Why it matters
Consent has to be as easy to refuse as to give. European data protection authorities reviewing banners said most of them considered a missing reject option on the first layer a problem, and the UK ICO says the same in its cookie guidance. It also makes your Accept rate meaningless, because people only clicked it to make the box go away.
How Patch checks
When we find a banner, we look for a reject-style button on its first layer in several languages ("Reject all", "Decline", "Necessary only", "Alle ablehnen", "Tout refuser" and others). Consent tools we recognise are checked by their own button IDs.
How to fix it
- Add a "Reject all" button next to "Accept all" on the first screen of your banner.
- Make the two buttons the same size and style.
- Keep "Settings" as a third option for people who want to choose.
Your own report goes further: it names the exact pages, services and settings Patch found on your site, and with a full report you get a fix prompt to paste into Lovable, Bolt or Cursor.
Where this applies
Applies to visitors in the UK and the EU.