How Does Marketo Comply with GDPR?
Marketo Engage provides features to support lawful basis, consent capture, data subject rights, and data governance. This page explains the practical controls—forms, preferences, retention, and audit—that marketing and RevOps teams configure to operate compliantly.
Marketo supports GDPR compliance by enabling consent and preference management (opt-in, opt-out, purpose tags), lawful basis tracking on people records, data minimization & retention (field governance and purge policies), access/erase portability workflows (DSARs), and auditability (activity logs & version history). When configured with a cookie consent platform, CRM, and a Data Processing Addendum (DPA), teams can capture consent, restrict processing by purpose, honor data subject rights, and document processing across campaigns.
Key GDPR Controls in Marketo (and Surrounding Stack)
Marketo GDPR Configuration Playbook
Use this sequence to operationalize lawful processing, demonstrate accountability, and reduce risk while protecting pipeline.
Discover → Design → Configure → Prove → Enforce → Respond → Improve
- Discover processing: Inventory forms, cookies, smart campaigns, data flows, and sub-processors; identify purposes and lawful bases.
- Design consent model: Map subscription types to purposes; define required language, evidence fields, and data retention timelines.
- Configure Marketo: Build consent fields, gated smart campaigns, global form templates, and a branded preference center; integrate CMP.
- Prove lawful basis: Stamp each consent with time, source, method, and versioned disclosure; store evidence link (e.g., policy page).
- Enforce in sends: Use smart list constraints so emails and ads exclude profiles lacking valid basis for the selected purpose.
- Respond to DSARs: Standard operating procedure to find, export, correct, restrict, or erase within SLA; log the response.
- Improve & audit: Quarterly checks for orphaned fields, inactive programs, and expired consents; refresh disclosure copy versions.
GDPR Capability Maturity Matrix (Marketo-Centric)
| Capability | From (Ad Hoc) | To (Operationalized) | Owner | Primary KPI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consent & Preferences | Single global opt-out | Purpose-based consent with audit trail & regional variants | Marketing Ops / Legal | Valid Consent %, Unsubscribe Accuracy |
| Lawful Basis Enforcement | Manual checks | Automated smart list gating by basis/purpose/expiry | Marketing Ops | Blocked Sends due to No Basis (lower is better) |
| Cookie Compliance | Always-on tracking | CMP-controlled cookies with category consent map | Web / Privacy | Consent Rate, Complaints |
| DSAR Handling | Ad hoc exports | SOP with SLA tracking across Marketo & CRM | Privacy / RevOps | DSAR Cycle Time, SLA Adherence |
| Retention & Minimization | Indefinite storage | Lifecycle purge and field governance policy | Data Governance | Aged Records Purged, Field Count |
| Audit & Evidence | Unstructured notes | Versioned disclosures, evidence links, activity logs | Legal / Compliance | Audit Findings (lower is better) |
Client Snapshot: Turning Consent into Trust (and Pipeline)
A global B2B firm rebuilt its Marketo forms and preference center with purpose-based consent and CMP integration. Result: fewer blocked sends, higher deliverability, faster DSAR responses, and cleaner data for pipeline modeling. Explore results: Comcast Business · Broadridge
Need hands-on help? Our team configures Marketo for GDPR with evidence-based consent, lawful basis gating, and DSAR workflows—all aligned to your policies and tech stack.
Frequently Asked Questions: Marketo & GDPR
Operationalize GDPR in Marketo
We’ll configure consent and preferences, enforce lawful basis, integrate your CMP, and stand up DSAR workflows—so teams can market confidently.
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