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Website Disclaimers UK: What to Include (2026 Guide)

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Written by Brad Askew Solicitor (non-practising)
Brad is on the roll of solicitors of England & Wales but does not hold a practising certificate and does not provide legal advice.
Updated June 2026 · England & Wales
If you run a website, blog, online shop, or any other digital presence in the UK, the text sitting quietly in your footer does more heavy lifting than most people realise. A well-drafted disclaimer sets expectations, tells visitors what your content is (and isn't) for, and carves out the areas where you do not want to be held responsible for how someone uses the information you publish. Get it wrong, or leave it off entirely, and you could find yourself arguing about liability you never intended to accept in the first place. This guide walks through what a website disclaimer actually does under English law, what sensible clauses tend to cover, and when you should think carefully about the notices you display. It's written for people running real sites, not for lawyers.

Overview

A website disclaimer is a notice published on your site that sets out the terms under which visitors can use the content you provide. Unlike your terms and conditions (which often govern purchases or account usage) or your privacy policy (which deals with personal data), a disclaimer focuses specifically on limiting the circumstances in which you can be held legally responsible for losses, errors, or decisions a visitor makes based on what they read.

In England and Wales, disclaimers interact with several areas of law: contract, tort (particularly negligent misstatement), consumer protection rules where visitors are consumers, and the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977 which restricts how far you can go in excluding certain liabilities. A disclaimer cannot wipe out every possible claim, and any attempt to exclude liability for death, personal injury caused by negligence, or fraud will not work.

Used sensibly though, it gives your visitors clear notice of what your site is for, manages their expectations, and reduces the scope for disputes later on.

Key steps

  1. Work out what your site actually does. Before drafting anything, map out the types of content you publish, whether visitors can submit their own material, if you sell goods or services, and whether people might act on information you share. A blog about baking needs a very different disclaimer from a site offering financial commentary, so understanding your own risk profile is the starting point.
  2. Draft clauses that reflect your real position. Include a clear statement about the purpose of the content (informational, educational, commercial), carve out reliance on that content for specific decisions, and address any user-generated material or third-party links. Avoid copying generic wording from another site, as disclaimers only work properly when they match what you actually do.
  3. Address the limits you cannot exclude. English law prevents you from excluding liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, and consumer protection rules limit how far you can restrict rights for consumer visitors. Make sure your drafting acknowledges these limits rather than pretending to exclude everything, which can render the whole clause unenforceable.
  4. Display the disclaimer so visitors can actually see it. Courts look at whether reasonable notice was given before a visitor engaged with your site. A link in the footer is common, but for higher-risk content you may want an interstitial, a banner, or a specific acknowledgement on pages where the risk is greatest. Hiding it away undermines its effect.
  5. Review it as your site grows. A disclaimer written when you launched a simple blog may not fit once you're taking payments, hosting comments, or publishing material in regulated areas like health or finance. Set a reminder to revisit the wording whenever your content or business model shifts meaningfully.

Common questions

If you're dealing with this kind of situation, a call with an experienced legal adviser can help you work out the right next step — from £89.

Common questions

Q Do I legally have to put a disclaimer on my website?
There is no single law requiring every website to carry a disclaimer, but in practice most UK sites benefit from having one. Certain sectors face specific obligations (for example, regulated financial or health content), and consumer-facing sites have separate duties around terms and privacy. A disclaimer is voluntary in most cases but strongly advisable for managing risk and setting visitor expectations.
Q Will a disclaimer protect me from every possible claim?
No. English law, particularly the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977 and consumer protection rules, limits how far you can exclude liability. You cannot exclude liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, or for fraud. A well-drafted disclaimer can reduce your exposure to many routine claims, but it is not a shield against everything, and poorly drafted exclusions may not be enforceable at all.
Q What's the difference between a disclaimer and terms of use?
Terms of use usually govern the broader relationship between you and your visitors, covering things like acceptable behaviour, intellectual property, and account rules. A disclaimer is narrower, focusing on limiting liability for the content itself and the decisions visitors make based on it. Many websites combine both into a single document, though keeping the disclaimer identifiable within it is sensible.
Q Can I just copy a disclaimer from another website?
It's a bad idea. Beyond copyright issues, a disclaimer copied from another site probably won't match what your site actually does, which weakens its legal effect. Courts look at whether the wording makes sense in context, so a cut-and-paste job from a site in a different sector or jurisdiction may leave you worse off than having nothing at all.
Q Where should the disclaimer appear on my site?
A footer link visible from every page is the minimum most sites rely on. For higher-risk content, consider placing key wording closer to where visitors actually read or interact with it, so there's no real argument about whether reasonable notice was given. The more significant the potential harm, the more prominent the notice should be.
Q Do I need separate disclaimers for different parts of my site?
Sometimes, yes. If your site has distinct sections (for example, a blog plus a shop plus user forums), the risks differ and a single generic disclaimer may not cover each properly. You can either draft one document that addresses each area clearly, or layer shorter notices onto specific pages where the content warrants it.
Q What happens if my disclaimer is badly drafted?
A disclaimer that tries to exclude too much, or that isn't properly brought to visitors' attention, may be found unenforceable in whole or in part. Courts can strike out unreasonable clauses while leaving the rest standing, or ignore the disclaimer entirely if it wasn't given proper prominence. The practical effect is that you end up with less protection than you thought you had.
If you're dealing with this kind of situation, a call with an experienced legal adviser can help you work out the right next step — from £89.

Sources

This guide is based on primary UK law and official guidance.

Brad Askew, Solicitor (non-practising)

Written & reviewed by

Brad Askew Solicitor (non-practising)

Brad is on the roll of solicitors of England & Wales but does not hold a practising certificate and does not provide legal advice. LegalDocuments.co.uk is not a law firm and does not provide regulated legal advice.

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Legal disclaimer
This article is for general information only. It is a tool to help you find your way — not legal advice, and not a substitute for speaking to a qualified adviser about your situation.