Understanding Secure Privacy's domain licensing model is essential for accurate compliance setup and billing. This article explains why domains and subdomains each require their own license, what counts as a subpage (covered by the parent domain license), and how to identify what needs to be licensed on your website.
Who Is This For?
Compliance teams managing cookie consent across multiple domains and subdomains
Website administrators handling domain and subdomain configurations in Secure Privacy
Marketers and operations teams coordinating cross-domain or cross-subdomain campaigns
Why Domains and Subdomains Each Require a Separate License
Domains and subdomains are technically separate entities in how browsers and tracking technologies work. Both can independently place cookies and trackers on a visitor's device — which means each requires its own Secure Privacy license under both privacy compliance requirements and billing policies.
What Requires a License vs. What Is Already Covered
Subpages under a licensed domain or subdomain are covered by that domain's license — they do not require a separate license. The table below summarizes what does and does not require its own license:
Type |
Example |
License Required? |
|---|---|---|
Root domain |
example.com |
Yes |
Subpage |
example.com/subpage |
No — covered by the domain license |
Subdomain |
subdomain.example.com |
Yes — requires its own separate license |
Frequently Asked Questions
Do all subdomains always require a separate license?
Yes, in most cases. Because subdomains function as technically separate entities and can independently place cookies and trackers — even if they are part of the same overall website — each subdomain requires its own Secure Privacy license to ensure full compliance coverage.
Are test or staging subdomains licensed differently?
Licensing for test, staging, or development subdomains depends on whether they place cookies or trackers — even in a non-production environment. If tracking is active, a license is required. Contact Secure Privacy support at [email protected] if you are unsure whether your specific subdomain configuration requires a license.
If I have a licensed domain, do I need to add subpages separately?
No. Subpages — such as example.com/about or example.com/contact — are automatically covered by the root domain's license. Only separate domains and subdomains require individual licenses.