Enabling and managing your consent form
The instructions below are for desktops and laptops only.
You can configure separate consent forms for:
- European visitors (GDPR), and
- U.S. visitors in supported two-party consent states.
Visitors only see the consent form that applies to their location. They are never shown both forms.
Important: The Consent Form is a tool for collecting and recording consent. It does not guarantee compliance with privacy laws or regulations. If you're unsure about your legal obligations, consult your legal advisor.
Accessing your Consent Form settings
2. Click Administration in the left navigation bar.
3. Click Chat Widget in the left submenu.
4. Click Configure under Consent Form.
5. On the Configure consent pop-up, you’ll see two separate configuration tabs:
- For European visitors- For U.S. visitors
Each tab can be configured independently.
Configure the Consent Form for European visitors
1. Open the For European visitors tab.
2. Enable Consent Form.
3. Under Visitor targeting, choose who should see the form:
- EU & EEA visitors, or- All visitors
4. Customize:
- Consent message- Privacy policy URL and link text
- Accept button label
- Decline button label
5. Click Save at the lower right to save your changes.
If GDPR is configured for All visitors, U.S. visitors in supported two-party consent states will still see the U.S. consent form instead.
Configure the Consent Form for U.S. visitors
Enable U.S. consent
1. Click the For U.S. visitors tab.
2. Enable the Consent Form.
3. Choose which supported states should display the consent form.
- California
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Illinois
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Montana
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Washington
A counter displays how many of the 14 supported states are currently selected.
Note: California and Florida are marked as High risk. Removing either state requires confirmation. Disabling the entire U.S. consent form also requires confirmation.
You can create different consent messages for individual states.
1. Under Visitor consent form, click the Editing form for dropdown, and choose a state or Default/Unknown state.
2. Edit:
- Consent message- Privacy Policy URL and link text
- Accept button label
- Decline button label
3. Click Save at the lower right to save your changes.
The Default/Unknown state form is shown when a visitor's U.S. state cannot be determined.
If you use a custom consent message, ensure it has been reviewed by your legal advisor.
Show AI labeling
Enable Show AI labeling to visitors to add an AI disclosure message to your consent forms.
This setting applies to both the European and U.S. consent forms.
What visitors see
Visitors are shown a consent prompt before they can begin chatting.
The prompt includes:
- Your consent message
- A link to your Privacy Policy
- Accept and Decline buttons
- Visitors in supported U.S. two-party consent states see the U.S. consent form.
- If a visitor's U.S. state cannot be determined, they see the Default/Unknown state form.
- European visitors see the European consent form.
- Visitors outside these supported regions see the form based on your configured settings.
A visitor is never shown both the European and U.S. consent forms.
Disable the consent form
You can disable the Consent Form for European and U.S. visitors independently. Just switch the respective toggle off.
When disabled, the consent prompt will no longer appear to visitors.
Additional considerations
- Website and Profile Page widgets
The same Consent Form settings apply to both the website chat widget and the Profile Page widget. - Cookies and local storage
When the Consent Form is enabled, tawk.to does not set cookies or local storage related to the chat widget until the visitor accepts the consent form. - Location-based routing
Visitors only see the consent form that applies to their location. Visitors in supported U.S. two-party consent states see the U.S. consent form, while other visitors see the European consent form based on your configured settings. A visitor is never shown both forms. - Supported U.S. states
The U.S. consent form currently supports 14 U.S. states with two-party consent requirements. Visitors from other U.S. states do not see the U.S. consent prompt. - Custom consent text
The recommended consent text is intended as a starting point. If you customize the wording, have it reviewed by your legal advisor to ensure it meets your legal requirements. - Testing your changes
After enabling or updating your consent forms, test the widget in different browsers, devices, and private/incognito windows to confirm the correct consent form appears and functions as expected. - Language and accessibility
If your visitors speak multiple languages, consider providing consent text in the languages they use. Also ensure your wording is clear, concise, and easy to understand. - Record keeping
Keep a copy of your consent messages and note when you make changes. This can be helpful for internal audits, troubleshooting, or support requests. - Legal compliance
The Consent Form helps collect and record visitor consent, but it is not a complete consent management platform (CMP) or legal compliance solution. If you're unsure about your legal obligations, consult your legal advisor.
Related guides
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