Disclaimers are common defense measures that companies use to protect themselves against legal claims. If you need one for your website or online business, use our free disclaimer templates, or create your own with our fast and easy disclaimer generator.
1. Disclaimer Templates Samples
Expand the component to view our basic website disclaimer template, or click the button below to download our library of disclaimer templates in Microsoft Word and PDF formats.
If you’re looking for a specific type of website legal disclaimer, our download library includes the following website disclaimers:
- Blog Disclaimer
- Website Disclaimer
- Mobile App Disclaimer
- Affiliate Disclaimer
- External Links Disclaimer
- Fitness Disclaimer
- Health Disclaimer
- Legal Disclaimer
- Medical Disclaimer
- Professional Disclaimer
- Testimonials Disclaimer
Using the template is simple — just copy and paste the sample disclaimer text into the HTML of your site.
Our disclaimer templates are designed to offer legal protection for websites in the US and Canada, as well as those globally — from the UK, all the way to Australia and South Africa.
2. What is a Disclaimer?
A disclaimer is an official statement that protects your business from legal liability.
Your disclaimer policy functions as a warning sign when users visit your blog or site. It notifies readers that your advice, products, or services may harm them, and that you cannot be held responsible.
Some types of disclaimers also discourage users from stealing your website content, and protect your intellectual property. For example, a copyright disclaimer discloses your ownership of certain content or materials.
Where to Put a Disclaimer on Your Website
A disclaimer can be included in several places on your site. Many businesses create a separate disclaimer page for their website, which they link to in their homepage footer. Others add the full disclaimer to their terms and conditions. If you’re based in Germany, Austria or Switzerland, you can also combine your disclaimers and impressum onto one page.
Because disclaimers operate as a legal safeguard, they should be visible and accessible to users. If they are difficult to find, or are deceptively placed on a webpage, there could be legal repercussions.
To protect your website from liabilities, remember to also include a terms and conditions agreement and a privacy policy on your site, so that users are aware of your guidelines and data collection practices.
3. Do I Need a Disclaimer On My Website?
If your online business offers advice, products, or services to users, then you should have a disclaimer as legal protection. There are many types of disclaimers, and they all protect your site in different ways.
To determine which one is appropriate for you, read about the four most common types of disclaimers used on the internet:
1. Affiliate & Testimonial Disclaimer
In 2009, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) released its Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising, which declares that any website that uses reviews, rankings, or testimonials to promote products must use an affiliate disclosure or disclaimer to tell customers if they receive compensation to do so.
Affiliate and testimonial disclaimers are designed to inform users of an affiliate’s relationship to a business — so you should use one if you pay someone to review or endorse your products.
This includes the Amazon affiliate disclosure, which is required by the Amazon Associates program, one of the most popular affiliate programs on the internet.
See our testimonial disclaimer examples if you’re unsure what kinds of testimonials need to be disclosed.
2. Legal Advice Disclaimer
If you operate a legal site, there are six important disclaimers you need to include to conform with the law and protect yourself from liabilities or misconceptions.
- No Attorney–Client Privilege: This disclaimer states that when a client contacts you through your blog, it does not create an attorney–client privilege. In other words, it tells clients that any emails, contact forms, or chats submitted through your site are not confidential.
- Attorney Advertising: You also need to include the phrase “Attorney Advertising” on a prominent page on your legal site. Some jurisdictions have different requirements — to make sure your site complies with the law, you should check your state’s regulations.
- Misleading Information: Your attorney advertising cannot contain false or misleading information that would deceive clients. Advertising must be based in fact, and shouldn’t promise specific results or make claims that would lead a client to have unreasonable expectations concerning a case’s outcome.
- Specializations: Don’t claim or suggest you’re an expert in any areas of the law on your legal site unless you’re aptly certified. Using the correct legal disclaimer language is critical so you don’t mislead your users.
- Identify Attorneys: Most states require you to identify which attorneys are responsible for your site. This implies that you should also include your firm’s name and address.
- Liability for Costs: Are your clients responsible for costs, no matter the outcome of their case? Whether payment depends on a case’s outcome is up to you, but you need to clarify on your website what your policy is.
