Website terms of use for a business website

A business website that sells nothing still needs terms, because it publishes content, collects enquiries and displays the information the law requires a company to show. The terms have to govern how visitors may use the site and its content, say that the content is information rather than advice, deal with availability and links, and sit alongside a privacy notice that does the data protection work. I draft those terms for a fixed fee of £995, delivered in five working days.

Who this is for

Businesses in England and Wales with a website that describes the company and its services, hosts a blog or resources, and takes enquiries through a form, without selling goods or services online. Online sales need terms of sale, which are a different document.

What matters in website terms of use

Use of the site and its content

The terms should say that visitors may view the site for their own information, that the content, design and branding are the business's under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 and may not be copied, scraped, reproduced or used commercially without permission, that the trade marks shown belong to their owners, and that automated access and attempts to interfere with the site are prohibited, which the Computer Misuse Act 1990 makes unlawful in any case.

Information, not advice

Where the site publishes guidance, articles or tools, the terms should say that the content is general information, is not advice on any visitor's situation, may be out of date, and should not be relied on without confirming it; that a visitor who acts on it does so at their own risk; and that any advice is given only under a separate engagement. For regulated professions the terms should say that the site is not a client relationship.

Availability, links and third-party content

The terms should say that the site is provided as it is, that the business does not promise that it will always be available or free of errors, that links to other sites are provided for convenience without endorsement or responsibility for their content, and that embedded third-party content is subject to its providers' terms. A site that goes down for a day should not be a breach of anything.

The information the law requires

A company must display its registered name, number, registered office and place of registration on its website under section 82 of the Companies Act 2006 and the Company, Limited Liability Partnership and Business (Names and Trading Disclosures) Regulations 2015, and any business providing services online must give the details regulation 6 of the Electronic Commerce (EC Directive) Regulations 2002 and regulation 8 of the Provision of Services Regulations 2009 require, including contact details, VAT number where registered and, for regulated professions, the regulator and the professional rules. The terms are the natural home for that information.

Enquiries, privacy, cookies and liability

Contact forms and newsletters collect personal data, and the terms should refer to the privacy notice under the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018 and to a cookie notice under regulation 6 of the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003, which govern cookies and marketing consent. Liability for use of the site should be excluded so far as the law allows, without excluding liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence or a consumer's statutory rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. The terms should say which law applies and that they may be updated.

What it costs

Customer or supplier terms and conditions, £995. One set of terms, customer-facing or supplier-facing, drafted for your business. Five working days.

Review of your existing terms, £495. You already have terms and want them checked and brought up to date. Returned marked up with my amendments and an explanation of the changes. Three working days.

Email me at geoffrey@caesar.co.uk with what you need and any documents, and I will confirm the scope and the fee in writing, usually the same working day.

What you get

• A full set of bespoke terms drafted for your business, reflecting the legal requirements that apply to your business and sector
• A note in plain English explaining the terms I have drafted for you
• Liability, payment, termination and IP provisions that protect your position and are drafted to withstand scrutiny from the other side
• Guidance on how to incorporate the terms properly
• Your questions and comments answered by email or phone
• One round of amendments to finalise the terms ready for use

What is not included

• Negotiating your terms with individual customers (I am happy to quote for this as an additional service if required)
• Sector-specific regulatory compliance beyond the contract terms themselves
• Website privacy notice and cookie compliance, which I quote separately
• Terms governed by the law of another country
• Tax advice

Questions I am often asked

Someone acted on an article on our site and says it was wrong. Are we liable?

If the terms say content is general information rather than advice, may be out of date and should not be relied on without confirmation, the visitor acted at their own risk. Advice is what you give under an engagement, not on a blog.

Another company copied our website text. What can we do?

The text is yours under copyright and the terms say it may not be copied. Require them to remove it; the terms are evidence of the notice they had.

Do we need terms of sale as well?

If the site sells goods or services online, yes; terms of use govern the site, not the sale. A site that only takes enquiries needs terms of use and a privacy notice.

Related guidance and services

• Terms and conditions drafting, £995, the service this page describes
• Contract review, £495
• Terms and conditions for an online shop selling to consumers

This page is general guidance for businesses in England and Wales, not advice on your own circumstances. Last reviewed: September 2026. Email geoffrey@caesar.co.uk.