Create Website Legal Pages
Build the privacy policy, terms of service, and other legal pages every website needs.
Every website needs basic legal pages to comply with privacy laws and protect against liability. You don’t need a lawyer for this—generators handle it in under an hour.
This guide covers: Which legal pages you need, how to create them, and where to place them.
What this covers: Which legal pages your website needs (privacy policy, terms of service, disclaimers), how to generate them with free or low-cost tools, and where to place them on your site.
Who it’s for: Site owners setting up a new website or bringing an existing site into legal compliance.
Key outcome: You’ll have a complete set of legal pages — privacy policy, terms of service, and any industry-specific disclaimers — generated, customized, and published on your site.
Time to read: 6 minutes
Part of: Privacy & Compliance series
What Every Website Needs
Required for all websites:
- Privacy Policy – What data you collect, how you use it. Required by law if you use analytics, forms, or cookies.
- Terms of Service – Rules for using your site, limits your liability.
Required if you sell anything:
- Return/Refund Policy – Required in most jurisdictions for e-commerce
- Shipping Policy – If you ship physical products
Recommended additions:
- Cookie Policy – Detailed cookie usage (often part of privacy policy)
- Disclaimer – If you provide advice or recommendations
- Accessibility Statement – Your commitment to accessibility
The Fastest Path
Use a legal document generator. They’re attorney-vetted and cost $0-50/year.
Recommended generators:
- Termly (free tier) – Privacy policy, terms, cookie consent, disclaimer all-in-one
- Iubenda (€27/year) – Strong GDPR compliance, multi-language
- TermsFeed (free generator) – Basic templates for common needs
For WordPress specifically:
- Complianz (free) – Full legal suite including all required pages
- WP Legal Pages (free tier) – 25+ legal page templates
Time: 30-60 minutes to generate and customize all pages.
Privacy Policy Requirements
Your privacy policy must include:
- What personal data you collect (names, emails, IP addresses, cookies)
- How you collect it (forms, analytics, cookies)
- Why you collect it (to provide service, marketing, etc.)
- Who you share it with (Google Analytics, email providers, payment processors)
- How long you keep it
- How users can request deletion
- Your contact information
If you have EU visitors: Include GDPR-specific rights (access, rectification, erasure, portability).
If you have California visitors: Include CCPA-specific rights and “Do Not Sell” language.
Terms of Service Requirements
Your terms should cover:
- Who can use your site (age requirements, geographic restrictions)
- Acceptable use (what users can’t do)
- Intellectual property (who owns the content)
- Limitation of liability (you’re not responsible for X)
- Dispute resolution (governing law, arbitration clause)
- Termination (when you can remove users)
E-Commerce Specific Pages
If you sell products or services, add:
Return/Refund Policy:
- What can be returned (all items, certain categories, etc.)
- Time limit for returns (30 days is standard)
- Condition requirements (unused, original packaging)
- Refund method (original payment, store credit)
- Who pays return shipping
Shipping Policy:
- Processing time
- Shipping methods and costs
- Delivery timeframes
- International shipping (if applicable)
Where to Place Legal Pages
Footer links (every page):
- Privacy Policy
- Terms of Service
- Cookie Policy (or combined with Privacy)
Checkout flow (e-commerce):
- Return/Refund Policy link
- Shipping Policy link
Forms:
- Link to privacy policy near submit button
- Checkbox for terms agreement (if collecting data)
WordPress Implementation
- Create pages at /privacy-policy/, /terms/, /refund-policy/, etc.
- Go to Settings → Privacy → Select your privacy policy page
- Go to Appearance → Menus → Add pages to footer menu
- Or use theme settings to add footer links
Tip: Complianz plugin auto-generates and places all required pages and links.
When to Get a Lawyer
Generators work for most businesses. Get professional legal help if:
- You’re in a regulated industry (healthcare, finance, legal)
- You handle sensitive data (health records, financial info)
- You operate internationally with significant non-US revenue
- You’ve received legal complaints or threats
- You’re raising investment (investors want proper legal docs)
The Legal Pages Checklist
- Privacy policy is published and linked in footer
- Terms of service is published and linked in footer
- Return/refund policy exists (if selling)
- Shipping policy exists (if shipping physical goods)
- Cookie consent banner appears (if using tracking)
- All legal pages are linked from footer on every page
Sources
Website Legal Pages Questions Answered
What legal pages does every website need?
At minimum: Privacy Policy (required by law if you collect any data), Terms of Service (protects your business), and Cookie Policy (required by GDPR and many state laws). E-commerce sites also need a Returns/Refund Policy and Shipping Policy.
Can I copy legal pages from another website?
No. Legal pages are copyrighted content, and copying them is both illegal and dangerous. They may not cover your specific data practices, jurisdiction, or business model. Use a legal page generator (Termly, TermsFeed) as a starting point, then have a lawyer review.
Do I need a privacy policy if I only use Google Analytics?
Yes. Google Analytics collects IP addresses, cookies, and browsing behavior, which constitutes personal data under GDPR, CCPA, and most privacy laws. Google”s own terms of service require you to disclose Analytics usage in your privacy policy.
How often should I update my legal pages?
Review annually at minimum, and update whenever you add new data collection tools, change business practices, expand to new jurisdictions, or when privacy laws change. Always display a “Last Updated” date and notify users of material changes.
✓ Your Legal Pages Are Published and Properly Linked
- Privacy Policy, Terms of Service, and Cookie Policy pages are published with complete, current content
- All three legal pages are linked from the site-wide footer on every page
- Each legal page displays a “Last Updated” date that reflects the most recent revision
- Legal pages are written in plain language and cover your actual data practices, not a generic template
- Disclaimers specific to your industry or content type are included where applicable
Test it: Click every legal page link in your footer from three different pages on your site, confirm each loads correctly, and verify the content specifically references your business name and actual practices.