3+ Must-Have Legal Pages For Websites & How To Generate Them

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When building a website there are a lot of things to consider. However, one thing that often gets overlooked is the legal side of things. Every website needs certain legal pages to protect it but it can be overwhelming if you don’t know where to start.

In this article, I want to go over the legal pages that your website needs in place so that both you and your website visitors are protected.

But before we begin, a short disclaimer from me 🙂

Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer. The information in this post is for informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice in any way. I am not liable for any damages resulting from using the information in this article. Please consult a lawyer for advice on your unique business situation.

Let’s Begin!

1. Privacy Policy

First up, let’s talk about privacy policies. A privacy policy lets users know what information you are collecting from them and how you plan to use this information. It also lets them know how they can control their data.

User data can include things like their name, email address, and browsing history for example.

It is important to have a privacy policy in place because it provides transparency to your users and gives them control over their data should they wish to access, correct, or delete any of their information with you.

Items To Include In A Privacy Policy Document

When creating a privacy policy there are a few things you need to include:

  • An explanation of what information you collect from your website visitors.
  • Why user information is collected.
  • How this information is used and if it is shared.
  • How website visitors can access and control their information.
  • How your website visitors’ information is protected.

How To Create A Privacy Policy Page

WordPress comes with a built-in privacy policy generator which is great if you want to generate a privacy policy directly from your website. However, I have found that the WordPress privacy policy generator is pretty basic and doesn’t include a lot of the important information that other privacy policy generators include.

That said, if you would like to use the WordPress privacy policy generator, you can find it in your WordPress admin panel under Settings > Privacy.

How To Find A Privacy Policy Generator

The easiest way to create a Privacy Policy page is by using a Privacy Policy Generator. There are plenty out there and a simple Google search will help you find one that is sure to suit your needs.

I have however looked at quite a few privacy policy generators and my favorite is a legal pages generator from policymaker.io. Policymaker.io is a free tool that allows you to quickly and easily generate legal pages for websites simply by answering a couple of questions.

To use it, head on over to their website and complete the questions – there are only about 8 questions so it really is quick and easy!

When you are done, you will be given the option to copy your privacy policy to the clipboard. From here you can paste your privacy policy into any word processor.

Note that most legal page generators will use standard templates to generate their legal pages so if you need something specific for your website or business it is best to seek professional legal advice.

In my next article, I will show you exactly how to create your legal pages in WordPress.

2. Terms Of Service / Terms And Conditions

Next up is the Terms of Service page. The Terms of Service legal page contains all the rules and guidelines for your website.

It includes things like what is and isn’t allowed on your website. It tells users how they can interact with your website as well as with each other and what happens if someone breaks the rules. This is especially important if you have something like a comments section or forum.

Basically, your Terms of Service page is there to protect you and your website in case something goes wrong and it also helps you to enforce your website rules.

Items To Include In A Website Terms Of Service Page

When creating a Terms of Service page, you should include the following:

  • Information on your intellectual property rights and copyrights.
  • Information on how users can use your content.
  • A concise explanation of what is and isn’t allowed on your website.
  • Information on how disputes and issues are handled and resolved.
  • How website users can report violations of the terms of service.

How To Create A Terms Of Service Page

Just like your Privacy Policy page, the easiest way to create a Terms of Service page is by using a Terms of Service generator.

Again, you can use policymaker.io to create your terms of service page for you.

3. Disclaimer

A disclaimer is a document that you put in place to protect yourself if somebody accuses you of providing false or misleading information on your website. Basically, it is there to protect you in case somebody sues you because they didn’t like or agree with the information found on your website.

In legal speak, a Disclaimer page is therefore a document that limits your liability for the accuracy or reliability of the information that you provide on your website. This can include things like blog posts product descriptions or any user-generated content like comments.

