Withdrawal button checklist
Since 19 June 2026, online traders selling to consumers in the EU need a withdrawal function (Article 11a of Directive 2011/83/EU; in Germany § 356a BGB, in Austria § 13a FAGG from 1 October 2026). Whether you use an app, embed a script or build it yourself, these points let you check any solution: first what the law requires, then what makes the difference in practice.
Part 1: what the law requires
| Check | Source |
|---|---|
| 1. The button reads “withdraw from contract here” (in the language of the page), or an equally unambiguous formulation. | Art. 11a(1) |
| 2. It is available throughout the withdrawal period, prominently placed and easily accessible: on every page, without a login or customer account. | Art. 11a(1) |
| 3. It leads directly to a form for the consumer’s name, the details identifying the contract and the e-mail address for the confirmation. | Art. 11a(2) |
| 4. The declaration is sent with a confirmation function reading “confirm withdrawal”. | Art. 11a(3) |
| 5. An acknowledgement of receipt goes out without undue delay on a durable medium, with the content of the declaration and the date and time it was received. Check that it is sent always and automatically, not only on request. | Art. 11a(4) |
| 6. Your withdrawal information tells consumers the function exists and where to find it. | Art. 6(1)(h) |
The statutory wording in all 24 EU languages: overview.
Part 2: what makes the difference in practice
The law does not require these. They decide whether you notice a withdrawal in time, and whether you have something in hand if it is disputed.
| Check | Why |
|---|---|
| 7. Every declaration is stored with its time, can be exported, and its content can be proven later, for instance with a check value anyone can recompute. | Whether and when a declaration arrived is the first question in a dispute. |
| 8. You receive every declaration by e-mail yourself, not only on your next look at a dashboard. | The refund is due within 14 days (Art. 13(1)). |
| 9. Button and form are accessible: keyboard operable, labelled fields, enough contrast, in your colour too. | The European Accessibility Act (Directive (EU) 2019/882) has applied to many online shops since 28 June 2025. |
| 10. The declarations stay with you, and their processing is covered by an agreement under Art. 28 GDPR. | Withdrawal declarations are personal data. |
| 11. The form shows order details only once the person proves the order is theirs, for instance with a code sent to the order’s e-mail address. | Otherwise anyone with an order number and an e-mail address sees what someone else bought. |
| 12. The declaration is matched to its order, and cancellation and refund can be started from there. | It saves reconciling by hand. |
| 13. An existing “withdraw from contract here” link can open the form, with no second, floating button. | Many shops already have the link in their footer. |
| 14. You can test the whole flow yourself without anyone withdrawing. | Otherwise you see what your customers receive only at the first real withdrawal. |
And Cooloff?
Cooloff is a free app on the Wix App Market. It brings points 1 to 5 and 7 to 14; point 6 stays with you.
- Point 5: the acknowledgement goes out automatically, with a receipt file anyone can verify in a browser. If a sending limit holds it back, the dashboard shows it and resends on a click.
- Point 9: automated check with axe-core on 18 September 2026, 0 violations. The label reaches at least 4.5:1 contrast on any colour you choose.
- Point 10: the declarations live in a data collection of your own Wix site. The data processing agreement is published.
- Point 14: one click in the dashboard sends you the acknowledgement and your own copy, marked as a test. Nothing is stored.