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Understanding and Troubleshooting the Script Blocking Feature in Cookie Notice & Compliance

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

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The Script Blocking feature in the 'Cookie Notice & Compliance for GDPR / CCPA' plugin is a powerful tool for managing third-party tracking scripts, but it can also be a common source of confusion and technical issues. Based on community discussions, this article explains how the feature works and provides solutions to the most frequently reported problems.

What is the Script Blocking Feature For?

This feature is designed to hold non-functional, tracking-related scripts (like Google Analytics or Facebook Pixel) in a queue. These scripts are only executed after a user has given their consent to cookies. If a user rejects cookies, the scripts are never run, ensuring compliance with GDPR and CCPA regulations. It is not necessary to block scripts for essential, functional cookies.

Common Problems and Their Solutions

1. Scripts Not Firing After Acceptance

The Problem: You've added scripts to the blocking field, but they do not run, even after a user clicks "Accept."

Why It Happens: This is often caused by one of two settings:

  • Page Reload Setting: The plugin often requires a page reload to inject and execute the blocked scripts. If the "Reload page after cookies are accepted" option is disabled, the scripts may not run until the user navigates to a new page.
  • Caching Plugins: Aggressive caching mechanisms (e.g., in WP Rocket) can serve a previously cached version of the page that does not contain the newly injected scripts, even after a reload.

The Solution:

  • Enable the "Reload page after cookies are accepted" option in the plugin's settings.
  • If you use a caching plugin, configure it to exclude the page cache from being served until after consent is given, or implement a custom cache bypass solution. You may need to consult your caching plugin's documentation for specifics on cookie consent compatibility.

2. Slashes (') Added Before Apostrophes in Code

The Problem: When saving a script, backslashes () are automatically added before apostrophes ('), corrupting the code. Each subsequent save adds more slashes.

Why It Happens: This is typically caused by a WordPress security feature called magic quotes, which automatically escapes quotation marks in data. While largely deprecated, it can still cause issues in some environments.

The Solution: Avoid typing or pasting code directly into the textarea if this occurs. Instead, use a code snippet plugin or add the scripts directly to your theme's files using the conditional function cn_cookies_accepted() to check for consent before executing them.

3. "Page Not Found" Error on Save

The Problem: Clicking the save button results in a "Page Not Found" error.

Why It Happens: This appears to be a rare conflict within a specific WordPress installation environment, not a universal bug with the plugin itself.

The Solution: Troubleshoot your WordPress installation. This can involve checking for conflicts with other plugins, switching to a default theme (like Twenty Twenty-One), or ensuring your WordPress address and site URL are configured correctly in Settings > General.

4. Scripts Not Output in Page Source

The Problem: Text appears in the source code, but the HTML <script> tags and their content are missing.

Why It Happens: This is almost always caused by another plugin or theme feature that is optimizing the page's HTML by removing or compressing scripts.

The Solution: Identify and disable any HTML compression, minification, or script optimization settings in your other plugins (e.g., caching, performance, or SEO plugins) to see if that resolves the issue.

Best Practices for Using Script Blocking

  • Do Not Include <script> Tags: Some users report that wrapping code in <script> tags can cause issues. Try adding the raw JavaScript code without the surrounding tags.
  • Identify the Right Scripts: Only scripts that set non-essential, tracking cookies need to be blocked. You can often find these scripts in your theme's header.php or footer.php files, or within the settings of other plugins (e.g., where you pasted your Google Analytics ID). Browser developer tools (Network tab) can also help identify which scripts are loading on your site.
  • For Conditional Scripts: The script blocking field applies the same code across your entire site. If you need to run a script only on specific pages, you cannot use this field directly. A developer would need to implement a custom solution using the plugin's PHP functions to check for both consent and the specific page condition.

If problems persist after trying these steps, the 'Cookie Notice & Compliance for GDPR / CCPA' team suggests ensuring your plugin is updated to the latest version and seeking help from the wider WordPress community, as many issues are specific to individual site configurations.

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