What To Include In A Disclaimer

When creating a disclaimer for your website the following items should be included:

  • A statement that all the information on your website is for general informational purposes only. It should be made clear that any information is not intended as legal, financial, medical, or any other type of professional advice.
  • A statement saying that the information on your website may be incomplete or out-of-date and that you can not guarantee the accuracy of anything on your website.
  • A statement saying that you will not be liable for any damages that result from the use of the information on the website.

How To Create A Website Disclaimer

Just like the Privacy Policy and Terms Of Service pages, policymaker.io’s free disclaimer generator does a pretty good job of generating a website disclaimer.

That said, if you feel that the free Disclaimer generator is too basic for your business or website then you should seek professional legal advice before including the disclaimer on your website.

You worked hard on your website so it is important to protect it against intellectual property theft.

A copyright notice lets users know that your website content is protected by copyright. It also provides information on how users can contact you should they seek permission to use your content.

Basically, a copyright notice is there to make sure that no one else can use your content without your permission.

Note that laws regarding copyright do vary by country and jurisdiction so it is important to get to know what laws apply to your specific business.

While most copyright notices are usually found in the Terms Of Service page, it is important to check that it has been properly included. If not then you should create a seperate Copyright Notice Page.

It is also important to include a copyright notice in the footer of your website. This notice should include the following:

  • The copyright symbol (©)
  • The name of the copyright owner
  • The year

A basic copyright notice looks like this:

Copyright © 2023 Your Website Name

Related: How to add a copyright notice to your website footer.

5. About Us Page

In addition to the above legal pages, it is a good idea to include an “About Us” page.

An “About Us” page is important because it provides information about your business or website and it helps visitors understand what your business is about and who the people are behind it.

It’s a great way to make your website feel more personal and approachable and it can help build trust and credibility with your clients and website visitors.

6. Contact Us Page

Just like the about page, your website should definitely include a “Contact Us” page so that users can easily get in touch with you if they have any questions or concerns.

Your Contact page should include things like your email address, contact phone numbers, physical address, and so on.

Your contact page is also a good place to include other relevant information such as social media links for example.

Having a contact us page helps you to build trust and credibility with your clients and website users and it is a great place for them to provide you with valuable insights and feedback about your business.

In addition to your Privacy Policy, Terms of Service, Disclaimer, and Copyright Notices there are a few other legal pages that could be included on your website depending on your business.

Return And Refund Policy

If you are planning to sell goods and services on your website you will also need a Return and Refund Policy in place.

Return and refund policies outline how you handle any returns and refunds of goods and services that are sold from your website. This can include things like how long customers have to return an item, what condition the item needs to be in, and how any refunds are processed.

Shipping And Delivery Policy

A Shipping and Delivery Policy page outlines your business’s shipping and delivery policies which can include things like estimated delivery times, shipping costs, and any special conditions or restrictions that could apply.

This page is important because it lets customers know what to expect when ordering goods and services from your business so it is a good way to manage client expectations. It is also a good way to avoid customer complaints by providing clear and concise information up front so clients don’t have any unrealistic expectations.

Terms Of Sale

A Terms of Sale page outlines the terms and conditions that apply to the sale of products and services that you offer on your website. This can include information on things like payment methods, delivery times, and warranties.

Your website cookie policy is often included in either the Privacy Policy or Terms of Service pages. However, you can have a separate Cookie Policy page for this information. Your cookie policy page lets visitors know how you use cookies on the website on how they can manage their cookie preferences.

Affiliate Disclaimer

An Affiliate Disclaimer is really important if you plan to have affiliate links on your website. This page lets website visitors know that your website may contain affiliate product links and that you might earn a small commission for any purchases that they make through these links.

Conclusion

As a website owner, it’s important that you protect yourself, your content, and your website visitors. You can easily do this by adding the above legal pages to your website.

It is however important to note that laws regarding legal pages do vary from country to country so it is important to familiarise yourself with any laws that apply to your business. And as always, you should seek professional legal advice if you have any questions or concerns about your business.

In my next tutorial, I will show you how to add all these important legal pages to your website! Until then!

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