What is the borlabs-cookie cookie?
The borlabs-cookie cookie is set by the Borlabs Cookie plugin, a widely used consent solution (CMP) for WordPress websites. It typically appears as soon as a visitor interacts with the cookie banner, or in some configurations right on the first page load, so the site can track the initial "no consent yet" state until an explicit decision is made.
It is a first-party cookie, set directly by the site itself rather than by a third-party domain, because its role is strictly the internal management of consent preferences for that site.
What data it stores
The cookie generally stores an identifier and the structure of consent preferences: which cookie categories (statistics, marketing, preferences, etc.) were accepted or rejected, the version of the cookie policy the visitor agreed to, and the date of the decision. The exact value format can vary depending on the plugin version and site configuration, so it should not be treated as a fixed standard.
The data stays stored locally in the visitor's browser and is only sent to the server to the extent WordPress/Borlabs Cookie needs it to correctly render the banner and to unblock other scripts based on the consent given.
What it is used for
Its main purpose is technical and administrative: it lets the site "remember" what the visitor chose, so the cookie banner doesn't reappear on every visit and already-consented scripts (analytics, marketing) can run without asking again.
For the site owner, this cookie also serves as technical proof of consent — relevant for the accountability principle required by the GDPR.
Does it require consent?
In CookieFix's classification, borlabs-cookie falls under the strictly necessary category. Under the ePrivacy Directive (transposed in Romania through Law 506/2004) and the GDPR, cookies that are strictly necessary to provide a service explicitly requested by the user — here, managing consent itself — do not require prior consent.
Even so, the site operator must disclose it in the cookie policy, along with its purpose and duration, to meet transparency obligations toward visitors and requirements from data protection authorities such as Romania's ANSPDCP.
How to block or delete borlabs-cookie
A visitor can delete or block this cookie from their browser settings (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari — the site data/cookie management section). Note that deleting it resets the consent state, so the banner will reappear on the next visit.
- Being strictly necessary, it should not be blocked by a CMP before consent is given.
- A platform like CookieFix instead handles the automatic blocking of scripts from categories that actually require consent (statistics, marketing) until the visitor makes a choice, while letting strictly necessary cookies like this one function normally.
Frequently asked questions
It's the internal cookie of the Borlabs Cookie WordPress plugin, used to remember a visitor's consent choices for cookie categories.
No, since it's strictly necessary for the consent system itself to function, but it must be disclosed in the site's cookie policy.
Its typical duration is 1 year, after which consent preferences need to be reconfirmed.
The site loses the record of the previous consent, and the cookie banner will appear again on the next visit.