How to implement granular cookie categories?

Granular cookie categories should reflect different purposes so users can accept one type of processing without automatically accepting unrelated purposes.

Common categories may include:

• Strictly necessary

• Preferences

• Analytics

• Advertising or marketing

• Personalization

The exact categories should reflect the technologies and purposes actually used on the website.

A practical implementation involves:

• Identify technologies: Inventory cookies, pixels, scripts, SDKs, and third-party services.

• Define purposes: Group technologies according to their actual purposes.

• Set default states: Keep consent-dependent technologies disabled until the user makes a choice.

• Explain each category: Clearly describe what each category does and, where relevant, which third parties are involved.

• Connect scripts to choices: Ensure technologies only activate when the corresponding choice permits them.

• Store preferences: Record the selected choices and relevant configuration details.

• Allow changes: Provide a preference center where users can update or withdraw their choices.

Granularity should give users meaningful control without combining unrelated purposes into a single choice. At the same time, categories should remain clear enough that users can understand what they are selecting.

The ICO’s consent guidance states that consent mechanisms should generally provide granular options for different purposes where consent is required.