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The SEO Framework is a privacy focused WordPress SEO plugin that runs server side. It sets no cookies of its own and makes no third party calls by default.
The SEO Framework is a privacy focused search engine optimisation plugin for WordPress. It generates titles, meta descriptions, structured data and other SEO output on the server, inside your own WordPress installation, so the work happens before the page reaches the visitor browser.
By design it sets no cookies of its own and makes no third party calls in its default configuration. This makes it one of the lowest risk components a European website can run from a data protection point of view.
The plugin itself sets no cookies and collects no visitor personal data. It works with content the site owner has already published and stores its settings within the WordPress database. The cookies you may see on a site running The SEO Framework, such as the standard WordPress test and login cookies, are set by WordPress and other components, not by this plugin.
Because nothing is sent to the plugin author and no tracking script is loaded, there is no flow of visitor data to a third party to worry about by default.
The ePrivacy consent rules are triggered by storing or reading information on a device, typically through cookies. Since The SEO Framework does not set cookies, it does not trigger those rules on its own. Under the GDPR, the limited server side processing it performs can rest on the legitimate interest of presenting and optimising your own content.
This keeps the compliance burden for the plugin minimal, although the wider WordPress site still needs its own privacy review.
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Because The SEO Framework sets no cookies and loads no tracking, no visitor consent is required for the plugin itself. Consent obligations on a site that uses it come from other elements, such as analytics, embedded media or marketing tools, which should be handled through your cookie banner independently of this plugin.
In its default configuration The SEO Framework does not transfer any data outside your server, so there is no international transfer to assess for the plugin. Transfers would only arise from your hosting arrangements or from other services you add to the site, which you should evaluate separately.
Keep the plugin updated, avoid enabling optional extensions that connect to external analytics unless you handle their consent, and document in your records of processing that The SEO Framework is a local, cookieless component. Focus your cookie banner and transfer assessments on the other services running on the same WordPress site.
Websites using The SEO Framework must obtain user consent under GDPR regulations.
DPIA considerations
The SEO Framework processes no visitor personal data of its own and sets no cookies, so it carries low data protection risk and a DPIA is not required for the plugin itself. Any assessment should focus on the surrounding WordPress site, such as the web server logs and other plugins, rather than on this plugin.
Sample consent text
The SEO Framework runs on our server to optimise our pages and does not set cookies or track you, so no consent is required for the plugin itself. Cookies on this site come from other components and are described separately.
Third-party domains contacted
wordpress.orgtheseoframework.comCookies placed
| Name | Type | Duration | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| wordpress_test_cookie | Strictly necessary | Session | Set by WordPress to check whether the browser accepts cookies, not by The SEO Framework. |
| wordpress_logged_in | Strictly necessary | Session | Set by WordPress to keep an authenticated editor logged in, unrelated to this plugin. |
| wordpress_sec | Strictly necessary | Session | Set by WordPress to secure the administration area for signed in users. |
| wp_settings_time | Functional | 1 year | Set by WordPress to remember admin screen preferences for logged in users. |
The SEO Framework collects user analytics data — you legally need a consent banner. Try FlowConsent free.
The SEO Framework sets no cookies of its own. Any cookies you find on a site that uses it, such as the WordPress test cookie or the login session cookie, are set by WordPress itself or by other plugins. Those should be documented under their own source, not under this plugin.
No. Because the plugin sets no cookies and loads no tracking, it does not trigger the ePrivacy consent requirement. Consent on the wider site is only needed for other components that store or read information on the visitor device.
The limited server side processing the plugin performs on your own published content can rely on legitimate interest under Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. It does not process visitor personal data in a way that would call for consent.
No. In its default configuration the plugin keeps everything on your own server and sends nothing to its author or to any third country. International transfers would only come from your hosting provider or from other tools you add, which you assess separately.
No. The plugin processes no visitor personal data of its own and presents a low risk, so a DPIA is not required for it. Any DPIA work should look at the surrounding site, including server logs and higher risk plugins.
Keep it updated, avoid enabling optional extensions that send data to external analytics unless you manage their consent, and note in your records of processing that it is a local, cookieless component. No special consent step is needed for the plugin itself.
Other WordPress SEO plugins such as Yoast SEO, Rank Math or SEOPress offer similar functionality. The SEO Framework stands out for its privacy friendly, cookieless and no tracking default, which keeps your compliance footprint small.
You do not need a cookie policy entry for the plugin because it sets no cookies. Make sure your cookie policy still covers the WordPress core cookies and any other plugins, and simply note that your SEO plugin is cookieless if you want to reassure visitors.