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MonsterInsights is the most installed Google Analytics plugin for WordPress, operated by Awesome Motive (the same company behind WPForms and OptinMonster). It connects a WordPress site to a Google Analytics 4 property, automatically inserts the gtag.js code and adds dashboards inside WP admin. Because it pipes data into Google Analytics, the cookie and consent obligations are the same as for direct Google Analytics: a US data transfer that requires consent in the EU.
MonsterInsights is the most popular Google Analytics plugin for WordPress, with more than three million active installations. It is developed by Awesome Motive, the WordPress ecosystem company that also owns WPForms, OptinMonster and Smash Balloon. The plugin connects a WordPress site to a Google Analytics 4 property, automatically renders the gtag.js snippet on every page and ships configurable add ons for ecommerce tracking, file downloads, outbound links, form events, scroll depth and custom dimensions. From a privacy perspective, the plugin acts as a relay for Google Analytics: the data it produces lives at Google, not at Awesome Motive.
On the visitor side, MonsterInsights does not set cookies of its own. The Google Analytics 4 tag it injects, however, sets _ga and _ga_<MEASUREMENT_ID> first party cookies, and may trigger _gid, _gac_<id> and DoubleClick cookies depending on the configuration. Each page view causes a request to www.google-analytics.com with the visitor IP, User Agent, page URL, screen and a client identifier. On the WordPress side, the plugin stores aggregated metrics fetched from the Google Analytics API and the Awesome Motive license key.
The plugin inherits the consent obligations of Google Analytics 4. Article 5(3) of the ePrivacy Directive requires consent before any non strictly necessary cookie or read of the device, which clearly covers _ga and the GA4 measurement protocol calls. The CNIL still treats the Universal Analytics architecture as unlawful in the EU and considers GA4 acceptable only when paired with strict safeguards (IP truncation, EU US Data Privacy Framework, consent mode v2, no advertising features). MonsterInsights bundles an EU Compliance addon that integrates IP anonymisation and disables certain Google features.
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Yes. The MonsterInsights plugin must be paired with a consent management platform (Complianz, CookieYes, Real Cookie Banner, Cookiebot, Iubenda, Borlabs) that gates the gtag.js code until the user accepts the Analytics or Marketing category. The plugin exposes a consent_default = denied option through Google Consent Mode v2 that holds the tag until the CMP signals acceptance. Without this gate, the plugin is not compliant in most EU jurisdictions.
Every analytics call goes to Google LLC servers in the United States. Google is self certified under the EU US Data Privacy Framework, which provides an adequacy decision for transfers. EU customers should still document the SCC fallback present in Google''s Analytics terms, the IP truncation option, the disabling of Google Signals and the retention setting in GA4 (recommended 2 or 14 months). Awesome Motive itself is a US company but processes only license metadata, not the visitor analytics.
Install a real consent management platform alongside MonsterInsights, configure the plugin in EU Compliance mode, enable IP anonymisation in GA4, disable Google Signals and advertising features unless they are independently consented, set GA4 data retention to the shortest acceptable period, and document Google LLC and Awesome Motive as recipients in the privacy policy. Consider a server side proxy or an alternative like Matomo, Plausible, Fathom or Piwik PRO for cleaner GDPR posture.
Websites using MonsterInsights must obtain user consent under GDPR regulations.
DPIA considerations
Because MonsterInsights effectively activates Google Analytics, the DPIA considerations are those of GA4: review whether GA4 is the right tool given EDPB decisions, document the EU US Data Privacy Framework reliance, consider IP truncation and consent mode v2. Awesome Motive itself is a low risk processor in this picture.
Sample consent text
We use the MonsterInsights plugin to feed visit data to Google Analytics 4. This sets Google cookies and sends your IP address and behaviour to Google LLC in the United States. Do you accept?
Third-party domains contacted
www.google-analytics.comanalytics.google.comstats.g.doubleclick.netwww.googletagmanager.commonsterinsights.comapi.monsterinsights.comCookies placed
| Name | Type | Duration | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| _ga | first party | 2 years | Set by the Google Analytics 4 tag injected by MonsterInsights to distinguish unique users. |
| _ga_<MEASUREMENT_ID> | first party | 2 years | Set by GA4 to persist session state for the measurement ID configured in the plugin. |
| _gid | first party | 24 hours | Set by Google Analytics to distinguish users; only set when the older Universal Analytics fallback is enabled. |
| _gac_<id> | first party | 90 days | Set when Google Ads conversion tracking is enabled through MonsterInsights. |
| monsterinsights_dismissed_notices | first party | 1 year | Stored in WordPress admin to remember which MonsterInsights notices the administrator has dismissed; not seen by visitors. |
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MonsterInsights itself does not set cookies. The Google Analytics 4 tag it inserts does: _ga, _ga_<MEASUREMENT_ID>, _gid, and depending on the configuration _gac_<id> and DoubleClick cookies. All of these require consent under the ePrivacy Directive.
Yes, because the plugin activates Google Analytics. Pair MonsterInsights with a consent management platform and use the consent_default = denied option through Google Consent Mode v2 so the GA4 tag only fires after the user accepts.
Consent under Article 6(1)(a) GDPR and Article 5(3) of the ePrivacy Directive for the Google Analytics tag. Legitimate interest is not generally accepted by EU DPAs for GA4.
Yes. Every page view sends data to Google LLC in the US. Google is self certified under the EU US Data Privacy Framework. The plugin itself communicates licence metadata with Awesome Motive (also US based) which is a low risk processor.
A DPIA is appropriate at the GA4 level. Document the choice of Google Analytics as analytics tool, the consent mechanism, the IP truncation and the recipients (Google LLC, Awesome Motive). On a small content site this can be a lightweight DPIA; on a larger e commerce site it should be more detailed.
Pair it with a CMP that blocks gtag.js until consent, enable the EU Compliance addon (IP anonymisation, disable advertising features), set GA4 retention to 2 or 14 months, and update the privacy policy to mention Google LLC, Awesome Motive and the transfer mechanisms.
Inside WordPress: Site Kit by Google (with the same GA4 obligations), Matomo Analytics for WordPress (privacy oriented, can be self hosted), Independent Analytics, Plausible Analytics for WordPress, Burst Statistics (privacy first). Outside the GA stack: any of the Matomo, Plausible, Fathom, Piwik PRO or Pirsch options.
Describe the plugin as the integration layer for Google Analytics 4. List the Google cookies (_ga, _ga_<ID>, _gid, _gac_<id> when ads features are on), provider (Google LLC, USA), purpose, retention and transfer mechanism. Mention Awesome Motive only briefly as the WordPress plugin vendor.