After three years of conception and development, Borlabs Cookie 3.0 (Beta) is here! On board are the long-awaited scanner, geo-restriction, IAB TCF 2.2 support, (almost) automatic setup, integrated library, and much more. We have summarized all information about the release as well as important notes in this blog article.
Why is Borlabs Cookie 3.0 called beta, and how "beta" is it?
At the time of release, Borlabs Cookie 3.0 is only available in English and German. The complete documentation of Borlabs Cookie is stored inside the plugin. Entries in the knowledge base on our website will only be available in exceptional cases.
The other languages French, Italian, Dutch, Polish, and Spanish will follow by January 2024, after which the name Beta will be removed from Borlabs Cookie 3.0.
As Borlabs Cookie 3.0 is a completely new development that is much more extensive and complex than Borlabs Cookie 2.0, we cannot rule out the possibility of bugs at this stage. In addition, two planned features in the area of multilingual support and customization of the design of the dialog (formerly known as the Cookie Box) are still missing and will be delivered in the coming weeks.
The handling of multilingualism has already been significantly improved compared to Borlabs Cookie 2.0. If errors occur and are reported to us, an update can be expected within 24 hours, in exceptional cases within 48 hours.
Is Borlabs Cookie 3.0 displayed as an update?
No. Since the code base of Borlabs Cookie 3.0 has been completely rewritten, it is not technically possible to offer an update from 2.x to 3.0 through the WordPress update routine. In addition, the data structure has changed significantly. Even if a direct update were technically possible, it would make little sense because the old system does not contain all the data required by the new system. This is not a major issue, as the setup of Borlabs Cookie 3.0 is handled almost automatically by our Scanner. If not, please open a support ticket.
Do I need to switch to Borlabs Cookie 3.0 now?
If you generate revenue from advertising on your website, for example through Google AdSense, or if you are already using Borlabs Cookie 2.3.0.x with TCF 2.1 integration, you must migrate to Borlabs Cookie 3.0. From November 20 onwards, all TC Strings must comply with the TCF 2.2 standard. Otherwise, recorded consent, for example for personalized advertising, will be invalid and advertising revenue may be negatively affected.
If you do not display advertising on your website, you should upgrade to 3.0 if you plan to integrate a new service or plugin, as configuration is significantly easier with Borlabs Cookie 3.0 than with Borlabs Cookie 2.0. If you need assistance, please open a support ticket.
How do I update to Borlabs Cookie 3.0?
IMPORTANT: These steps must be followed!
Create a backup (e.g. via WP Staging https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-staging/, Pro: https://wp-staging.com/).WordPress » Plugins » Deactivate Borlabs Cookie 2.x.WordPress » Plugins » Delete Borlabs Cookie 2.x.WordPress » Plugins » Install » Upload plugin, select .zip file of Borlabs Cookie 3.0 and click Install now.WordPress » Plugins » Activate Borlabs Cookie 3.0.Click on Borlabs Cookie in the menu on the left and follow the 10 steps of our quick start.
IMPORTANT: These steps must be carried out in the specified order.
Is Borlabs Cookie 3.0 free?
As long as your license is active, Borlabs Cookie 3.0 is available to you.
Google AdSense and IAB TCF settings
After installing Borlabs Cookie 3.0, go to "Consent Management" → "IAB TCF" → "Settings" and enable "IAB TCF Status".
Make sure that under "Global Vendor List (GVL) Status" the message "Global Vendor List has been downloaded" is displayed.
Then go to "Consent Management" → "IAB TCF" → "Manage Vendors" and click the "Configure Vendors" button.
Under "Purposes", enable purposes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 as described in the Google documentation: https://support.google.com/adsense/answer/9461778?hl=en
Under "Features", enable 1, 2, and 3.
Under "Special Features", enable 1 and 2.
Finally, under "Special Purposes", enable 1 and 2.
Google will automatically detect the use of TCF after a short period of time.