What Legal Pages Should a Website Have | 7 Must-Haves

EntrepreneursWebsite & bloggers
Written By Selene Snippe

What legal pages should a website have? I’m giving you a full overview of all the essential legal documents you need, whether you’re an online business owner, blogger or creator.

Starting an online business or becoming a creator and making your dreams come true is a HUGE step, and if you’re anything like me, you are researching everything you need to ensure you have everything you need to legally protect your business. As a lawyer myself who drafts contracts for small business owners and creators like you, I am giving you the complete answer to your burning question: What legal pages should a website have?

I will give you a full overview to answer the big question of what legal pages should a website have, including all the applicable website rules and regulations and international website compliance laws. 

After learning about what legal pages should a website have, you will legally protect your business, your money and your brand’s reputation.

This post is all about what legal pages should a website have to comply with laws and protect your business, money and reputation.

Ultimate Guide to What Legal Pages Should a Website Have

Website rules and regulations and website compliance laws

Privacy and data protection laws worldwide require you to put certain measures in place for your website. For example, you must inform your website’s visitors about what data you collect and how it’s used, stored, and protected. 

You could face hefty fines if you do not comply with these website rules and regulations. Not having the right legal pages for website compliance laws is not worth the risk, and it’s a requirement that can easily be met.

But when it comes to the question “What legal pages should a website have?" there is more you need. Not only should you comply with website rules and regulations, but you must also have legal pages that protect your business, money and reputation (which you might find more important than just avoiding fines).

So, in this guide on what legal pages should a website have, I will give you an overview of everything you need, not only for website compliance laws but also for your protection, so your website generates money, AND you keep that money.

Legal pages your website must have

1. Privacy policy

Privacy laws around the world require you to inform your website’s visitors about what data you collect and how it’s used, stored, and protected. 

That is why you are obligated to have a privacy policy on your website, as it outlines exactly what data you collect and how it’s used, stored, and protected (or it should, at least).

I often get some form of this question: “I only have a landing page, so do I need to have a privacy policy for a landing page?”

A landing page is a one-page website for marketing purposes to drive leads/conversions. For this purpose, landing pages typically require visitors to provide their personal information/data, like their names, email addresses, etc. Any website (even if it is just a one-pager) that collects personal data must comply with the applicable privacy laws.

So, in short, yes, even if you only have a landing page, you need to have a privacy policy on that landing page.

2. Cookie policy

Privacy laws also require you to have a cookie policy on your website if you use cookies (which is likely the case). 

You must inform your website visitors about the cookies placed, their purposes, and how your website visitors can give their permission to use those cookies. 

Many people know that using cookies to deliver personalised advertising falls under privacy law. However, using analytics to measure the performance or functionality of your website also counts as collecting personal information.

Website compliance laws apply if your website collects users’ IP addresses, advertising IDs, location, and referral data or tracks their usage.

So, if you have a website and you intend to have people visit that website (it’s public), then you are required to have a privacy policy AND a cookie policy on your website. 

3. Website terms of use

No website rules and regulations require you to have terms and conditions for your website (also called “terms of use”). But this legal document is, arguably, the most important document on your website. Why? Because, as opposed to the privacy and cookie policies, this document protects YOU!

The terms of use say what you permit and do not permit on your website. They are essential website rules to protect yourself from legal disputes and claims.

How do the website terms of use protect my business?

The website terms of use contain terms to:

  • protect your intellectual property rights to your content,

  • determine how website visitors can share your content (because you want the world to know about your website but still make sure your rights are protected),

  • instruct visitors on how they can use the website and, especially, how they may NOT use your website (no mean comments, no spam, just don’t do stupid things, please!),

  • terminate anyone’s use of your website at your sole discretion,

  • give you the right to use the comments, testimonials, pictures, etc., people post or upload on your site so that you can share them (on your website and other platforms)!

Also, you can prevent lawsuits and limit your risk of liability for any errors, omissions, and inaccuracies found on your website (which are inevitable, as we all make mistakes). 

Despite these protections, someone may still want to sue you for whatever (grounded or ungrounded) reason. Anyone from anywhere can visit your website. Thus, you could also end up in a dispute with people anywhere in the world. That is why you must have your dispute resolution process stipulated in your terms of use, such as where and how you will handle legal disputes (except for certain privacy and consumer rights).

4. Disclaimer page

Another legal page you must have is a disclaimer page, also called a disclaimer statement. 

