How Tracking Works: Cookieless & Consent-Based Modes

In this article

• Two tracking modes
• No code changes required
• What cookieless tracking means
• How consent affects your data

Privacy-First Website Analytics uses a privacy-first tracking approach that works in two modes depending on your Cookiebot CMP configuration. This article explains how data is collected in each mode and what that means for your analytics.

Two tracking modes

Once activated, Website Analytics automatically follows the consent state set by Cookiebot. There are two modes:

• Privacy mode (before consent / consent declined): Visitor data is collected in a fully anonymized, cookieless way. No cookies are set. No personal data is recorded. This allows you to capture traffic insights even for visitors who have not yet consented or who have declined.
• Full analytics mode (after consent given): Once a visitor accepts analytics cookies through the Cookiebot banner, full analytics become available — including session recordings, heatmaps, and detailed behavior data.

The switch between modes happens automatically. No additional configuration is needed.

No code changes required

Because Website Analytics is activated directly from Cookiebot Admin, the analytics script is injected through your existing Cookiebot script. You do not need to add any tracking code to your website manually.

What cookieless tracking means

Cookieless tracking collects aggregate visitor data — such as sessions, pageviews, and traffic sources — without placing any cookies on the visitor's browser. This means:

• Visitors are not individually identified or followed across sessions.
• No consent is required to collect cookieless data.
• The data is fully compliant with GDPR and other major privacy regulations when combined with the appropriate privacy mode settings.

How consent affects your data

Your analytics dashboard reflects the full picture — both the cookieless data captured before or without consent, and the richer behavioral data captured after consent. The dashboard includes a consent-aware view that shows how your consent acceptance rate affects your overall data visibility.