- SEO Toolbox - Cookie Button Truth Analyzer

In many cases that "Decline" button is more cosmetic than functional:

Technically true:

Clicking "Decline" on some websites doesn't always stop cookies - it just hides the banner. Many sites are built so that only marketing or tracking cookies are toggled off (if even that), while essential or "necessary" cookies still load by default.

Ethically shady:

Some sites flat-out ignore the decline. They preload analytics or advertising scripts before you even interact with the banner, meaning your data's already been shared before you had the chance to opt out. The "Decline" button just gives the illusion of control.

What it should do (legally speaking):

In places covered by GDPR (like the EU or UK), clicking "Decline" should: Block all non-essential cookies (marketing, analytics, etc.). Only allow necessary cookies (like login sessions or cart functionality). If it doesn't, that's technically a violation of GDPR/PECR standards.

The reality:

Many "cookie consent" systems are poorly implemented - or intentionally designed to manipulate you into accepting. The most honest implementations use cookie management frameworks (like Cookiebot or OneTrust) that actually respect user choice.

So yes - true for a lot of websites: "Declining" is just a button, not a guarantee.

It is possible to use DEV console to test in real time what is going on when you click the 'Decline Button', by entering this snippet in to the Dev Console:

// Reveal what cookies exist after interacting with consent banners
console.log("=== Current cookies ===");
console.log(document.cookie.split("; ").join("\n") || "No cookies found.");

// List all localStorage + sessionStorage items (often used for tracking)
console.log("\n=== Local Storage ===");
for (let i = 0; i < localStorage.length; i++) {
console.log(localStorage.key(i) + " = " + localStorage.getItem(localStorage.key(i)));
}

console.log("\n=== Session Storage ===");
for (let i = 0; i < sessionStorage.length; i++) {
console.log(sessionStorage.key(i) + " = " + sessionStorage.getItem(sessionStorage.key(i)));
}

// Check for common 3rd-party trackers or analytics scripts
console.log("\n=== External tracking scripts loaded ===");
[...document.scripts].forEach(s => {
if (s.src.match(/google|analytics|tagmanager|facebook|doubleclick|adservice|quant|hotjar|bing|yahoo|tiktok|criteo|segment/i)) {
console.log("Possible tracker:", s.src);
}
});

How to use it:

Open the site where you want to test.

Open Developer Tools ? Console (usually F12 or Ctrl+Shift+I).

Paste the code and hit Enter.

Take note of what appears:

Run it before and after clicking "Decline" or "Accept."

If cookies or tracking scripts still show up after clicking Decline - you've got your answer.