
Website terms of use
- Quick and easy to complete
- Provides key protections for your website
- Essential for running a successful website
Website terms of use (also called terms of use, website terms and conditions, or terms of service) are a set of terms and disclaimers that protect your site from undesirable use and help to protect your business if something goes wrong on your site.
Through your website terms of use you can set guidelines for visitors using your site, and limit your liability to users.
These standard website terms of use also help to protect your site from unauthorised copying, and set out what kind of content users are allowed to post.
Don’t forget to also download our Checklist of information to include to ensure your website is legally compliant.
You can also purchase these terms of use as part of the Starting an online business toolkit.
Q&A
When should I use this document?
You should use these standard website terms of use if you run a website and want to protect it from unauthorised use.
Your website terms of use should be obvious and easily accessible to your customers and other users – eg you could include a hyperlink on your website.
Make sure you keep your terms of use updated if you change the way you run your website or any of your business details change.
What does this document cover?
This website terms of use covers all the key terms needed to protect your website, in an easy-to-read format. The terms of use include:
- a copyright notice, to protect the copyright and other intellectual property in your website and preventing others from using it for commercial purposes;
- a disclaimer, which limits your liability to the users of the site if something goes wrong with the site;
- rules around how users are allowed to post or submit content to the site;
- a licence which allows you to use the content that users post to the site; and
- your right to terminate a user’s access to the site.
Why do I need this document?
You need standard website terms of use because they help you to set up guidelines for how customers and other visitors should use your website.
Website terms of use safeguard your business in the following ways:
- protecting your site from unauthorised use;
- protecting your intellectual property from being copied or used in a way you don’t intend;
- limiting your liability to users of the website if they have any problems with your site (like their computer getting a virus after using your site).
Although website terms of use are not a legal requirement, they are a key way of protecting your business and helping your site run efficiently and successfully. They should be used in conjunction with Privacy policy and Cookie policy.
Where can I find out more?
If you want to find out more about running a successful website and website terms of use, see Website content and terms of use.
If you make sales online, Terms and conditions for online sales provides guidance on how to make sure your terms are legally sound.
You can also use Checklist of information to include to ensure your website is legally compliant to check you haven’t missed any essential requirements on your website.
Related Toolkits
Starting an online business toolkit
- How-to guide: Starting an online business toolkit
Privacy policy
Cookie policy
Website terms of use
Terms and conditions
Cancellation form
VAT invoice
Non-VAT invoice
Quick guide to customer rights in online sales
Checklist of information to include to ensure your website is legally compliant
Small claims toolkit
- How-to guide: Small claims toolkit
Letter before action
Witness statement
Letter of non-attendance for small claims hearing
Redundancy toolkit
- How-to guide: Redundancy toolkit
Redundancy - Letter warning of proposed redundancies
Redundancy - Selection criteria form
Redundancy - Provisional selection for redundancy letter
Redundancy - First individual consultation meeting agenda
Redundancy - Outcome of individual consultation meeting
Redundancy - Invitation to final individual consultation meeting
Redundancy - Final individual consultation meeting agenda
Redundancy - Notice of termination of employment
Redundancy - Offer of alternative employment
Disciplinary toolkit
- How-to guide: Disciplinary toolkit
Suspension letter pending investigation
Disciplinary investigation template
Invitation to attend a disciplinary hearing
Invitation to attend meeting to discuss sickness absence
List of common disabilities
Note taking template for disciplinary proceedings
Basic script for conducting a disciplinary hearing
First written warning for capability
First written warning for misconduct
Final written warning for capability
Final written warning for misconduct
Sickness absence meeting - outcome letter
Dismissal letter
Invitation to attend a disciplinary appeal hearing
Basic script for conducting a disciplinary appeal hearing
Letter to confirm outcome of a disciplinary appeal