Verification methods

The Verification method setting on the app’s Home page decides how a visitor proves their age. Both methods are available on every plan.

Yes / No confirmation

The gate shows two buttons — by default I am old enough and I am not (both texts are editable in the theme editor).

• Pass — clicking the confirm button closes the gate and remembers the choice for your configured number of days.
• Decline — clicking the decline button shows your decline message, or redirects the visitor if you configured a redirect (Pro) — see Underage visitors.

This is the lightest option for shoppers and the most common pattern for alcohol, vape and 18+ stores.

Date of birth

The gate shows a date field (with the browser’s native date picker and autocomplete="bday" support) and an Enter button. The visitor’s age is computed from the entered date and compared to the minimum age that applies to them — the store default, or their country’s override if you configured one (Per-country ages).

Age is calculated on the visitor’s local date, so someone is counted as older starting on their birthday in their own timezone — not a day early or late.

The date of birth never leaves the browser

The comparison happens entirely in the shopper’s browser. The birth date is not sent to Optan, to Shopify, or anywhere else, and it is not stored. Even with the consent log enabled, only the outcome (pass or decline) is recorded — never the date. Details in Data & cookies.

Which one should you pick?

	Yes / No	Date of birth
Friction for shoppers	Minimal — one click	Low — one date entry
Signals diligence	Basic affirmation	Stronger: an explicit age declaration
Works with per-country ages	Yes — the threshold changes what “old enough” means	Yes — the entered date is checked against the country’s age
Typical use	General 18+ stores	Stores whose regulator or insurer expects an explicit date entry

Both methods are declarative — like every storefront age gate, they rely on the visitor answering honestly. If your jurisdiction requires documentary age verification (ID checks), an age gate alone is not sufficient; see the note in Terms of service.

Remembering the choice

Whichever method you choose, a successful pass sets one small first-party cookie (optan_ag_pass) so returning visitors aren’t asked again. You control the duration with Remember the visitor’s choice for (days) — from 0 (ask again next session) to 365 days. The cookie stores no personal data — just the value 1.