3. Medical Advice Disclaimer
Online businesses or apps that offer medical advice (such as a health website) need to notify users that the information contained on the site is intended for educational purposes only, and should not be substituted for medical advice from a doctor or healthcare provider.
If this applies to you, your medical disclaimer should also clarify that using your site or application does not establish a doctor–patient relationship.
4. Professional Blog / Services Disclaimer
Professional blogs or professional service platforms need to clarify that the advice and information on their pages is for educational purposes only.
5. Product Disclaimer
If you manufacture or sell products, you should use a product disclaimer to clear your company of any blame in the event that a customer is injured using your product. Product disclaimers usually follow the same template — explaining the item’s intended use and stating that customers use it at their own risk.
4. How to Write a Disclaimer: What to Cover
When writing a disclaimer, the information, products, or services that you provide will determine your disclaimer format and what topics you need to cover.
While there are no specific sections that must be included in a boilerplate disclaimer, it’s standard practice to include clauses regarding the following:
- Accuracy: State that your business is not responsible for the accuracy of the information on your pages, and cannot be held liable for claims or losses.
- Comments: Specify that your website or application is not responsible for the comments, views, or opinions of site visitors, and that the site reserves the right to remove offensive comments or images.
- External Links: Explain that you do not endorse or assume responsibility for any information offered by third-party websites that are linked through your site.
- Multiple Content Providers: If your site publishes articles, guest posts, featured pieces, or opinions, you should state that you are not responsible for the thoughts and opinions of third-party contributors.
- Compensation Limitations: Include a statement that limits the amount of compensation that can be claimed.
- Copyright: Include a copyright notice to declare ownership over your content. If you sample someone else’s copyrighted content, state that you’re using it lawfully for “fair use” purposes in a fair use disclaimer or a copyright disclaimer.
In addition to these key clauses, your disclaimer should be written in clear language that the average user can understand. Dividing your disclaimer into sections makes it more accessible for users.
5. Website Disclaimer Examples
Here are some good disclaimer examples from prominent websites, apps, and online businesses:
Sample #1: Herbalife Disclaimer
Supplement and marketing company Herbalife includes its website disclaimer in its terms of use, and also provides users with its weight loss, product, and income disclaimers as a PDF.
Alongside the typical ecommerce disclaimer statements regarding the products it sells, Herbalife provides an income disclaimer that clarifies that the success stories of its distributors are only from the top 1% of members.
Sample #2: Ebay Disclaimer
Ebay’s disclaimer statements are accessible through a link on the site’s main page, but disclaimers for sellers can also be found under the photos and product descriptions of auctioned items.
For example, the descriptions of items…
should be strictly regarded as an opinion only, with no warranty given nor implied against error or omission.
This text protects Ebay from complaints or claims concerning the condition of the products auctioned on its website.
Sample #3: iHerb Disclaimer
iHerb is an online marketplace for consumers to purchase vitamins and natural supplements.
The site’s statement is included in its terms of use, which is found on the homepage. Notice how it explicitly says that,
…the products and claims made about specific products on or through the Site… are not approved to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.
This is a standard example of a food disclaimer in the health and fitness industry, stating that users are not guaranteed a certain result.
Sample #4: Wikipedia Disclaimer
Wikipedia’s rich online database relies on the knowledge and expertise of its users to provide information on various topics.
Because Wikipedia gives users access to such a wide range of information — and because there is no way to fact check every piece of submitted content or data — Wikipedia’s disclaimer page is comprehensive, and is one of the best disclaimer examples online.
Sample #5: WebMD Disclaimer
WebMD provides medical information to users. Its medical disclaimer statement is included as part of WebMD’s terms and conditions, and specifically states that information obtained from the website is for “informational purposes only.”
6. Advantages of a Disclaimer Template
Knowing how to create a disclaimer for your website that protects against legal challenges could contribute to the long-term success of your online business.
Our standard website disclaimer template is easy to customize, and can protect you in case of legal claims.
7. Disclaimer FAQs
- Do you need a disclaimer on a blog?
- Do I need a disclaimer on my website?
- Why is a disclaimer important?
- Can I copy someone else’s disclaimer?
- How do I add a disclaimer to my website?
- Do I need an email disclaimer?
- Does a disclaimer protect you?
- Why do you need a disclaimer?
- How do you write a product disclaimer?
