In this article, we have to face one of the parts of WordPress that bothers us the most, but which is also necessary to see since it is about compliance with an important regulation, the privacy policy in WordPress.

Today, and in a world as globalized as ours, everything related to privacy and the rights of Internet users has to be taken very seriously.

We know that the subject of the Privacy Policy on a website sounds remarkably like a legal issue, lawyers, an office with a suit and tie, etc.

But in reality, it is a relatively easy topic to digest if you know the fundamental aspects that an applicable Privacy Policy should have.

Throughout this article, we will try to get this topic a bit and approach it more popularly.

We started!

What is the Famous GDPR?

GDPR is the acronym that is equivalent to General Data Protection Regulation.

This law was approved on April 14, 2016, by the European Commission and protected all citizens’ rights and personal data of the European Union.

That is why if you have a website that has something of what we will see below, you must comply with this GDPR and have a Privacy Policy page.

Do we Have to Have a Privacy Policy?

Instead of yelling out another rant explaining why we’re going to focus more on the what.

To put it most simply: if you save any personal data from your visitors, you have to have a Privacy Policy page.

But to make it easier, we will mention below a list of web elements that save data from your visitors, and if you have any of them on your WordPress site, you should have a Privacy Policy page.

But do not worry because in the next section we will tell you what you have to put, so as not to make a mess.

 If You Have WordPress Comments Activated on Your Website

When someone makes a comment on any article on your blog, they must give their name and email.

From that moment you are already collecting certain information from that user.

 If You Have Any Type of Form on Your Website

Whether it is a contact form, a participation form, a purchase made on your website (payment form), etc., you are collecting all the personal data that the user decides to give you in the fields that you indicate.

 If You Have a Newsletter Subscription Opt-in

Well, if you have the typical banner, pop-up or similar, asking visitors to subscribe to your newsletter, and they do so, then you are already collecting at least their email.

 If Your Website Uses Google Analytics or Any Other Analysis Tool

Whether Google Analytics (the most common) or any other type of tool to track your visits and their behavior, you will be collecting private information.

For example, you compile which pages they visit the most, from which city and country, the language they speak, the device they use to view your website.

 If You Use Plugins That Connect with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.

If, after viewing the information of your social networks on your website (the embedded timelines, the like button on your website, etc.) and the visitor has any interaction with these elements, you will already be collecting their data (their social profiles).

We now turn to the most practical part. We are already apparent that in 99% of cases, your website will need to have a Privacy Policy page.

What Should We Put?

We know you think that it doesn’t matter what you put on this specific page on your website because nobody reads it.
But there is the double side of the coin.

This page is so essential because whoever reads it is interested in knowing what it says and why? Because usually he or she is so curious. It is because he is angry with you for any reason and wants to seek legal tickling.

We can’t tell you exactly what to put because it depends on your page and what you have on it concerning the personal data of your visits or users, but we can tell you which elements you should mention so that you have backs covered.

Clarification

We are not lawyers or specialists in property law and data protection issues; therefore, we are not responsible for your particular Privacy Policy page. Everyone is accountable for their content. This article is only a guide.

From our point of view, what should have a relevant Privacy Policy page in WordPress is:

• Say what data you are collecting.
• Also, say from where on the web this data is collected.
• Say what purpose is to collect the data.
• Say how the data is collected (forms, cookies, etc.).
• If the data collected is transferred to third parties, you have to say so.
• You have to have a link to the cookies-page 
• You have to indicate how long you stay with that data 
• Then you have to indicate to the user who visits you that at any time, they can exercise their right to ask you to delete all the data you have about them.
• You have to indicate who you are, your contact information, tax information (if you are a company), and the best way to contact you.

We believe that we did not leave any. If so, then add it yourself! Each Privacy Policy page in WordPress is different and unique.

You May Also Read: 5+ Best Form Builder Plugins for your WordPress Website

Add Privacy Policy Page to WordPress

Although you have to know that WordPress offers you three ways to create and link the Privacy Policy page.

Since recent versions in a default WordPress installation, there is already a page with a draft status on Privacy Policy.

This page contains a template that you have to finish filling out and publishing on your own.

To add that page (or the one you use if it is not that) to your website, the best place to add it is in the footer.

 Add Via Menu

By creating a specific menu in Appearance → Menus, you can easily add your privacy page.

 Add Using a Widget

Here you can choose to use a menu widget in the widget area you want (usually in the footer ) or use a text widget (WordPress Privacy Policy Plugin) and there include what we are going to see in the next method.

 Add Manually

Here you can simply add a small HTML code with the link to the Privacy Policy page wherever you want, and link the page to the word or words you want through the traditional WordPress method.

This is the HTML code that you will need if you decide to use that method:

<a href="/privacy-policy"> Privacy Policy </a>

In this code example, your page should be found at www.yourdomain.com/privacy-policy.

Conclusion

As you can see, it is essential to consider compliance with the RGPD and have a relevant Privacy Policy page on your website.

We recommend that you review each of the elements that obtain personal data from visitors to your website and that you mention them on that page.

Try to make the text easy for everyone to read, with everything neat and clean, and don’t leave anything to mention.

We hope this article has helped you, and see you in the next one! If you have any difficulties, please join our Theme Rally Community to ask your questions.