Question 1

What is Consenti?

Accepted Answer

Consenti is an open-source, GDPR-compliant Cookie Consent and Consent Management Platform (CMP). It ships as two npm packages: @consenti/ui (browser widget) and @consenti/api (Node.js backend). Both have zero external runtime dependencies.

Question 2

Does Consenti support GDPR?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Consenti fully supports GDPR with opt-in consent mode, legitimate interest handling (Art. 6(1)(f)), right-to-erasure endpoint, immutable audit logs, and signed consent receipts.

Question 3

Does Consenti support CCPA?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Consenti fully supports CCPA and CPRA with opt-out consent mode, GPC signal detection, and configurable do-not-sell/share flows.

Question 4

How do I install Consenti?

Accepted Answer

Install the UI widget with: npm install @consenti/ui. Then import and initialise: import { ConsentiSetup } from '@consenti/ui'; new ConsentiSetup({ compliance: { type: 'opt-in' } }). No CSS import needed — styles are injected automatically. For the backend: npm install @consenti/api. Both packages have zero external runtime dependencies.

Question 5

Does Consenti work with React?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Consenti provides a useConsent() React hook via the subpath export @consenti/ui/react. It also works with Next.js, Vue, Angular, Nuxt, and any JavaScript framework.

Question 6

Does Consenti require a backend?

Accepted Answer

No. The UI widget (@consenti/ui) works standalone without any backend. The backend module (@consenti/api) is optional and only needed if you want server-side consent records, audit logs, or the admin dashboard.

Question 7

What database does Consenti use?

Accepted Answer

By default Consenti uses SQLite via the built-in node:sqlite module (Node.js 24+) — no external database package required. It also supports MongoDB, PostgreSQL, and MySQL via the StorageAdapter interface.

Question 8

Is Consenti free and open source?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Consenti is released under the Apache 2.0 license. It is free to use, modify, and distribute. It is a self-hosted alternative to commercial CMPs like OneTrust and Cookiebot.

Question 9

Does Consenti support PDPA (Thailand)?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Consenti fully supports the Thai Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA). Configure it with compliance: { type: 'pdpa-th' } or use type: 'auto' to detect Thai visitors automatically and apply PDPA opt-in consent requirements. The consent banner, preference modal, and audit logs all meet PDPA requirements.

Question 10

Does Consenti support APPI (Japan)?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Consenti supports Japan's Act on the Protection of Personal Information (APPI). Use compliance: { type: 'appi' } or type: 'auto' for geo-based detection. Consenti handles APPI opt-in consent with proper audit trails.

Question 11

What is an open source CMP?

Accepted Answer

An open-source Consent Management Platform (CMP) is a tool that manages cookie consent and privacy compliance, where the source code is publicly available for inspection, modification, and self-hosting. Consenti is an open-source CMP licensed under Apache 2.0, offering the same features as commercial CMPs (GDPR, CCPA, TCF v2.2, admin dashboard, consent records) without licensing fees or vendor lock-in.

Question 12

Does Consenti work without importing CSS?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The @consenti/ui widget automatically injects its styles into the page when ConsentiSetup initialises — no separate CSS import is required. You only need to import the CSS explicitly if you want to preload it to avoid flash of unstyled content, or if you set core.disableCssTemplate: true to provide your own styles.

Package	Runs in	What it does
`@consenti/ui`	Browser	The UI widget. Shows the consent banner and preference modal, detects GPC, fires DOM events, pushes to the GTM dataLayer, and syncs consent across tabs. Uses only browser built-ins — no framework required.
`@consenti/api`	Node.js server	The backend module. Install it in your existing Node.js server — it mounts consent API routes and an admin dashboard onto your app. No separate process. Records consent to SQLite by default. Uses only Node.js built-ins.

	Frontend-only	With backend
Consent storage	Browser cookie or `localStorage`	Server database (SQLite, MongoDB, PostgreSQL)
Profile management	Defined in code (`ConsentiProfile`) or inline (`profileOverride`)	Admin dashboard — no code changes to update copy
Consent audit log	No	Yes — every record stored with timestamp and visitor ID
Multi-site / multi-tenant	No	Yes
Setup effort	One import, one constructor call	`npm install @consenti/api` in your existing Node.js backend — mounts routes onto your server, nothing separate to run

Introduction

Two packages, one platform

Frontend-only or full-stack?

What happens on a first visit

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