=== ReadyStack Pre Consent Cookie Audit 2026 ===
Contributors: readystack
Tags: consent, cookie, audit, compliance
Requires at least: 6.0
Tested up to: 7.1
Requires PHP: 7.4
Stable tag: 1.0.0
License: GPLv2 or later
License URI: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html

Open a client site, count what fires before the visitor clicks anything, and see the fine ceiling that country actually applies.

== Description ==

Open a client site, count what fires before the visitor clicks anything, and see the fine ceiling that country actually applies.

= What it does =

You open a client website, look at what loads before the visitor clicks anything, and type the counts into the form. It returns the number of sanctioned violations present, how far the longest cookie runs past the 13-month cap, how many days the stored consent is past the 6-month re-ask, and the share of that country's fine ceiling you are exposed to.

= Who it is for =

Web agencies, freelance developers and in-house marketers looking after sites with visitors in France, Spain or Italy. It is aimed at the person who has to tell a client why their cookie banner is a problem and put a number on it, not at a lawyer drafting an opinion.

= What it checks =

* **Pre-consent tracker count** - You enter what fires before the visitor clicks anything. Setting trackers before consent is the violation French, Spanish and Italian regulators sanction most often.
* **13-month cap and 6-month re-ask** - Measures the longest cookie lifetime you found against the 13-month cap, and the age of the stored consent against the 6-month re-ask window, in days.
* **Per-country fine ceiling** - The ceiling changes with the country: France EUR 20,000 (CNIL simplified procedure), Spain EUR 150,000 (LSSI article 39, per infringement), Italy EUR 300,000 (Garante, Ediscom decision, February 2023).

= How to use it =

1. Install and activate the plugin.
2. Edit the page or post where you want the tool and add the shortcode `[readystack_pre_consent_cookie_audit_2026]`. In the block editor, use a Shortcode block.
3. Open the page and fill in the fields. The results table updates as you type.

= What you can do with the results =

Copy the results table into a client report, a ticket or an email. Change one input at a time to show what a fix changes before anyone touches the live site, and keep the table as a dated record of the check.

= Privacy =

The tool runs in the browser of whoever opens the page. The plugin makes no external requests, sets no cookies, adds no tracking and stores nothing in your database. It has no settings screen.

= Source code =

The JavaScript and CSS files in the plugin's assets folder are the complete, human-readable source. There is no build step: nothing is compiled, bundled or minified, so what you read is what runs.

= Sources =

CNIL cookie recommendation: cookie lifetime 13 months, consent re-asked every 6 months, simplified-procedure cap EUR 20,000, and 23 cookie sanctions issued since January 2026 at an average of EUR 5,815. Spain: LSSI article 39. Italy: Garante decision on Ediscom, February 2023.

= Free and paid =

Every calculation is free, for all three countries, with no key and no limit: violations present, cookie overrun, days past the consent window, ceiling and exposure. The paid version adds two things on a different axis: a dated .csv row per client site that you keep and hand over, and a browser reminder 90 days after the audit date you typed. Full version: https://getreadystack.com/tools/pre-consent-cookie-audit-2026?ref=wporg

== Installation ==

1. Upload the plugin folder to `/wp-content/plugins/`, or install it from the Plugins screen.
2. Activate it through the Plugins screen in WordPress.
3. Add the shortcode `[readystack_pre_consent_cookie_audit_2026]` to the page where you want the tool.

== Frequently Asked Questions ==

= Why will a free tool or a chatbot not do this? =

A chatbot cannot open your client's live page, so it cannot see which trackers fire before the click. And it gets the ceilings wrong: they differ by country. France applies a EUR 20,000 simplified-procedure cap, Spain a EUR 150,000 LSSI cap per infringement, Italy has gone to EUR 300,000. Free banner scanners report cookies but never price them.

= What would this cost if a person did it? =

A privacy consultant's per-site assessment for a small business runs about EUR 688 to EUR 2,236, and a voluntary GDPR audit by a consultancy runs $5,000 to $25,000. For context, the CNIL has issued 23 cookie sanctions since January 2026 through its simplified procedure, averaging EUR 5,815 each.

= Does the plugin send data anywhere? =

No. Everything is worked out in the browser and nothing leaves the page.

= Do I need an account or an API key? =

No. The free tool is self-contained.

== Changelog ==

= 1.0.0 =
* First release.
