Product updates, engineering deep-dives, and honest takes from the team building Zest.
A 'user' named Jack emailed our support address about Google Consent Mode v2, then pitched us cold outreach. Seventeen days later 'Marco' ran the identical script and pitched AI blog content. Same sender, same template, two fake people. Here's what that looks like from the inside, and why EU law now has something to say about it.
Zest CMP 1.0 ships as a free, open-source WordPress plugin. Install it, flip the settings, done - no script editing, no theme files, no subscription.
Zest now exposes an MCP server. Your AI agent can read the config schema, look up API methods, and generate a ready-to-paste install snippet. No docs scraping, no hallucinated config keys.
GDPR fines can reach €20 million or 4% of global revenue. CCPA penalties add up fast at $2,663 per violation. Here is what non-compliant cookie consent could cost you.
From dark patterns to broken responsiveness, here are the 8 most common cookie consent mistakes and how to fix them.
Cookie consent laws have been around for over a decade, and marketers are still getting it wrong. Here are the most common misconceptions and how to fix them.
When your consent banner depends on a monthly payment, your compliance dies the moment the invoice bounces. Here's why self-hosted is the only sane default.
A plain-language breakdown of Google Consent Mode v2 — what signals it sends, how it affects your analytics and ads, and what happens if you ignore it.
How we built a full-featured consent management platform in ~16KB gzipped — banner, modal, script blocking, cookie interception, 12 languages, zero dependencies.
DNT failed because it was optional. GPC is succeeding because it's legally enforceable. Here's the difference and why your CMP should support both.
When the consent banner is free, you are not the customer. You're the data source. Here's what hosted CMPs do with your visitors' consent records.
Showing an opt-in banner to a visitor in California is wrong. Showing nothing to a visitor in Germany is illegal. Here's how geo-targeted consent works.
Zest is free and MIT-licensed, and it doesn't phone home to anyone.
Drop the script in and you're done.