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Project Wonderful

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Project Wonderful was an indie advertising network launched in 2006 and shut down in August 2018. It was popular with webcomics, blogs and small publishers because of its daily auction model. The service has been discontinued, but legacy snippets and cookies may still linger on older sites. Compliance now consists of removing the stale tracker and updating cookie policies and Article 30 registers accordingly.

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Overview

What does Project Wonderful do?

What was Project Wonderful

Project Wonderful was an independent advertising network launched in 2006 by Ryan North and Project Wonderful Inc. Built around a unique daily auction model, it served small publishers (webcomics, niche blogs) and offered transparent bidding without behavioural targeting. The service was discontinued in August 2018 and the company wound down its operations. Its tracker is no longer maintained but still appears in legacy website code.

What data did Project Wonderful collect

While active, Project Wonderful collected ad impressions, click events, IP addresses, user agents, referrers and a third party identifier used to manage bid eligibility. Unlike modern ad networks, it did not perform behavioural retargeting or cross site profiling. After the shutdown, no further data is collected; residual JavaScript calls fail and may pollute browser console logs.

GDPR and ePrivacy implications

During its operational period, the Project Wonderful tracker fell under Art. 5(3) of the ePrivacy Directive and required prior consent. Even today, residual snippets count as embedded third party content and may attempt to set cookies on visitors, which can fail consent audits. Removing them is required to maintain a clean GDPR posture and to avoid console errors.

Consent requirements

Because the service is discontinued, no consent flow is needed. The recommended posture is to remove the snippet entirely. If for any reason an inactive snippet remains, ensure that your CMP keeps blocking the related domain so that no orphan calls leave the browser.

Data transfers outside the EU

While active, Project Wonderful transferred data to the United States. Post shutdown, no transfer occurs, but operators should remove the company from any data processing register that still mentions it as an active sub processor.

Practical compliance steps

Search your codebase for projectwonderful.com or projwonderful.com references, remove every snippet, clean up the cookie list, update the Article 30 register and the privacy notice to remove the obsolete vendor, and consider modern indie focused alternatives that comply with the GDPR.

Compliance

Project Wonderful and the GDPR

Project Wonderful is classified as “Marketing”. On a site that targets European visitors, it must only load after the visitor consents, and it must be listed in your cookie policy.

Legal basis
Consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR) was required when the service was active because Project Wonderful set third party advertising cookies. The legal basis is now moot as the service has been shut down.
Risk level
medium
Applicable regulations
GDPR, ePrivacy Directive, TDDDG, LSSI CE, CCPA/CPRA

Impact assessment (DPIA)

A DPIA is not relevant for an active deployment because the service has been discontinued. Operators must audit their codebase to remove residual snippets and document the removal in their Article 30 register.

Sample text for your banner

The Project Wonderful advertising service was discontinued in August 2018. If residual cookies are detected on this site, they have no operational purpose and will be removed at the next maintenance update.
Cookies and trackers

What Project Wonderful sets and contacts

Tracking method
Client side JavaScript ad serving snippet, third party tracking cookies, simple bid auctions on a daily basis without behavioural retargeting, and a publisher dashboard. The service was discontinued in 2018 and any residual snippets on websites should be removed.
Server location
United States. Project Wonderful was operated by Project Wonderful Inc., a Toronto founded company that hosted its infrastructure on US cloud providers. The service is no longer active since August 2018.
Data transferred outside the EU
When the service was active, personal data was transferred to the United States. The platform is now discontinued; any residual cookies or scripts on operator websites must be removed to avoid orphan trackers and stale third party calls.

Cookies set (2)

NameTypeDurationPurpose
pw_uidMarketing1 yearLegacy Project Wonderful third party identifier used to manage bid eligibility while the service was active. No longer set by an operational service.
pw_adMarketing30 daysLegacy ad rotation cookie that tracked the last creative shown to a visitor. Obsolete since 2018.

Third-party domains contacted (3)

  • projectwonderful.com
  • projwonderful.com
  • ads.projectwonderful.com
Questions

Frequently asked questions about Project Wonderful

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Does Project Wonderful still set cookies?

No active service should set cookies anymore. The platform was discontinued in August 2018. However, legacy snippets on older sites may still trigger third party calls that fail silently or attempt to set legacy cookies.

Is consent still required for Project Wonderful?

Since the service is no longer operational, no live consent flow is required. The recommended action is to remove the snippet from your website to avoid orphan third party calls and console errors.

What was the legal basis when the service was active?

Consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR) was required because Project Wonderful set third party advertising cookies subject to Art. 5(3) of the ePrivacy Directive.

Did Project Wonderful transfer data outside the European Union?

While active, yes. Personal data was transferred to the United States. Since the shutdown, no further transfer takes place, but operators should remove the company from active sub processor lists.

Is a DPIA required for Project Wonderful in 2026?

No. The service is no longer active. The only remaining task is to audit and remove residual code, then update the Article 30 register.

How do I remove Project Wonderful from a legacy website?

Search your templates and ad slots for projectwonderful.com or projwonderful.com, remove the snippet, clean up the cookie banner and the cookie policy, and ensure that no analytics rule still references the company.

Are there modern alternatives for indie publishers?

Yes. Carbon Ads (US, suited for tech audiences), EthicalAds (Read the Docs, privacy friendly), BuySellAds (US) and indie networks like Influads or Coil offer comparable formats for independent creators.

How do I update my cookie policy after removing Project Wonderful?

Remove every entry related to projectwonderful.com from the cookie table, remove the vendor from your Article 30 register and disclose the cleanup in your privacy notice changelog so visitors and auditors can trace the change.

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