Why cookie banners cause problems
Consent tools often ship as third-party scripts. They inject UI late. They trap focus. They shift the page. They add weight.
Users experience this as interference. It harms trust and harms completion of key journeys.
What a cookie banner must do
Your consent UI should be simple. It should be clear. It should not block people from using the site.
- Present clear choices. Accept, reject, manage.
- Explain what changes when consent is given.
- Respect the choice and store it reliably.
- Allow users to change their mind later.
Common UX failures
- The banner covers content with no clear route forward.
- Users cannot reject without digging through settings.
- The banner appears repeatedly even after a choice.
- The content or layout shifts when the banner loads.
- The banner competes with your main call to action.
Accessibility requirements
Keyboard access
- All controls are reachable with Tab.
- Focus is visible on every control.
- You can dismiss or complete the banner without a mouse.
- If you open settings, you can close settings and return to the page without losing your place.
Focus management
When consent UI behaves like a modal, it needs modal behaviour. When it behaves like a notice, it should not steal focus.
- If the banner blocks interaction with the page, treat it as a modal. Move focus into it and keep focus inside it.
- If the banner does not block the page, do not steal focus on load.
- When a user makes a choice, do not drop focus into nowhere. Return focus to a sensible place.
Clear labels
- Buttons have clear text. Accept all, reject all, manage settings.
- Settings controls are labelled clearly and grouped logically.
- No vague language such as personalised experience without detail.
Prevent layout shift
Layout shift harms reading and causes misclicks. It also harms trust. Consent UI is a common cause because it loads late.
- Reserve space if the banner sits within the flow of the page.
- If the banner overlays content, ensure it does not push the page down after render.
- Avoid injecting large fonts or styles that change layout after load.
Keep performance under control
The best consent setup blocks non-essential scripts until the user chooses. This protects performance and supports privacy.
- Load analytics and marketing scripts only after consent.
- Avoid heavy consent tools on small sites unless you need them.
- Audit third-party scripts quarterly. Remove low value tags.
- Avoid running dozens of trackers that you do not use.
What to check on your own site
- Open the site in a private window. The banner appears once and behaves predictably.
- Use keyboard only. You can complete the banner and continue.
- Zoom to 200%. The banner remains usable.
- Reload after choosing reject. Non-essential scripts remain blocked.
- Find the change settings link later. It works.
A simple approach for small sites
If your site uses minimal tracking, keep the consent UI simple and lightweight.
- Decide what you truly need. Analytics, then nothing else.
- Block non-essential scripts until consent.
- Keep the banner readable and calm.
- Keep a permanent link to change consent in the footer.
Next step
Test your consent UI like a user. Keyboard only, mobile, 200% zoom. Then measure the performance impact. If the banner shifts layout or adds heavy script cost, fix that first.