Checklist
Does Reject All clear cookies already set?
Reject All records a choice. Many CMPs leave cookies that Fresh already set. Check cookies and Network after Reject. Not legal advice.
In brief
Reject All is a choice signal. Many CMPs record that the visitor rejected marketing and leave cookies the Fresh load already wrote. Check which names remain, and whether marketing hosts still fire on the next navigation. A leftover cookie and a continuing request are separate rows. ConsentProbe can store labeled Fresh and Reject packs. A free US-baseline scan is not an EU or California legal conclusion. Observation is not legal clearance. This page is testing guidance, not legal advice.
Not legal advice
This FAQ explains how to observe whether Reject All, Decline, or Essential only clears cookies that were already set, and what still appears in cookies and Network after Reject. It is not legal advice, not a fine-amount page, and not a guarantee that any site meets GDPR, ePrivacy, CPRA, or other rules. ConsentProbe reports are technical observations. They do not replace counsel.
Last updated September 24, 2026. The Reject leftovers guide owns a Reject failure that still tracks. The marketing-pixels FAQ owns whether a refused pixel stayed off. The ease-of-Reject page owns a hard-to-find control. The retest guide owns a pass after engineering says the behavior changed. This page stays on choice signal versus deletion.
Short answer
Reject All often does not clear cookies already set. It records a choice. Many CMPs store that the visitor rejected marketing and do not delete cookies the Fresh load already wrote. Verify the cookie and storage inventory after the click, and check Network on the next navigation.
A cookie that remains is one row. A marketing host that still fires is another. If Fresh cookies remain and Network stays quiet, write both facts. If marketing requests continue, that is a separate runtime finding for engineering. Treat the button label as a claim about preference. It is not automatic proof that every pre-Reject cookie vanished.
ConsentProbe can produce labeled Fresh and Reject packs with request, cookie, and screenshot links. A free US-baseline scan is not an EU or California legal conclusion. ConsentProbe does not delete cookies for the visitor, does not install a CMP, and does not decide what counsel would require removed. Observation is not legal clearance. This page is testing guidance, not legal advice.
Choice signal versus cookie deletion
Three layers get mixed when a banner says Reject All turns tracking off. Separate them before you call the CMP a failure. Stay with cookie still present after Reject. Leave required deletion with counsel.
| Layer | What it is | What it does not prove alone |
|---|---|---|
| Reject All or Decline UI | A preference or choice signal in the banner | That every cookie written on Fresh was deleted |
| Cookie and storage inventory after Reject | What remains in the browser | Legal permission or a required deletion, which stays with counsel |
| Network after Reject and a navigation | Whether marketing hosts still fire | That leftover cookies were removed far enough |
Five-step verify after Reject
Do not clear storage by hand between the Fresh inventory and the Reject inventory. That wipe would hide the cookies this page is asking about. The Reject leftovers guide, the marketing-pixels FAQ, the ease-of-Reject page, and the retest guide hold the neighboring methods.
- Use a clean profile. Load once. Do not click Accept. Capture cookies and storage. Label the pack Fresh.
- Click Reject All. Record the exact button text. Do not clear storage yourself.
- Recapture cookies and storage immediately. Note which Fresh-written names remain.
- Navigate once, such as home to a collection or product. Capture Network for marketing hosts. Label the pack Reject.
- Optional: run Accept All on a new clean profile as a control. Write one finding sentence per layer, leftover cookie or post-Reject request.
Patterns you can record
The rows below are observations from a labeled visit. They are not a statutory list of deletion duties, and they do not name a penalty.
| Observation | What to record | Next bridge |
|---|---|---|
| Marketing cookies from Fresh still present, Network quiet after Reject | Cookie inventory and a banner screenshot | Reject leftovers guide, or an eng ticket if deletion was the claimed fix |
| Cookies remain and marketing hosts still fire | Cookie list, Network rows, and a screenshot | Reject leftovers guide and the marketing-pixels FAQ |
| Reject is hard to find, and Network still looks like Accept | The UI path and the Network rows | Ease-of-Reject page and the Reject leftovers guide |
| Engineering says the behavior is fixed | The same Fresh then Reject sequence again | Retest guide for the pass and fail criteria |
When diffing leftover cookies gets slow
Diffing leftover cookies across templates by hand takes a long time. ConsentProbe runs Fresh and Reject on the storefront URL. Each finding stays tied to a request, a cookie, or a screenshot.
Use the free US-baseline visit when you want the report format. Use paid EU or California scenarios when those regions are the claims. The free versus paid guide draws that line. ConsentProbe does not delete cookies for the visitor, does not install a CMP, and does not issue a certificate.
FAQ
Does Reject All clear cookies already set?
Often no. Many CMPs signal Reject without wiping cookies the Fresh load already wrote. Verify the inventory after Reject.
If cookies remain after Reject, did the CMP fail?
Document what remained and whether Network still fired. Deletion and the gate are separate checks.
Does Reject All stop marketing pixels even if cookies remain?
Pixel stop is its own test. The marketing-pixels FAQ covers that row. Leftover cookies stay on this page.
When should I retest after a fix?
Use the retest guide when engineering says Reject or deletion behavior changed.
Does ConsentProbe clear cookies for visitors?
No. It reports what it observed. ConsentProbe does not install a CMP and does not delete cookies for the visitor.
Is this legal advice?
No. Observation is not legal clearance. This page is testing guidance. ConsentProbe does not replace counsel.
Limits of this page
This page tells you how to treat Reject All as a choice signal that may leave Fresh cookies in place, and how to check cookies and Network after the click. It is not legal advice, not legal clearance, and not a certificate. ConsentProbe reports stay tied to requests, cookies, and screenshots. A free US-baseline scan is not an EU or California legal conclusion.
Related guides
Open the Reject leftovers guide when Reject still tracks, the marketing-pixels FAQ for the pixel row, the ease-of-Reject page when the control is hard to find, and the retest guide after a claimed fix.
- Reject All Still Tracking: What to Check After You Say No
- Does Reject All stop marketing pixels?
- Does Reject All have to be as easy as Accept?
- How do you re-test after a GPC or Reject All fix?
- What belongs in a cookie consent audit evidence pack?
- Pre-consent audit checklist: what to verify before Accept
- How do you turn a cookie audit finding into an eng ticket?
- What does a free US-baseline cookie audit prove vs paid EU or California scans?
- ConsentProbe methodology
- Pricing and listed regional products
Sources
These links cover the platform and regulatory context used in this guide. Applicability still depends on the organization and jurisdiction.
Save a US-baseline technical record
After a DIY check, run a free US-baseline audit: one browser visit outside California, with cookies, requests, and screenshots stored as evidence. That visit does not run EU reject/accept or California GPC. EU, California, and Global 2 audits can be purchased from Billing after sign-in.