Disclaimers limit your legal liability for the content you publish on your website.

Not having a disclaimer page can lead to claims and lawsuits when someone relies on the information on your site and suffers a negative outcome. That could be a recommendation you made for a(n) (affiliate) product, your coaching service, or advice you gave on any subject that hurt someone.

The same goes for the disclaimer statement as for the terms of use; the law does not require it, but a disclaimer is essential if you do not want to end up in a legal dispute.

So, make sure to have a disclaimer on your website that includes various legal disclaimers to protect you.

5. Terms & conditions for digital products

Are you selling digital products on your website, like guides, eBooks, meal plans or workbooks? Then, you need terms and conditions for digital products (not physical products).

Website terms of use cover the use of the website itself. They may contain a few terms relating to both paid and free products and services, like the copyrights to the products and materials and the refund policy (to make it very clear). However, they do not cover the sale of the digital products you sell.

To be fully protected, you need to have terms and conditions specific to digital products, like regarding the payment, delivery (how the purchaser receives the digital product), and refund terms. Another example is the authorised use of intellectual property rights.

Protecting yourself is not just about limiting your liability. It’s also about setting boundaries. Especially when selling digital products, it is crucial to be very clear about your refund policy, as digital products can not be returned like physical products. 

It is essential to have exact boundaries so that your client does not expect more than what the client paid for, and their customer experience will be better.

For more on what you need in your terms and conditions for digital products, read this blog post on the 10 Must-Haves for All Terms and Conditions for Digital Products.

6. Terms and conditions for online courses

Are you (also) selling an online course? In that case, you (also) need terms and conditions specifically for online courses.

These differ from terms and conditions for digital products, as you give your customers access to a digital platform, not just to download a digital product.

So, you must have terms specifically for the platform. Do your customers receive life-long or limited access? And what does “life-long” mean? Do you give them bonus offers for additional courses? Do student groups get access to a private (Facebook) group? If so, what are the behaviour rules? Do they get a refund? If so, does the refund depend on the percentage of the course accessed by the customer or the amount of work they have done?

These are all things you must have clearly stated in your course terms and conditions.

For more on what you need in your course terms and conditions, read this blog post on the 11 Essentials All Course Terms and Conditions Must Have for Course Creators.

7. Affiliate terms and conditions

Have an affiliate program? Or do you want to start an affiliate program? Then, you must protect yourself from (intended and unintended) misuse of the materials and links you provide.

For example, you must ensure that:

  • your affiliates do not provide any incorrect information about your products or services. If that does happen, you should be entitled to have them correct or change that information as soon as possible.

  • you remain the owner of the intellectual property rights to the materials you provide to your affiliates, such as pictures, to promote your products. 

  • your affiliates do not misuse the links or materials you’ve provided or your intellectual property rights (by using links in a spam mail or copying your materials for their products/services).

  • you are not liable for any errors in your tracking system if it does not register sales made through the affiliate link, and you are not required to pay the affiliate in that case.

  • your affiliates comply with the disclosure requirements under applicable laws. Your affiliates should indemnify you if the governmental authorities come after you for non-compliance by your affiliates.

You need to have all that and more stipulated in affiliate terms, which your affiliates must agree to before being admitted as an affiliate to your program.

Every legal page template you need

Are you in need of a legal page template on this list? I have all the templates you need! Here is a short overview:

The ultimate FREE guide to the 11 Essential Legal Elements for Your Website

In this blog post, we have answered the question, “What legal pages should a website have?”. But there is so much more you need to know for website compliance laws and for your business’s protection. For example: 

  • where and how to display your privacy policy on your website, 

  • how to formulate your copyright statement on your website, and 

  • how to get consent for newsletters the right way

I tell you exactly how in my super practical guide on the 11 Essential Legal Elements for Your Website. 

Subscribe to my newsletter to get your FREE copy now!

This post was all about what legal pages should a website have to protect online entrepreneurs, bloggers and creators.

You can get your complete Legal Website Bundle (including the essential legal page EVERY website must have) on this page of my contract shop!

Want to know about what essentials you need in your affiliate terms and conditions? Read this blog post on the 11 Crucial Terms Every Affiliate Terms and Conditions Template Must Have.

Are you selling digital products? Read this blog post on the 10 Must-Haves for All Terms and Conditions for Digital Products.

Are you selling an online course? Read this blog post on the 11 Essentials All Course Terms and Conditions Must Have for Course Creators.

Selene Snippe
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