MediumChecked on every planEU · US
“Reject” is harder to see than “Accept”
Can the reject button on a cookie banner be smaller or greyed out?
It shouldn’t be. A small grey “Reject” next to a big coloured “Accept” pushes people to accept. EU and California rules treat this as a dark pattern. Give both buttons the same size, weight and contrast.
19%of 168 European shops did this (32)
No. 2most common medium problem in the study
Why it matters
Visual nudging toward “Accept” is a recognised deceptive design pattern and weakens the validity of the consent you collect.
How to fix it
- Style accept and reject identically: same component, size and contrast.
- Avoid pre-focusing or animating only the accept button.
Steps for OneTrust
- Open Cookie Consent, then Setup, then Templates, and edit your banner.
- Turn on “Show Reject All Button”.
- Use Button layout to put it next to Accept, and give it the same look.
- Republish the script.
Steps for Cookiebot
- In Cookiebot Admin, open the Dialog tab.
- Pick the “Multilevel” type and the “Reject all / Selection / Allow all” option.
- Give Reject the same size and contrast as Allow all.
Steps for Usercentrics
- In the Usercentrics admin, open Appearance.
- On the first layer, keep the “Deny All” button on.
- Give it the same style as “Accept All”.
Steps for Didomi
- In the Didomi Console, open Consent notices and edit your notice.
- Show the Disagree button as a main button, next to Agree.
- If you cannot see that setting, use the code below.
Steps for CookieYes
- Open Content, then Cookie Notice, and turn on the “Reject All” button.
- Open Colours, then Customise colours, then Cookie Notice. Give Reject All the same colours as Accept All.
- Save and publish.