Website Terms of Use UK: What to Include (2026)

Overview

Website terms of use (sometimes called terms and conditions of use or terms of service) are the rules that govern how visitors interact with your website. They are a contract between you as the website operator and the person browsing, registering, posting content, or otherwise using the site.

It's worth separating them clearly in your head from two other documents people often confuse them with. Terms of business (or terms of sale) deal with the commercial relationship when someone buys goods or services from you, think delivery, returns, payment terms, warranties.

A privacy policy deals with how you handle personal data under UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. A cookies notice deals with the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations. Your terms of use sit alongside all of these and govern the use of the site itself: what people can do on it, what they can't, who owns the content, what happens if the site is unavailable, and which country's courts decide any dispute. Most UK sites need all four, and they should cross-refer to each other sensibly.

Key steps

1. Map what your website actually does. Before drafting anything, write down what visitors can do on the site. Can they register an account? Post comments or reviews? Upload files? Buy things? Download resources? Interact with other users? The answers shape which clauses you need and which you can safely leave out. A brochure site needs far less than a marketplace. 2. Cover the legally required disclosures. UK sites operated by businesses must publish certain information under the Electronic Commerce Regulations and, for companies, the Companies Act. This typically includes your registered company name, company number, registered office address, contact email, and VAT number if you are VAT registered. The terms of use page is a sensible place to gather these, or to link to them. 3. Set out the rules on content and conduct. Explain what people can and cannot do on your site. Prohibit unlawful, defamatory, abusive, or infringing material. If you allow user-generated content, spell out that users must own what they post, grant you a licence to display it, and that you can remove it. Make clear that spamming, scraping, and attempts to interfere with the site are prohibited. 4. Deal with intellectual property and links. State who owns the text, images, video, logos, and code on the site, usually you or your licensors. Explain what personal, non-commercial use is permitted and what is not. If you link out to third-party sites, disclaim responsibility for their content. If you allow others to link in, set out any conditions you want to impose on how they describe your site. 5. Limit liability and set the governing law. Include proportionate disclaimers about site availability, accuracy of information, and reliance on content. Limit your liability so far as the law permits, remembering that you cannot exclude liability for death, personal injury caused by negligence, or fraud. State that the terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales (or Scotland or Northern Ireland as appropriate) and which courts have jurisdiction.

Common questions