Does WPConsent support server-side WP Consent API?

Does WPConsent support server-side WP Consent API? wp_has_consent() returns true pre-consent

Environment:

• WPConsent (Cookies Banner & Privacy Suite): 1.1.7
• WP Consent API: 2.0.1
• Consent model: opt-in
• WordPress, PHP 7.3+

I’m trying to gate cookies server-side (PHP) using the WP Consent API while WPConsent is active in opt-in mode, and the server-side consent check reports consent as granted before the visitor has accepted anything.

On a fresh visit with no consent given:

• wp_get_consent_type() returns “” (empty)
• wp_has_consent('marketing') returns true
• No wp_consent_marketing cookie exists at all

Client-side, everything looks correct on the same page load: window.wp_consent_type is “optin” and the JS wp_has_consent(‘marketing’) returns false before consent. It’s only the server side where the type is empty and consent comes back as granted.

How to reproduce — drop this into a plugin or the theme’s functions.php:

add_action( 'wp_footer', function () { printf( '<script>console.log("CONSENT_DEBUG", %s);</script>', wp_json_encode( array( 'wp_get_consent_type' => function_exists( 'wp_get_consent_type' ) ? wp_get_consent_type() : 'missing', 'wp_has_consent_marketing' => function_exists( 'wp_has_consent' ) ? wp_has_consent( 'marketing' ) : 'missing', 'wp_consent_marketing_cookie' => isset( $_COOKIE['wp_consent_marketing'] ) ? $_COOKIE['wp_consent_marketing'] : null, ) ) ); } );

Load the site in a fresh incognito window (no consent given) and check the console.

Observed output:

CONSENT_DEBUG { "wp_get_consent_type": "", "wp_has_consent_marketing": true, "wp_consent_marketing_cookie": null }

Expected (opt-in, before consent):

wp_get_consent_type = "optin" wp_has_consent(...) = false

Why this matters: any plugin that sets cookies in PHP and checks wp_has_consent() before doing so will set them before consent, because the API reports consent as granted. WPConsent’s client-side script blocking can’t stop cookies that PHP sets during the request, so they end up loading before consent.

Questions:

1. With WPConsent active, why does wp_get_consent_type() return empty in PHP? Should it not report optin server-side the way it does client-side?
2. Because the type is empty, wp_has_consent(‘marketing’) returns true before the visitor consents. Is server-side wp_has_consent() meant to be usable with WPConsent, or is consent enforced client-side only?
3. If server-side is supported, is there a setting we’re missing to make wp_get_consent_type() / wp_has_consent() reflect consent state in PHP?

Thanks for any clarification!