A cookie scanner (also called cookie checker or cookie auditor) is a tool that analyzes your website to identify all cookies and trackers installed on it. It categorizes these cookies (necessary, analytics, marketing) and shows their purpose, origin, and retention period.

GDPR requires website owners to obtain explicit consent from users before setting non-essential cookies. To comply, you first need to know which cookies are present on your site. A cookie audit is therefore the essential first step toward GDPR compliance.

Yes, FlowConsent's cookie scanner is 100% free. You can scan your site as many times as you want without providing a credit card. We believe access to compliance information should never be behind a paywall.

On average, our scanner analyzes your site in 1-2 minutes. The time may vary slightly depending on your site's size and number of pages, but you'll always have your report in under 5 minutes.

Our scanner detects all types of cookies: traditional HTTP cookies, LocalStorage, SessionStorage, IndexedDB, and even invisible trackers like tracking pixels. It also identifies third-party scripts (Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, etc.) that collect data about your visitors.

Once your scan is complete, you'll receive a detailed report showing your compliance level. If non-essential cookies are detected without a consent banner, you'll need to install a CMP (Consent Management Platform) like FlowConsent. We'll guide you through the next steps with personalized recommendations.

Yes, absolutely. Google Analytics sets analytics cookies that collect personal data (IP address, browsing behavior). According to GDPR and data protection authority case law, you must obtain explicit consent from your visitors BEFORE setting these cookies. A consent banner is therefore mandatory.

Our scanner works exactly like those from Cookiebot or Axeptio: automatic cookie detection, categorization, compliance report. The difference? We don't lock you into a sales funnel. Our scanner is genuinely free with no strings attached, and if you decide to become compliant, FlowConsent costs €0.00/month for 25.000 sessions, versus €30-45/month for premium competitors.

Yes, our scanner detects all cookies on your site, whether they come from your CMS, plugins, themes, or integrated third-party services. You'll often discover that your site sets far more cookies than you thought.

If your scan reveals compliance issues, you'll need a CMP to manage consents. FlowConsent offers transparent pricing: €0.00/month for 25,000 sessions (versus €30-45/month with Cookiebot, Axeptio, etc.). 10-minute installation, no Google Tag Manager required.

The scanner needs a publicly accessible URL to analyze your site. If your site is in local development or password-protected, you won't be able to scan it. However, you can scan a staging subdomain if it's accessible online.

Yes, the scanner analyzes the version of the site you specify. If your site exists in multiple languages, we recommend scanning the English version to get a report in English, but the detected cookies will be identical regardless of language.