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Understanding and Troubleshooting Cookie Expiration in Cookie Notice & Compliance for GDPR / CCPA

16 threads Sep 10, 2025 Plugin → Cookie notice & compliance for gdpr / ccpa

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Configuring the cookie expiration time is a fundamental part of setting up the Cookie Notice & Compliance for GDPR / CCPA plugin. This guide explains how it works, common issues users face, and the solutions available.

What is the Cookie Expiration Setting?

The 'Cookie expiration' option in the plugin settings controls how long the user's consent is remembered. After a user clicks the accept button, the cookie_notice_accepted cookie is set. The plugin will not show the banner again until this cookie expires.

Common Issues and Solutions

1. The "Infinity" Setting Doesn't Work

The Problem: Users report that selecting "infinity" for cookie expiry results in the cookie notice reappearing every browser session. The cookie is not persisted permanently as expected.

Why It Happens: This was a confirmed bug in the plugin where the value used for an infinite expiration (31337313373) was not compatible with all browsers, particularly Chromium-based ones like Chrome. The browser would reject the date and default to a session-length cookie.

The Solution: The development team at dfactory has addressed this bug in a plugin update. If you are experiencing this issue, ensure your plugin is updated to the latest version.

2. Needing a "Session" Expiration Option

The Problem: Several users have requested the ability to set the cookie to expire at the end of the browser session instead of after a fixed time like one month or one year.

The Status: Historically, this was not a built-in option. However, based on user feedback, there are indications that a very short expiration period (like one hour) may be added to approximate a session-length cookie. For a true session cookie, custom code would be required, as this is not a standard plugin feature.

3. Safari and Browser Privacy Restrictions (ITP)

The Problem: Even with a long expiration time set, users on Safari may see the banner reappear after just 7 days.

Why It Happens: This is not a bug in the plugin but a result of browser-level privacy policies. Safari's Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP) 2.1 caps the expiration of first-party cookies set via document.cookie to a maximum of 7 days, regardless of the plugin's setting.

The Solution: This is a limitation imposed by the browser for privacy reasons. There is no fix from the plugin side, as it is intended behavior by Apple. Website administrators should be aware that consent durations may be shorter for Safari users.

Best Practices and Legal Considerations

A common question is how long a consent cookie should last. While the plugin offers flexibility, official guidance often suggests that consent should be renewed periodically. As mentioned in the support forums, some interpretations of EU regulations recommend that consent should not be considered valid for longer than one year. The choice ultimately depends on your legal interpretation and the specific regulations applicable to your region (e.g., Belgium, France). The "infinity" setting is generally not advised for compliance reasons.

Conclusion

Most cookie expiration issues, particularly with the "infinity" setting, are resolved by updating the plugin to its latest version. For other scenarios, like browser-imposed limits, understanding the cause is key to managing expectations. Always check for recent plugin updates first when troubleshooting.

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