PrestaShop - E-Commerce Platform & Cookie Consent

Overview

PrestaShop is an open-source e-commerce platform that powers self-hosted online stores. Written in PHP, PrestaShop provides a complete storefront solution with product management, cart functionality, checkout processing, and order management. Because it is self-hosted and heavily extensible through modules, PrestaShop's cookie and script footprint varies significantly between installations depending on the theme and modules the merchant has deployed.

What This Script Does

PrestaShop's core JavaScript manages shopping cart interactions, product page functionality (image galleries, variant selectors, quantity controls), checkout form validation, and AJAX-powered cart updates. The platform sets several cookies for essential store operations: PrestaShop-* session cookies maintain the server-side session linking visitors to their cart data, while additional cookies store currency preferences, language selections, and recently viewed product lists. The core session cookie persists for the duration of the browsing session, with some preference cookies lasting up to 365 days.

Module Ecosystem

PrestaShop's module ecosystem significantly expands its script footprint. Common modules add Google Analytics tracking, Facebook Pixel integration, newsletter signup popups, and product recommendation widgets. These modules inject their own scripts and cookies alongside PrestaShop's core functionality. The platform's built-in statistics module (statssearch, statsdata) also collects page view and search query data for the merchant's back-office analytics dashboard, setting cookies to track visitor sessions for internal reporting.

Consent & Compliance

PrestaShop core scripts are classified as functional. The cart, checkout, and session management cookies are strictly necessary for e-commerce operations. Under GDPR and the ePrivacy Directive, these functional cookies are exempt from consent requirements. However, PrestaShop's built-in statistics module and any installed analytics or marketing modules introduce non-essential data collection that requires consent. PrestaShop has an official GDPR compliance module that helps merchants manage cookie consent, data access requests, and data portability. Under CCPA/CPRA, transactional data processed during checkout falls under business operation exemptions, but analytics and marketing module data must be disclosed.

Should You Block This Without Consent?

No. PrestaShop's core scripts provide essential e-commerce functionality and should not be blocked. The cart, checkout, and session management cookies are strictly necessary for the store to function. However, the built-in statistics module and any third-party analytics or marketing modules installed on the PrestaShop instance should be individually evaluated and blocked until consent is obtained. Site operators should inventory their installed PrestaShop modules and separate functional scripts from tracking scripts in their consent configuration.

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Consent Categories

Functional

Also Known As

PrestaShop storePrestaShop e-commercePrestaShop open sourcePrestaShop shopping cart

Industries

Publishing and PrintingBusiness and Consumer Services

Tracked Domains (1)

prestashop.comFunctional

Frequently Asked Questions

Does PrestaShop require consent before its scripts load?

No for core functionality. PrestaShop's cart, checkout, and session management scripts are strictly necessary for e-commerce operations and are exempt from consent requirements. However, the built-in statistics module and any analytics or marketing modules installed on the PrestaShop instance do require consent before loading.

What cookies does a PrestaShop store set on visitors?

PrestaShop core sets PrestaShop-* session cookies to maintain cart state, plus preference cookies for currency, language, and recently viewed products lasting up to 365 days. The statsdata module adds session tracking for internal reporting. Installed modules can add Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, and other third-party scripts.

How does ConsentStack manage a PrestaShop store?

ConsentStack treats PrestaShop core scripts as functional and allows them to load without consent. Third-party analytics and marketing modules are evaluated separately and blocked until the appropriate consent category is granted. This keeps the store fully operational while ensuring GDPR compliance for non-essential tracking.