Which legal pages does my small business website need?
Legal pages are not just paperwork. They tell customers who they are dealing with, what happens to their details and what to expect if something goes wrong. A clear, honest footer is also a quiet trust signal: people are more comfortable booking with a business that is easy to identify.
This guide covers the general principles in the European Union, the United Kingdom and the United States. It is not legal advice: rules vary between countries (and between US states), and regulated trades often have extra requirements. Use it to know what to ask and what to prepare.
What is a legal notice (imprint), and who needs one?
In the EU, the e-Commerce Directive (Directive 2000/31/EC, article 5) requires online service providers to make basic information easy to find. Many member states apply it to any business website, which is why French sites have “mentions légales” and German sites have an “Impressum”. The directive lists:
- the business name;
- the geographic address where it is established;
- contact details, including an email address, that allow quick, direct contact;
- the trade or similar register and registration number, if registered;
- the supervisory authority, if the activity needs an authorisation;
- for regulated professions: the professional body, the title and where it was granted, and the professional rules that apply;
- the VAT number, if the business is subject to VAT.
The same article adds that prices must be shown clearly, saying whether they include tax and delivery costs.
In the UK
GOV.UK says a limited company must show on its website its registered number, its registered office address, where it is registered (England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland) and the fact that it is a limited company, usually through its full name with “Limited” or “Ltd” (GOV.UK: signs, stationery and promotional material). Sole traders should check the rules on business names.
In the US
There is generally no EU-style legal notice page. Still, a clear “About” or “Contact” page with your business name, address and phone number is good practice, and some states and trades have their own disclosure rules (licence numbers for contractors, for example). Ask your state or local licensing office.
Free tool, no sign-up
Check your business’s visibility
A free check of your online presence: Google profile, website and reviews. A good moment to review your legal pages too.
Where should the legal pages appear on my site?
Visitors should reach every legal page in one click, from any page. The usual place is the footer, with plain names: “Legal notice”, “Privacy policy”, “Cookies” if you have a separate page, and “Terms” if you sell online. Avoid hiding them in a menu called “More” or in a PDF.
Think about every page that carries your name, not just the home page:
- your booking page, especially if it sits on a separate address provided by your booking tool;
- your online menu reached by QR code, which customers open on their phone at the table;
- a landing page for an event or a seasonal offer;
- the forms themselves: a short line under each form, with a link to the privacy policy, is clearer than a policy nobody opens.
On social media profiles, the platform’s own terms apply, but put your full business details and a link to your website in your profile so customers can find your legal pages easily.
Do I need a privacy policy if I only have a contact form?
Yes, in the EU and UK. A contact form, a booking form, a newsletter sign-up or a review form all collect personal data, and the GDPR (and UK GDPR) requires you to tell people what you do with it at the moment you collect it.
The European Commission’s GDPR guidance lists what to include:
| What to say | Example for a restaurant |
|---|---|
| Who you are and how to contact you | [Business name], [address], [email] |
| Why you use the data, and on what legal basis | To manage your booking (to carry out your request) |
| Which data | Name, phone, email, party size, notes you add |
| Who receives it | Our team and our booking software provider |
| Whether it leaves the EU | Say so if a provider stores it outside the EU |
| How long you keep it | The period you have set, for example after the last visit |
| People’s rights, including complaining to the regulator | Access, correction, deletion; complain to your data protection authority |
| Right to withdraw consent | For newsletters: unsubscribe at any time |
The guidance asks for concise, clear and plain language. The UK regulator, the ICO, says the same in its guidance on the right to be informed.
In the US, privacy rules come from federal agencies and from state laws, and they vary. One principle is constant: the FTC expects businesses to honour the promises in their privacy policy, so only write what you actually do. Our GDPR guide for small businesses goes further on data, retention and customer requests.
When do I need terms and conditions?
It depends on what happens on your site.
- You sell online (gift vouchers, click and collect, paid classes): you need terms of sale. Consumer law in the EU and UK requires clear information before purchase: total price, delivery, cancellation rights where they apply, how to complain.
- You take bookings without payment (a table, a haircut, a quote visit): formal terms of sale may not be needed, but customers should see your rules before they book: cancellation deadline, lateness, what happens if they do not turn up. Our guide to booking cancellation policies helps you write them.
