      hidden: true,
    },
    {
      content: (
        <p className="govuk-body">
          You’ve accepted additional cookies. You can{" "}
          <a class="govuk-link" href="#">
            change your cookie settings
          </a>{" "}
          at any time.
        </p>
      ),
      actions: (
        <Button href="#">Hide this message</Button>
      ),
      hidden: true,
      role: "alert",
    },
    {
      content: (
        <p className="govuk-body">
          You’ve rejected additional cookies. You can{" "}
          <a class="govuk-link" href="#">
            change your cookie settings
          </a>{" "}
          at any time.
        </p>
      ),
      actions: (
        <Button href="#">Hide this message</Button>
      ),
      role: "alert",
    },
  ]}
/>

What to cover in your cookie banner

Include the name of the service in the banner heading to help users understand that the cookies you’re talking about are different from the ones set by the main GOV.UK platform.

You’ll need to change the example cookie banner text if your service:

allows third parties to set cookies (tell the user that both your organisation and other organisations will be setting cookies)
uses cookies for reasons other than collecting analytics information or remembering the user’s settings

Keep the text as short as possible while making sure it’s an accurate description of how you use cookies. For example, if you use more than one ‘functional’ cookie and there’s not enough space to mention what each of them does, you could ask for permission to set cookies so ‘you can use as many of the service’s features as possible’.

See the cookies page for more advice on writing about cookies.

If you’re using essential cookies and analytics cookies

You can use this example text for a service which sets essential and analytics cookies. Analytics cookies are those set by your organisation to collect information about how people are using your digital service.

HTML
React

<div
  class="govuk-cookie-banner"
  data-nosnippet="true"
  role="region"
  aria-label="Cookies on [name of service]"
>
  <div
    class="govuk-width-container govuk-cookie-banner__message"
  >
    <div class="govuk-grid-row">
      <div class="govuk-grid-column-two-thirds">
        <h2
          class="govuk-cookie-banner__heading govuk-heading-m"
        >
          Cookies on [name of service]
        </h2>
        <div class="govuk-cookie-banner__content">
          <p class="govuk-body">
            We use some essential cookies to make this
            service work.
          </p>
          <p class="govuk-body">
            We’d also like to use analytics cookies so
            we can understand how you use the service
            and make improvements.
          </p>
        </div>
      </div>
    </div>
    <div class="govuk-button-group">
      <button
        data-module="govuk-button"
        value="accept"
        name="cookies"
        class="govuk-button"
      >
        Accept analytics cookies
      </button>
      <button
        data-module="govuk-button"
        value="reject"
        name="cookies"
        class="govuk-button"
      >
        Reject analytics cookies
      </button>
      <a class="govuk-link" href="#">View cookies</a>
    </div>
  </div>
</div>

<CookieBanner
  aria-label="Cookies on [name of service]"
  messages={[
    {
      heading: "Cookies on [name of service]",
      content: (
        <Fragment>
          <p className="govuk-body">
            We use some essential cookies to make this
            service work.
          </p>
          <p className="govuk-body">
            We’d also like to use analytics cookies so
            we can understand how you use the service
            and make improvements.
          </p>
        </Fragment>
      ),
      actions: (
        <Fragment>
          <Button value="accept" name="cookies">
            Accept analytics cookies
          </Button>
          <Button value="reject" name="cookies">
            Reject analytics cookies
          </Button>
          <A href="#">View cookies</A>
        </Fragment>
      ),
    },
  ]}
/>

If you’re using more than one type of non-essential cookie

You can use this example text for a service that set:

essential cookies
analytics cookies
functional cookies to remember the user’s settings but are not essential

HTML
React

<div
  class="govuk-cookie-banner"
  data-nosnippet="true"
  role="region"
  aria-label="Cookies on [name of service]"
>
  <div
    class="govuk-width-container govuk-cookie-banner__message"
  >
    <div class="govuk-grid-row">
      <div class="govuk-grid-column-two-thirds">
        <h2
          class="govuk-cookie-banner__heading govuk-heading-m"
        >
          Cookies on [name of service]
        </h2>
        <div class="govuk-cookie-banner__content">
          <p class="govuk-body">
            We use some essential cookies to make this
            service work.
          </p>
          <p class="govuk-body">
            We’d like to set additional cookies so we
            can remember your settings, understand how
            people use the service and make
            improvements.
          </p>
        </div>
      </div>
    </div>
    <div class="govuk-button-group">
      <button
        data-module="govuk-button"
        value="accept"
        name="cookies"
        class="govuk-button"
      >
        Accept additional cookies
      </button>
      <button
        data-module="govuk-button"
        value="reject"
        name="cookies"
        class="govuk-button"
      >
        Reject additional cookies
      </button>
      <a class="govuk-link" href="#">View cookies</a>
    </div>
  </div>
</div>

<CookieBanner
  aria-label="Cookies on [name of service]"
  messages={[
    {
      heading: "Cookies on [name of service]",
      content: (
        <Fragment>
          <p className="govuk-body">
            We use some essential cookies to make this
            service work.
          </p>
          <p className="govuk-body">
            We’d like to set additional cookies so we
            can remember your settings, understand how
            people use the service and make
            improvements.
          </p>
        </Fragment>
      ),
      actions: (
        <Fragment>
          <Button value="accept" name="cookies">
            Accept additional cookies
          </Button>
          <Button value="reject" name="cookies">
            Reject additional cookies
          </Button>
          <A href="#">View cookies</A>
        </Fragment>
      ),
    },
  ]}
/>

Creating a cookies page

You’ll need a cookies page as well as a cookie banner.

Research on this component

When the user accepts or rejects cookies, a confirmation message will display. For example, “Your cookie preferences have been saved.” The focus also shifts to this new message.

However, a visible focus indicator does not display around the confirmation message. This is different from the notification banner, which does display a visible focus indicator.

We decided to remove the visible focus indicator from the confirmation message for a few reasons, as:

a user cannot interact with it
it’s the first element, at the very top of the page
it displays in place of the cookie message, which is the last thing the user interacted with

In this scenario, we assume that a visible focus indicator would be more likely to confuse users than to help them. However, we need more research to prove this.