“What Legal Pages does my blog need?” This is one of the most frequently asked questions I get from bloggers starting their new journey.
If you struggling getting started on your blog, or you don’t know where to begin please be sure to check out my post on how to start a blog for beginners!
Most bloggers have limited or no information on legal issues that need to be addressed on their sites, and sadly, this almost always comes back to hurt them.
With more and more laws to protect consumers being set up every day, it is important to make sure that your blog is legally compliant and free of any implicating information.
Some bloggers prefer getting lawyers to take care of it, and others choose to do their research and approach the matter themselves.
Whichever choice you decide to take, it is essential to remember that a response in the court room, “you did not know” will not get you very far.
I have included links throughout this post to one of the most well known places most bloggers including myself purchased The Legal Bundle drafted by a lawyer to stay compliant.
In that regard, here are some legal pages you should have on your blog:
There are many “ready to go” templates that are drafted by a lawyer to make sure your blog is legally compliant.
The Blogger Legal Bundle is my highly recommended best value templates created by a blogger who is also a lawyer.
This post may include affiliate links. If you make a purchase using any of my affiliate links I may get earn money, at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. To learn more please read the Affiliate Disclosure.
PRIVACY POLICY | LEGAL PAGE
A privacy policy lets your users know that you may be collecting and processing some personal information. It explicitly mentions what data will be collected, how it will be collected, stored, and what it will be used for. It also details how such data will be kept safe from prying and unauthorized third parties.
Usually, bloggers include a small summary of the privacy policy as a pop-up when the page is loaded. It gives the user a choice to allow or decline the use of data collection systems such as cookies
There is also a link to the actual page, which gives a more detailed and complex version of the policy.
It includes complete information on items such as
- Third-Party privacy policies
- Cookies
- Users’ rights
- The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
- The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)
- Among others.
Without a solid privacy policy, your blog may be subject to fines, lawsuits and may even be used for illegal reasons.
It also adds credibility to your site and gives it a professional aura that wins over your clients and business partners’ trust.
You can get a Privacy Policy Page drafted up the same day for your site HERE.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
The terms and conditions page simply points out your responsibility as the site owner as well as that of your users.
It outlines both parties’ rights and gives the terms under which visitors can use your site and related products.
When the user agrees to the terms and conditions, they can navigate the blog or website. It should state the procedures to be followed in settling any disputes, the refund policy of your business and the fact that you reserve the right to deny service to any individual.
This is a significant legal page on your website, and it protects you from a multitude of problems that may arise when users don’t use your blog as per your rules.
It also defines your blog and everything in it as your intellectual property and protects it from infringement.
The terms and conditions page protects you or the site owner from lawsuits or other legal issues if users claim a mistake or wrong information.
You can get a Terms and Conditions page drafted up the same day for your site HERE.
DISCLAIMERS
Running a blog without a disclaimer leaves you, your affiliates and your business partners vulnerable to lawsuits and other legal problems.
A clear and detailed disclaimer protects you from any responsibility to any readers who experience any problems owing to the information provided on your site.
Denying liability for the information provided on your blog with a disclaimer means that you will not be held legally responsible for any adverse outcomes that your readers experience due to your content.
Human is to error, which means that some information on your blog will become irrelevant, outdated or even incorrect every once in a while.
A disclaimer protects you in the long run from any legal action that may be taken from such issues.
You can purchase The Disclaimer Template from Amira ASelfGuru HERE.
DISCLOSURE
A disclosure is perhaps the most straightforward legal requirement for your blog.
It could be anything from two sentences to a paragraph that defines your relationship with the blog’s products or content.
If you earn any commission from any affiliate links, blog posts on specific brands or sponsored articles, you should mention that in the disclosure.
This ensures that your readers know any relationships between you and the brands in question.
A disclosure helps to create a degree of transparency that fosters trust and gives the readers some confidence in any advice or recommendations you may give in your posts.
A disclosure is only considered valid if it is placed before the affiliate links, recommendations or at the beginning of a sponsored post. This ensures that the reader knows that you may be compensated before they decide to take further action.
Here is a Disclosure Template drafted by a Lawyer. You can find this template HERE.
HOW TO SET UP LEGAL PAGES
Some bloggers simply download copies over the internet, tweak them a little and upload them to their sites.
While this seems like a relatively easy way to get things done (and may even work for some), you will soon realize that the specifics matter and that some things in your pages simply don’t make sense to your audience.
I would compare that to downloading an essay online and submitting it to your professor – not only will it be severely plagiarized, but it will also make very little sense regarding the topic you have been assigned.
The next best thing would be to draft the pages yourself, but frankly, that will take you the longest time and a whole lot of research unless, of course, you are a lawyer in that field.
Pages like the privacy policy need to be written explicitly for your business. Items that need to be included will defer significantly depending on factors such as your local legislation, the products or services you are providing, the third parties you are affiliated with and the sensitivity of your audience.
If you are not careful, all that may mean very little in the long run if you ignore even a single detail.
Free template generators online are simply a no-go if you want a very specific policy to your blog that is fully comprehensive, professional, and drafted by a trustworthy lawyer.
That said, the only other viable option is to get a reputable and trusted lawyer to do that for you.
WHY DO I NEED TO SET UP LEGAL PAGES FOR MY WEBSITE?
As mentioned earlier, legal pages will save you and your team a lot of trouble in the form of fines and lawsuits.
There is virtually no limit to the number of problems a blog without these legal pages can get into.
Here are some of the top reasons why it is a great idea to get these legal pages drafted and duly set-up:
1. REQUIRED BY LAW
The US government has set up laws that require bloggers and website administrators to set up these pages before even launching their websites.
For instance, you may have to check that you comply with the GDPR for sites in or those that target audiences in the EU, the CCPA and the CA Privacy Law for the state of California, PIPEDA for Canada and the Privacy Act (1988) of Australia.
2. PROTECTION
Apart from being a legal requirement, these pages protect you, your visitors, clients, business partners, and affiliates from expensive fines, lawsuits, and defamation.
3. BUSINESS POTENTIAL
They increase your business potential. It is practically impossible to run a successful blog without advertisements, affiliate programs and brand sponsorship.
Most of these business partners may not let you work with them without these legal pages.
4. TRUST
Legal pages create confidence and build trust with your visitors.
For instance, no one will want to navigate your site or read blog posts without a proper privacy policy that clearly explains why their personal information is being collected and what it will be used for.
They will also be less likely to take your advice or recommendations if there seems to be some sort of hidden agenda, hence a disclaimer for absolute transparency.
CONTRACT AND AGREEMENTS
Apart from these four legal documents, you may also need to create additional contracts and agreements.
The type and wording will depend on the products and services you are offering and the individuals you are getting into business with.
Some are required legally, and others just protect you from potential conflicts and lawsuits.
If you are not sure how to go about it, you can look at these templates and find the ones that best suit your situation.
Coaching Agreement Template
TO SOME IT ALL UP
Legal documents are crucial in running a successful and reputable blog business.
If you are still unsure how to go about yours, you can get help here you get all the templates you need, professional advice and complete information on compliance requirements for different laws and regulations.
Be sure to get started as soon as possible to protect yourself, your business, partners, and visitors.
