BigCommerce GPSR & EAA Compliance Guide for EU Sellers

BigCommerce is a powerful and flexible ecommerce platform used by thousands of EU-facing stores. But its out-of-the-box configuration leaves most EU compliance requirements completely unaddressed. Unlike some platforms where compliance features are built into the admin panel, BigCommerce requires store owners to actively configure manufacturer data fields, legal pages, cookie consent, and accessibility improvements. This guide walks through every step.

Adding manufacturer information to BigCommerce

GPSR Article 9 requires manufacturer name, address, and contact to appear on every product page. BigCommerce's native product fields do not include a dedicated "manufacturer address" or "electronic contact" field visible to store visitors. The most practical approach is to use Custom Fields:

1. In your BigCommerce admin, navigate to Products → Add/Edit Product → Custom Fields.
2. Create fields named Manufacturer Name, Manufacturer Address, and Manufacturer Contact.
3. Populate these fields for each product.
4. Edit your Stencil theme template (typically templates/components/products/product-view.html) to render the custom fields using the {{product.custom_fields}} variable in the product detail section.

If you are not comfortable editing Stencil templates directly, BigCommerce's Page Builder allows you to add custom HTML widgets to product pages — you can use this to display a manufacturer information block, though it requires updating per product for accuracy. For stores with a large catalogue, consider using the BigCommerce API to batch-populate custom fields. The Products API supports bulk updates via the /v2/products/{id}/custom_fields endpoint.

BigCommerce product identifiers and SKU visibility

BigCommerce has a built-in SKU field for every product, but by default most themes do not display the SKU on the product page for customers. To meet the GPSR product identifier requirement, enable SKU visibility and configure additional identifier fields:

• In the Cornerstone theme, locate the product-view template and add the {{product.sku}} variable to the visible product information section.
• For batch numbers or lot numbers, use Custom Fields as described above — create a field named Batch Number and render it in your theme template.
• If you use variants, ensure each variant has its own SKU — variant-level SKUs are supported and should be displayed when a variant is selected by the customer.
• For products with GTINs or EANs, use the UPC/EAN field in BigCommerce's product form and verify your theme renders this field visibly on the product page.

Legal pages and footer links in BigCommerce

BigCommerce includes a built-in Web Pages feature for creating legal pages. Navigate to Storefront → Web Pages → Create a Page to add the required EU legal pages. You will need at minimum:

• Privacy Policy (GDPR-compliant, covering all data processing activities)
• Terms and Conditions (purchase terms, delivery, liability, dispute resolution)
• Returns and Refund Policy (explicitly stating the 14-day EU withdrawal right)
• Cookie Policy (linked from your cookie consent banner)
• Impressum (required if you sell to German consumers under §5 TMG)

Once the pages are created, add them to your footer navigation via Storefront → Navigation → Footer Navigation. In BigCommerce, footer links are managed through the navigation manager — drag and drop the legal pages into the footer section. Verify that these links appear on every page of your store, including the checkout, by inspecting the rendered footer in your theme.

GDPR cookie consent for BigCommerce

BigCommerce does not include a native GDPR-compliant cookie consent mechanism. You will need to add a third-party solution. The BigCommerce App Marketplace offers several options:

• Cookiebot (Cybot): Automatically scans your site for cookies, generates a compliant banner with granular consent categories, and blocks non-essential cookies until consent is given. Well-regarded for multi-language support across EU markets.
• OneTrust: Enterprise-grade consent management. More configuration required, but highly flexible for large catalogues with complex tracking setups.
• Axeptio: Designed specifically for EU compliance with a focus on user-friendly consent UX. Popular with French and Southern European stores.
• Script-based options: Open-source cookie banners can be injected via BigCommerce's Script Manager under Storefront → Script Manager, which allows adding scripts globally across all pages.

Whichever solution you choose, verify that analytics and advertising cookies are blocked until the user accepts them. Pre-ticked boxes and implied consent are not compliant under GDPR.

EAA accessibility compliance for BigCommerce stores

The European Accessibility Act (EAA), enforceable from June 28, 2025, requires ecommerce services operating in the EU to meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA accessibility standards. For BigCommerce stores, the key areas to address are:

• Image alt text: BigCommerce's admin allows alt text per product image, but the default Cornerstone theme does not always render it correctly in all contexts. Audit your theme's image templates, particularly carousel and gallery components.
• Form labels: Checkout form inputs must have properly associated <label> elements. Test using a screen reader or the WAVE accessibility tool to verify every input field is labelled.
• Keyboard navigation: Verify that all interactive elements — menus, modals, product filters, the cart drawer — are operable via keyboard alone. Tab order should be logical and visible focus indicators should be present.
• Colour contrast: BigCommerce's default Cornerstone theme generally passes WCAG AA colour contrast, but customised themes frequently introduce violations. Test all text and background colour combinations in your theme.
• Skip navigation link: Add a "Skip to main content" link as the first focusable element in your theme layout to allow screen reader users to bypass repetitive navigation.

EU Responsible Person for BigCommerce merchants

If your products are manufactured outside the EU, you must appoint an EU Responsible Person — a legal entity based in the EU that accepts product liability on your behalf under GPSR Article 4. The Responsible Person's name, address, and electronic contact must appear on every product page, just as the manufacturer's information does. For a detailed explanation of what the EU Responsible Person role entails and how to find a compliant service provider, see the dedicated guide at /guides/gpsr-responsible-person.

EuroGPSR checks your BigCommerce store for GPSR manufacturer information, product identifiers, legal page presence, cookie consent, and over 20 EAA accessibility signals automatically. Run a free scan to see your compliance score and a prioritised action list. For the step-by-step BigCommerce configuration walkthrough, see our BigCommerce GPSR guide.