Install User Consent Tools (GDPR) - Dashboard Installer

Link: https://support.brilliantdirectories.com/support/solutions/articles/12000109094

The Install New Updates module on the admin dashboard lists one-time platform installers that still have pending steps on the site. Clicking the green Check For Updates button refreshes the list — an installer only appears when the site actually has something left to install, and it disappears from the list once its steps are complete.

What Install User Consent Tools (GDPR) Does

This installer adds GDPR consent capture to the website. It does two things: it adds database columns so consent can be recorded with each record, and it adds a consent checkbox field to the public-facing forms. It changes database structure and form layout; it does not delete or rewrite the existing content.

First, it adds a user_consent column (a TEXT field) to five database tables, one step per table, if the column is not already there:

  • users_data (member listings)
  • users_reviews (member reviews)
  • contacts (contact submissions)
  • leads (leads)
  • form_inquiries (form inquiries)

Second, it inserts a consent checkbox field into the forms. The field is named user_consent_gdpr, is a Custom field type, is added as not required, and displays a consent-checkboxes widget. It is added only to forms that already exist on the site, and only if that form does not already have the field. The forms and the widget each one uses are:

  • whmcs_signup_paid, signup_free, and whmcs_signup_external (paid, free, and external signup forms) use the Bootstrap Theme - Form - User Consent Checkboxes widget.
  • whmcs_upgrade_account (the account upgrade form) uses the Bootstrap Theme - Form - User Consent Checkboxes widget.
  • member_review (the member review form) uses the Bootstrap Theme - Form - Review Consent Checkboxes widget.
  • contact_form (the contact us form) uses the Bootstrap Theme - Form - Contact Form Consent Checkboxes widget.
  • bootstrap_get_match (the lead form) uses the Bootstrap Theme - Form - Lead Consent Checkboxes widget.
  • newsletter_signup_footer and newsletter_signup (the footer and standard newsletter forms) use the Bootstrap Theme - Form - Newsletter Consent Checkboxes widget.

On the signup and lead forms, if the installer finds an existing terms-and-conditions link field, it hides that field and places the new consent field in the same position. Otherwise it places the consent field just before the form's reCAPTCHA. On the other forms the consent field is inserted next to the form's reCAPTCHA, save button, or honeypot field.

Why It Appears

This installer runs twelve separate checks and appears whenever at least one of them finds something still missing. For the five database steps, a step is pending if its table does not yet have a user_consent column. For the form steps, a step is pending only when that form already exists on the site and does not yet contain the user_consent_gdpr field. If a form is not present on the site, that step reports the form is not customized and offers no action.

In plain terms, it shows up when any of the five consent columns is missing, or when any of the existing forms is missing its consent checkbox. Sites that already have every column and every form field in place will not see this installer.

Why It Matters

GDPR compliance depends on both recording consent and asking for it. The user_consent columns give each member listing, review, contact, lead, and form inquiry a place to store the consent captured at submission time. The consent checkbox fields put an explicit opt-in on the signup, upgrade, review, contact, lead, and newsletter forms, so visitors actively agree before submitting. Skipping the installer will not break the current site, but the forms will not present a consent checkbox and there will be no column to store consent against these records.

How to Run It

  1. From the admin dashboard, find the Install New Updates module and click Check For Updates.
  2. If the site has pending steps, Install User Consent Tools (GDPR) appears in the list. Click Install.
  3. After it completes, click Check For Updates again. The entry disappears once all steps are done.

If Install User Consent Tools (GDPR) does not appear in the list, the website already has the consent columns and form fields in place, so there is nothing to do.

After Running

A consent checkbox appears on each affected form (signup, upgrade, review, contact, lead, and newsletter), and each of the five tables gains its user_consent column. The existing form fields and records keep their data. On the signup and lead forms, any previous terms-and-conditions field is hidden rather than deleted, replaced in place by the new consent field.

Each step re-checks the database and forms before making any change. The column steps look for the user_consent column first, and the form steps look for the existing user_consent_gdpr field and report a warning instead of adding a duplicate. This makes the installer safe to run even if part of it was applied earlier. Because the form steps only touch forms that already exist, if one of these forms is added to the site later, run the installer again to add the consent field to it.