GDPR-DSGVO compliant Embeds for YouTube Videos

Description

Create unlimited YouTube embeds in WordPress and insert them with [dsgvo_video id="123"]. A local overlay appears before the configured player is loaded. The plugin is free, requires no license or API key, and adds no advertising or developer tracking. YouTube’s own player and advertising remain controlled by YouTube.

Published by Tsambasis & Tsambasis.
Live demonstration — Tsambasis & Tsambasis.

• Separate iframe input, settings and shortcode for each video.
• Light, dark and custom colors; rounded or square load buttons.
• Optional overlay message and configurable privacy notice/link.
• Five independent font sizes: button, message, privacy text, privacy link and remember label. Empty fields preserve the existing theme/plugin styling.
• Existing dimensions and percentage-based aspect-ratio behavior retained.
• Optional grouped loading for participating videos on the current page.
• Optional remember checkbox, with the classic design by default or a larger modern design selected per video.
• A separate reset shortcode, plus an optional inline reset control.
• English interface text and a bundled German translation, following WordPress’s language.

New options are opt-in. Existing videos do not automatically gain messages, remembered consent, grouped loading, modern checkboxes or reset buttons. Saved custom text remains unchanged.

Setup and appearance

Open Videos > Add New Video, paste the complete YouTube iframe from Share > Embed, choose settings and publish. Then place its shortcode in a Shortcode block. Supported embed hosts are www.youtube.com and www.youtube-nocookie.com, using HTTPS. A normal watch URL or youtu.be sharing link is not embed code.

Leave a font-size field empty to preserve the existing appearance. Supported font units include px, em, rem and %. Choose enough height for the overlay message and controls on mobile. Percentage heights retain the original aspect-ratio behavior: with full width, 56.25% is a common 16:9 setting. The plugin does not automatically enlarge existing videos.

Under Checkbox design, choose Modern design (larger checkbox) to enable the optional 22px checkbox and styled label card. The remember option must also be enabled. Existing design remains the default.

Consent, grouped loading and the optional cookie

Without a previously remembered choice, the player is inserted after the load button is selected. Without the remember checkbox, that action creates no new plugin consent cookie. An existing saved choice is not cleared merely by leaving a checkbox unchecked.

Checking the remember option before loading saves dsgvo_yt_consent=1 for up to 180 days once a valid player is inserted. This persistent first-party cookie uses path /, SameSite=Lax and Secure on HTTPS. It is not a session cookie that is guaranteed to disappear when the browser closes. Browser settings may block or delete it earlier. Only videos with remembering enabled load automatically on later page views. This YouTube choice is separate from the Google Maps plugin’s cookie and does not consent to maps.

The checkbox is optional and initially unchecked. Explain its website-wide effect in your notice. The cookie stores a loading preference, not a server-side consent audit record.

Grouped loading is configured per video. Clicking a participating video also loads the other participating videos on that page; videos outside the group remain separate. Describe that scope in your button or message before requesting consent. Inserting the player does not guarantee that YouTube will play the video: a further play action or provider restrictions may apply.

Reset options

Place [dsgvo_video_reset] anywhere in page content, including a page without videos. Customize its label with [dsgvo_video_reset text="Reset my video choice"]. This separate button remains visible and enabled, clears the YouTube consent cookie, unloads current-page plugin videos and unchecks their remember boxes. A status message confirms the action; keyboard focus remains on the button.

For a button inside a loaded video, explicitly use [dsgvo_video id="123" show_reset="true"]. This optional inline control uses 64px of the configured video height. An ordinary video shortcode adds no reset control. Use the separate button to keep the full player area.

Reset does not unload players already open in other tabs or undo information already sent to YouTube/Google. It does not clear the separate Google Maps choice. Visitors can also remove this website’s consent cookie through browser settings.

External service: YouTube / Google

After loading, the browser connects directly to YouTube/Google and may request additional player/media resources. Google receives connection and device information, including IP address and the website origin through the strict-origin-when-cross-origin referrer policy. It may process cookies or account-related data. The page path and query are not included in that cross-origin referrer.

The plugin supports YouTube’s privacy-enhanced www.youtube-nocookie.com embeds. This does not mean no Google connection, no data processing or no advertising. YouTube may still show non-personalized ads in that mode. See YouTube’s official embedding guidance.

• Google Privacy Policy
• YouTube Terms of Service
• YouTube API Services Terms

The local overlay delays only the configured plugin player. It does not block requests made by your theme, other plugins, separately embedded players or other services. The plugin name is not a guarantee of GDPR/DSGVO compliance for your complete website. You remain responsible for valid consent, notices, withdrawal options and your full data flows. This is independent software, not an official YouTube product or legal advice.