Updated:
Terms and conditions are the rules people accept to use your website. Our free terms and conditions template builds a general agreement for websites, mobile apps, online stores and services. Business owners need one, especially before users sign up, post content or pay.
Build Your Document
Answer a few simple questions to make your document in minutes
Save and Print
Save progress and finish on any device, download and print anytime
Sign and Use
Your valid, lawyer-approved document is ready
Use the list below as a checklist for a general terms and conditions template: who you are, the rules for using your site, who owns its content and where your responsibility ends. Keep the clauses that fit your business and drop the rest.
Not every business needs every clause. A blog with no accounts can skip the payment and termination parts, while a paid app uses them all. Add a link to your privacy policy in the introduction so users find both documents together.
A sample terms and conditions text shows how the clauses read once they are filled in with a real company name, a real service and plain wording. The short example below is made up for a fictional photo app; replace every bracket with your own details.
Example: Terms and Conditions of [PhotoShare App]
Acceptance. By creating an account or using [PhotoShare App], you agree to these Terms and Conditions. If you do not agree, do not use the app.
Your content. You keep ownership of the photos you upload. You give [Company Name] a non-exclusive license to host, display and share them inside the app.
Prohibited use. You agree not to upload content you have no rights to, send spam, or copy data from the app with automated tools.
Liability. The app is provided "as is". [Company Name] is not responsible for content posted by other users.
Changes. We may update these Terms. We will post the new version in the app with its effective date.
Contact. Questions about these Terms: [support@example.com].
☐ I have read and agree to the Terms and Conditions.
The last line of the example is the "I agree to the terms and conditions" checkbox that many apps place next to the sign-up button. Our builder above writes the full version of each clause from your answers.
To write terms and conditions, start from a template, decide which kind of agreement you need, then fill in each clause with your own company details, user rules and limits in plain words. The steps below follow the order of our template.
With the terms and conditions, you protect your company and inform users about the rules they must follow.
The purpose of the agreement decides its type: general terms of service set the rules for using a site, while other documents cover narrower deals. Pick the type before you write any clause.
Open the terms with your company name and the service they cover. Then ask visitors to read the terms before they use the website or app, and ask those who disagree to stop using it. Add who the service is meant for and a link to your privacy policy.
The intellectual property clause lists the materials your company owns, such as the logo, text, images, videos and code, and gives users only a limited license to view them. Add that your company does not claim ownership of the data users enter. Ask users not to copy or resell your materials without your written consent.
The rules section tells users what they may not do on your website or app, such as posting ads, harvesting data or sharing content they hold no rights to. Describe the consequence of each breach, for example a warning, a suspension or a closed account. Clear rules give you a plain reason to act against abuse.
The content clause gives your company a non-exclusive license to use, adapt and show the content users post, so you can display reviews, comments and uploads on your platform. Users promise to post only content that respects the rights of others. Keep the right to remove any post without notice.
The liability clause limits your responsibility for third party content, mistakes on the site and service outages, and keeps your right to change your materials at any time. Pair it with an indemnification clause, under which users cover your losses from their misuse. A site with medical or financial information adds a disclaimer that its content is for information only.
The changes clause keeps your right to update the terms and the content of your website or app, and to correct errors and typos at any time. Say how users learn about a new version, for example a notice in the app or an email, and show the date of the latest update at the top.
The closing clauses explain when you may end a user's access, whose rules govern disputes and how users can reach you with questions. Termination matters most for software as a service (SaaS) products and paid subscriptions. Name the place whose rules govern disputes, and where they are heard, in one clear line. That choice may not settle every question: users who are consumers can still keep the consumer protections of the place where they live. End with a support email address.
A terms and conditions template for services, mobile apps or online stores uses the same core clauses, then adds the parts that fit how each business delivers and charges for its product. Add the matching clauses below to the general template.
Terms and conditions for services describe what you deliver, when you deliver it and how the client pays, so both sides know the scope before work starts. Add how either side can cancel, what happens to fees paid in advance and who owns the finished work.
Mobile app terms and conditions cover the app license, in-app purchases, updates and account deletion, because an app runs on the user's own device. Explain which device permissions the app asks for, such as the camera or location, and link the privacy policy from inside the app.
Online store terms and conditions explain how orders are accepted, how pricing errors are handled, and how shipping, returns and refunds work. A subscription business adds how often the plan renews, how a user cancels and what happens when a free trial ends.
In the United States, a business that charges for goods or services sold online through a negative option feature, such as an automatic renewal, must clearly disclose all material terms before it takes billing information, get the consumer's express informed consent before charging, and give a simple way to stop recurring charges (15 U.S.C. § 8403).
Users accept your terms and conditions either by a clear action, such as ticking an "I agree" box (clickwrap), or by using the site after seeing a link to the terms (browsewrap). The table compares the common methods.
| Method | How it works | Sign that the user accepted |
|---|---|---|
| Clickwrap checkbox | An unticked "I agree to the Terms and Conditions" box before sign-up or checkout | The user ticks the box |
| Clickwrap button | An "I agree" or "Accept" button next to the terms | The user clicks the button |
| Sign-in wrap | A line under the sign-up button: "By creating an account, you agree to our Terms" | The user creates the account |
| Browsewrap | A link to the terms in the footer of the site | The user keeps using the site, a weak sign: the user may never have seen the terms |
A clickwrap gives the clearest sign of acceptance, because the user takes an action next to the terms. With the browsewrap agreement, it’s hard to ensure that your users know the terms, so use a checkbox or button wherever users sign up or pay. Keep a log of who accepted which version and when.
Terms and conditions give a website or app owner written rules to point to when a user breaks them, along with limits on liability and a clear claim to the site's content. Some sellers also have a duty to disclose terms: in the United States, a business that sells goods or services online through a negative option feature, such as an automatic renewal, must clearly disclose all material terms before it takes billing information (15 U.S.C. § 8403). Most sites with accounts, user posts or sales still publish them, for these reasons:
The most common mistake with a terms and conditions template is publishing it unchanged, so the text promises services, refunds or rules that do not match how your business works. Check each clause against your real setup before the page goes live.
A short review each time you add a feature, a payment plan or a new market keeps the terms in line with what users actually get.
People also call it terms of use, terms of service, or a user agreement. The names point to the same kind of document. Pick the one your visitors already use when they talk about your site.
Yes, a free terms and conditions template is a good starting point, as long as you edit every clause to match what your business actually offers and how it charges. A template covers general clauses; your payment, content and cancellation details come from you.
Usually, when users had a clear chance to see the terms and took an action to accept them, such as ticking an "I agree" box. That is why the way users accept the terms matters: an "I agree" checkbox or button gives a clearer sign of acceptance than a footer link alone. Some clauses may still not hold against consumers whatever users click, and the rules differ from place to place, so ask a lawyer about your own terms.
A privacy policy is a separate document that explains how your company collects, stores and uses personal information, while the terms and conditions set the rules for using the site. If your website or app collects personal information, such as email addresses or analytics data, publish a privacy policy next to your terms; privacy rules differ from place to place. You can create one with our privacy policy template.
Many sites add the link in a few places that visitors check anyway:
That way visitors see the terms before they create an account or buy something. Use a clear label such as Terms and Conditions or Terms of Service.
Long enough to cover your rules and short enough that people read them. Use short sections, plain words and headings so visitors can find a topic quickly. Review the text whenever your services change.
General information, not legal or tax advice.