- Your site is just a showcase: no terms needed, but keep prices clear in the shop.
In France, businesses selling to consumers must also give the details of a consumer mediator. Other EU countries have their own dispute-resolution rules: check yours.
Is there a legal notice template I can adapt?
Here is a general template for a small business. Replace everything in square brackets, remove lines that do not apply, and have it checked if your trade is regulated.
Legal notice Website published by [Business name] ([legal form: sole trader, Ltd, LLC…]) Registered office: [full address] Phone: [number] · Email: [email address] Registration: [register name and company number, if any] VAT number: [number, if registered for VAT] Person responsible for content: [First name Last name], [role] Hosting [Hosting provider name], [address], [phone] Professional information (if applicable) [Licence number, supervisory authority, professional body] Personal data Information you send through this website (contact form, booking) is used by [Business name] only to answer you and manage your request. See our privacy policy for details and for how to exercise your rights: [link]. Intellectual property Texts, photos and logos on this website belong to [Business name] or their authors. Please do not reuse them without permission.
Use it as a starting point, not as a final legal document. A local accountant, chamber of commerce or trade association can usually confirm what your country requires.
What changes depending on my type of business?
- Restaurants, bars, cafés: business details, booking rules visible on the booking page, and terms if you sell vouchers or takeaway online. See Voxtya for restaurants.
- Hair and beauty salons: appointment cancellation rules, and written consent before posting photos of clients.
- Shops and wine merchants: full terms of sale if you sell online, with delivery and cancellation rights; age checks for alcohol where the law requires them.
- Bakeries: terms if you take paid orders online (celebration cakes), and allergen information as your local rules require.
- Tradespeople: registration, licence or insurance details where your country requires them; our tradesperson website guide covers what reassures customers.
- B&Bs and guesthouses: booking and cancellation conditions, deposit terms if you take one, and clear prices including taxes.
What does a Voxtya website already include?
Every site published with Voxtya’s website service gets a generated “Legal notice” page, linked from the footer next to a “Privacy policy” link. It includes:
- your business name, address, phone and email, as you entered them;
- who built the site (Voxtya) and the hosting provider, with their details;
- a personal data paragraph explaining that Voxtya processes the information on your behalf, with a link to Voxtya’s privacy policy;
- an intellectual property statement.
What is up to you: the page does not know your legal form, registration or VAT number, licence details or any mediator. Check your contact details are complete and add the missing information in a text block on your site, for example titled “Legal information”, using the template above.
What mistakes should I avoid?
- copying another site’s pages, with their name or hosting provider still in them;
- legal pages that cannot be found from the footer;
- a privacy policy that promises things you do not do (or forgets a tool you do use);
- a cookie banner with only an “Accept” button;
- an old address or phone number after a move;
- no booking rules, then arguments about cancellations.
Checklist before you publish:
- Legal notice: name, legal form, address, email, phone
- Registration and VAT numbers where they apply
- Hosting provider details
- Licence or professional body details for regulated trades
- Privacy policy matching what you really collect
- Cookie choice if you use non-essential cookies
- Terms if you sell online, booking rules if you take bookings
- Footer links on every page
The steps at a glance
The steps to publish a legal notice, privacy policy, cookie notice and terms on a small business website.
- Gather your details. Registration documents, VAT number, licence details and your hosting provider’s contact details.
- Write the legal notice. Adapt the template with your business name, legal form, address and contacts.
- List the data you collect. Forms, bookings, newsletter, tools on the site: note what each one collects and why.
- Write the privacy policy. Who you are, why you use the data, who receives it, how long you keep it, people’s rights.
- Check your cookies. Ask your provider which cookies the site uses and add a real choice if needed.
- Add terms or booking rules. Terms of sale if you sell online, clear rules if you take bookings.
- Link from the footer. Make every legal page reachable from every page, and review it once a year.
Do it without spending your evenings on it
Voxtya website
A website for your business, with a legal notice page generated from your details and footer links on every page. €29/month, 30-day free trial, domain included with an annual plan.
This guide for your trade
Go further
Sources
The rules quoted in this guide come from these official pages, checked on October 17, 2026.