Terms of Service

Terms of Service: Create Verified Website and App Terms

Verified terms of service are the contract between your business and the people who use your website, app or online service. They set out how the service works, what users can and can't do, payments and cancellations, who owns the content and how your liability is limited. Robot Lawyer drafts the terms from your answers, for the law of the country or state you choose, and a qualified legal professional checks them within 24 hours before you publish.

CONTENTS

What Are Terms of Service?

Terms of service (also called terms and conditions or terms of use) are the legal agreement users accept when they use your service. Clear terms protect your business, set expectations and give you the right to deal with misuse, while giving users the information the law requires.

They work alongside your privacy policy: the terms set the rules for using the service, and the privacy policy explains how you handle personal data.

When Do You Need Them?

• Websites and apps
  Any site or app where users sign up, post content or buy something.
• Online shops and SaaS
  Selling products, subscriptions, classes or software online.
• Platforms and communities
  Services where users interact, review or share content.
• Launching or changing your service
  When you go live, start charging or add new features such as accounts or user posts.

What's Included in Your Terms?

• Who you are
  Your business name, contact email and, if you choose, your postal address, with a "last updated" date.
• The service
  What you provide and who can use it.
• Accounts
  Registration, security and suspending or closing accounts.
• Payments
  Prices, billing, cancellations and refunds, where you charge.
• User content and reporting
  Who owns what users post, the licence you need, and how users can report content or complain.
• Acceptable use
  What users must not do on your service.
• Intellectual property
  Who owns your platform and its content.
• Liability
  Disclaimers and limits on liability, within what the law allows.
• Changes, ending and disputes
  How you can update the terms, how accounts can be ended and the governing law.
• Optional forms
  A cancellation form for consumers and a complaint or content report form, if you want them.

How It Works on Robot Lawyer

1. Answer the questions
   Tell us about your business, your service, your users and how you charge.
2. Generate your terms
   We draft complete terms of service tailored to your service.
3. Get them verified
   On the Verified plan, a qualified legal professional checks the terms within 24 hours and makes amendments where needed. The Essentials plan does not include this check. See how our documents are verified.
4. Publish them
   Link them in your site footer and at sign-up or checkout.

How It Works in Different Countries

• UK
  Terms with consumers must be fair and transparent under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, and you can't exclude liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence. Consumers usually have 14 days to cancel online purchases.
• EU and Ireland
  Consumer law gives a similar 14-day right to cancel most online contracts, and unfair terms can't be enforced against consumers.
• United States
  Terms are most likely to be enforced when users clearly agree to them, for example by ticking a box. Some states, including California, have extra rules for automatic renewals.

These notes are general. Check the current rules where your users are.

Terms of Service FAQs

Are terms of service a legal requirement?

Not always, but they are strongly recommended, and some information (such as your business details and cancellation rights for consumers) must be given by law.

Are terms of service the same as a privacy policy?

No. Terms of service set the rules for using your service; a privacy policy explains how you handle personal data. Most businesses need both.

How do users accept my terms?

The safest way is to ask users to tick a box or click to agree when they sign up or buy, with a link to the terms.

Can I change my terms later?

Yes. Your terms explain how you will tell users about changes. For significant changes, give users notice before the new terms apply.

Can I use these terms outside the UK?

Yes. Your terms are drafted under the law of the country or state you choose. Our lawyers are qualified in England and Wales and, on the Verified plan, check documents for good practice, clear formatting and the law of England and Wales. They are not qualified in other countries' law, so if your terms are governed by another country's law, we recommend having a local lawyer check them too.

Create Verified Terms of Service

Set clear rules for your online service. You can start with a 7-day free trial. See our pricing for the plans. Related documents: Privacy Policy, Cookies Policy, Acceptable Use Policy and SaaS Agreement.