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Troubleshooting Complianz Plugin Performance and Caching Conflicts

34 threads Sep 9, 2025 Plugin → Complianz – gdpr/ccpa cookie consent

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Many WordPress users rely on the 'Complianz – GDPR/CCPA Cookie Consent' plugin to manage cookie consent on their sites. However, a common theme across support forums involves performance issues and conflicts with caching plugins. This guide will help you identify and resolve these common problems.

Common Performance and Caching Issues

Based on community reports, the most frequent issues include:

  • Slowed-down admin dashboard (wp-admin) due to background processes.
  • High number of database queries from the plugin.
  • Conflicts with caching and optimization plugins like LiteSpeed Cache, WP Fastest Cache, and SiteGround Optimizer.
  • JavaScript errors that can affect Google PageSpeed Insights scores.
  • Problems with page caching for crawlers and visitors.

Why Do These Issues Happen?

The 'Complianz – GDPR/CCPA Cookie Consent' plugin performs several resource-intensive tasks to function correctly:

  • Cookie Scan: The plugin runs a scan to detect services and cookies on your site. This process can load many admin assets and perform numerous database queries, which is most noticeable on large sites with many pages.
  • Caching Plugin Conflicts: Many performance issues stem from conflicts with caching plugins that minify, combine, or delay JavaScript. The Complianz script must load in a specific way to function properly, and aggressive optimization can break it.
  • External Service Integration: How the plugin handles blocking third-party services (like Adobe Fonts or Google Tag Manager) can sometimes lead to unexpected behavior, such as additional HTTP requests or slow loading.

Step-by-Step Troubleshooting Guide

1. Address Admin Dashboard (WP-Admin) Slowness

If your WordPress backend is slow, it is likely due to the plugin's cookie scan.

Solution A: Let the Scan Complete
The scan is a temporary process. If your site is new or has recently added many pages, allow the scan to finish. The high number of database queries and admin requests should subside afterward.

Solution B: Disable the Automatic Scan
For large sites where a continuous scan is unnecessary, you can disable it. Add the following line to your site's wp-config.php file:

define('CMPLZ_DO_NOT_SCAN', true);

You can then run manual scans from the Complianz wizard when needed.

2. Resolve Caching and Optimization Plugin Conflicts

Conflicts with caching plugins are a leading cause of frontend issues, including broken banners, JavaScript errors, and caching problems for crawlers.

Solution A: Exclude Complianz Scripts from Optimization
A common fix is to add Complianz's core JavaScript file to your caching plugin's exclusion lists for deferral, delay, and combination. The typical path to exclude is:

complianz-gdpr/cookiebanner/js/complianz.min.js

Solution B: Disable Problematic Caching Features
As a test, try temporarily disabling features like JavaScript minification, combination, or delayed loading in your caching plugin. If the issue is resolved, you know one of these features is the culprit. You can then work on re-enabling them one by one with the proper exclusions in place.

Solution C: Clear All Caches
After making any changes to Complianz settings or adding exclusions, clear your browser cache, any server-level cache (like Cloudflare), and your WordPress caching plugin's cache before testing again.

3. Improve PageSpeed Insights Scores

It is normal for a consent banner to impact synthetic performance scores like Google Lighthouse, as the banner is a large, above-the-fold element. However, a dramatic drop often points to a deeper conflict.

Solution: Follow the steps above to resolve caching conflicts. Ensuring the Complianz script is not being deferred or delayed incorrectly is the most effective way to mitigate performance score impacts. The 'Complianz – GDPR/CCPA Cookie Consent' team has noted that these scores simulate a first-time visitor and will always capture the banner, which is part of its designed function.

4. Investigate Specific JavaScript Errors

Errors like ReferenceError: complianz is not defined almost always indicate that the script is being loaded asynchronously or deferred by another plugin or server rule when it shouldn't be.

Solution: Double-check that the script is fully excluded from all optimization processes in your caching plugin and on your server (e.g., in LiteSpeed Server settings or .htaccess rules).

Conclusion

Most performance and caching issues with the 'Complianz – GDPR/CCPA Cookie Consent' plugin can be traced back to conflicts with aggressive optimization settings. The solution typically involves adding the correct exclusions in your caching plugin or, for admin slowness, managing the cookie scan process. Always test changes on a staging site first and clear all caches thoroughly after each adjustment.

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