Website Terms of Use
A free, editable Word website terms of use template for England & Wales, the terms that govern access to and use of your website (accepted by use, not signed), with acceptable-use rules, intellectual property, a consumer-vs-business liability split (Consumer Rights Act 2015 / Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977), and links to your privacy and cookie notices.
What's inside
A complete, UK-drafted website terms of use
- Acceptance by use, changes to the terms, and site availability
- Acceptable use and prohibited conduct (Computer Misuse Act 1990)
- User-content standards and licence, plus intellectual property and trade marks (CDPA 1988)
- A consumer-vs-business liability split that preserves non-excludable rights (CRA 2015 / UCTA 1977)
- Viruses, third-party links, and a business-user indemnity
- Privacy and cookie cross-references, and England & Wales governing law
How it works
- 1
Tell us where to send it
Enter your name, work email and organisation. We email you an editable Microsoft Word (.docx) file, personalised with your name.
- 2
Fill in the bracketed fields
Open it in Word, Google Docs or LibreOffice and complete every [bracketed] field with your details and commercial terms.
- 3
Review and adapt before use
Adapt the clauses to your circumstances and have it reviewed by a qualified solicitor before you sign or publish it.
This template is not legal advice. Writford is a software company, not a law firm, and is not regulated by the SRA. This document is a starting point that must be reviewed, adapted and approved by a qualified solicitor before use. It was last reviewed on 25 June 2026.
Get the free template
We email you an editable Word copy, personalised with your name. No account needed.
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Does my website need terms of use?
You are not obliged to publish them, but without them you have no stated limits on liability, no rules about acceptable use, and no clarity on who owns your content. For any site that carries information people might act on, they are worth having.
- What is the difference between terms of use and terms of business?
- Terms of use govern browsing the website. Terms of business govern buying something from you. A site that sells needs both, and they should not contradict each other.
- Can I exclude all liability?
- No. Some exclusions are not permitted in England and Wales, and others must be reasonable to be effective. A clause excluding everything tends to be worth less than a narrower one that holds.
- Do consumers have extra rights?
- Yes. Terms aimed at consumers must be fair and in plain language, and a term the consumer could not reasonably have understood may not bind them. Business-to-business terms have more freedom.
- Do I need to say who runs the website?
- A UK company must give its registered name, number and registered office. It is a legal requirement for companies and it also settles who a visitor is actually dealing with.
- Can I change the terms later?
- Yes, and the template allows it. Changes apply going forward, so keep a dated version and tell users when something material changes rather than editing quietly.