Trackers fire before consent
Short answer: Analytics or advertising scripts load, or set cookies, the moment a visitor lands — before they have said yes.
Can my website load Google Analytics or Meta Pixel before the visitor consents?
In the EU and UK, non-essential cookies and trackers need prior consent. Loading them first is the most common reason regulators fine cookie banners, and it is trivial for them to prove from a browser.
How to fix it
- Block analytics and ad tags until consent is given — use your consent tool’s auto-blocking, or Google Consent Mode v2 with default “denied”.
- In Google Tag Manager, fire marketing tags on a consent trigger instead of “All Pages”.
- Move hard-coded pixels (Meta, TikTok, LinkedIn) into the consent-gated tag manager.
- Re-scan to confirm nothing loads before the banner is answered.
How untick detects it
untick loads your pages in a fresh browser with no cookies and an EU locale, records network requests and cookies, inspects the consent banner and forms, and interacts with them the way a visitor would. When this issue is found, the report includes screenshots with the element highlighted, the evidence, and a fix tailored to your setup.