⚖️ Legal
Drafting Legal Pages for Your Website (USA)
The legal pages most US websites need, what each one should contain, and when to bring in a lawyer. Written in plain language, not legalese.
Why legal pages matter #
In the US there is no single federal privacy law that covers every website. Instead you have a mix of state laws and sector rules. That sounds complicated, but for most small businesses it comes down to a few clear pages done well. Payment processors like Stripe and PayPal also expect to see a privacy policy, terms, and a refund policy, so preparing these early keeps your launch on track.
⚠ Important: This guide is practical information, not legal advice. It helps you understand what your website usually needs and what each page should cover. For anything high risk (health data, children, finance, large customer databases), have a qualified lawyer review your final wording.
The pages most sites need #
A simple brochure site needs fewer of these than a full store. Here is the full list so you can pick what applies to you.
Privacy Policy
Almost always requiredExplains what personal data you collect, why, how you store it, who you share it with, and how visitors can contact you about it. You need this the moment your site has a contact form, newsletter signup, analytics, or any login.
Terms and Conditions
Strongly recommendedThe rules for using your site: acceptable use, your liability limits, intellectual property, and how disputes are handled. For a store, this is where your buying terms live.
Refund, Return and Cancellation Policy
Required for storesTells buyers what they can return, in what condition, within how many days, and how refunds are issued. Payment gateways often ask to see this before they approve your account.
Shipping and Delivery Policy
Required for physical goodsCovers where you ship, delivery timelines, charges, and what happens with delays or lost parcels.
Cookie Policy and consent
Lists the cookies and trackers your site uses (analytics, ads, chat widgets) and lets visitors accept or decline non essential ones. Needed if you serve visitors in regions that require consent.
Disclaimer
Useful for advice based sites (health, finance, legal, fitness). It makes clear that your content is general information and not professional advice for a specific person.
Privacy Policy: what to include #
This is the page almost every site needs. Cover these points in plain language:
- Who you are and how to contact you (business name, email, address if you have one).
- What data you collect: name, email, phone, address, payment details, and any analytics or device data.
- How you collect it: forms, cookies, account signup, checkout.
- Why you collect it: to fulfil orders, reply to enquiries, send updates you opted into, and improve the site.
- Who you share it with: payment processors, shipping partners, email tools, analytics providers. Name the categories.
- How long you keep it and how you protect it.
- The rights visitors have: to see, correct, or delete their data, and how to ask.
- How you handle cookies and third party tracking.
- A last updated date.
A privacy policy is effectively expected across the US. California has long required one for any site that collects personal information from California residents, and most businesses simply publish one for everyone rather than trying to treat states differently.
Terms and Conditions #
Your terms (sometimes called Terms of Service) set the rules for using your site and, for a store, the terms of each sale. Cover acceptable use, your liability limits, intellectual property, pricing and payment terms, and how disputes are handled, including which state law applies. Keep it readable so a normal customer can follow it.
Refund and Return Policy #
Be specific. State what can be returned, the condition and time window, how refunds are issued, and how long they take. Clear policies reduce chargebacks and disputes. If some items are final sale (digital downloads, personalised goods, perishables), say so plainly.
US specific things to know #
A few laws come up often for US sites. You will not always be subject to all of them, but it helps to know they exist:
| Law | Who it applies to | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| CCPA / CPRA (California) | Businesses that meet size or data thresholds and handle data of California residents | Give people the right to know what you collect, to delete it, and to opt out of the sale or sharing of their data. |
| Other state privacy laws | Residents of states like Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut and more | Similar rights to California. A clear, current privacy policy usually covers the common ground. |
| CAN-SPAM | Anyone sending marketing email | Use accurate subject lines, include your address, and give a working unsubscribe link. |
| COPPA | Sites aimed at or knowingly collecting data from children under 13 | Extra rules and parental consent. If this is you, involve a lawyer. |
| ADA / accessibility | Public facing US businesses | Courts increasingly expect sites to be usable by people with disabilities. Building to accessibility standards reduces risk and is simply good practice. |
ℹ Note: If you have visitors or customers in the EU or UK, the GDPR can apply to their data even though you are based in the US. In that case a cookie consent banner and clear data rights become important for those visitors.
Template or lawyer? #
A solid template is fine when
Most small sitesYou run a normal small business site or store, collect standard data (name, email, order details), and use common tools (a payment gateway, analytics, an email list). A good, current template tailored to your business covers you well.
Get a lawyer when
Higher riskYou handle sensitive data (health, biometrics, financial records), market to children, operate in a regulated industry, process large volumes of customer data, or take significant liability. Here the cost of getting it wrong is far higher than a review fee.
How Uxory helps #
When we build your site we set up the pages, link them in your footer, wire up cookie consent if you need it, and connect your contact and grievance details. We can start from a tailored template based on your business, and we are happy to work alongside your lawyer if you have one. We do not act as your legal counsel, but we make sure the pages exist, are easy to find, and are wired in correctly.
Want us to set these up for you?
We can prepare and wire in your legal pages as part of your build, and work with your lawyer if you have one. Book a quick call and we will map out exactly what your site needs.
Talk to Uxory