Put the effective date at the top
Users and any later dispute both depend on knowing which version applied. Show the effective date above the first section and keep copies of earlier versions in your own files.
Legal & ComplianceContent Creator
Terms of service: the sections to draft and what to have reviewed
Terms of service set out the rules for using a website, app or service: who may use it, what users agree to, what they may not do, and how the relationship can end. This page gives a practical section order and plain-language drafting tips for a small business. It is not legal advice, so have a lawyer review the final text before you publish it.
What people search
Terms of service template: 1,000 average monthly searches.Google Ads Keyword Planner · 2026-10-09 · United States
Section outline
Eight sections to draft, in a practical order
Scope and acceptance
Name the service, the people the terms apply to, and how a person agrees to them: by creating an account, by booking, or by continuing to use the site. Keep the scope to what the service actually does.
80 wordsAccounts and eligibility
Say who may open an account, the minimum age or authority to act for a business, and what the user must keep secure. Include only the account rules your product really has.
70 wordsAcceptable use
List the activities you prohibit and the ones you allow. Name the behaviour you need to stop, such as scraping prices, reselling access, or harassing staff.
90 wordsContent and ownership
Explain who owns your text, images and logo, what a user grants when they post content, and whether you may use feedback they send.
80 wordsPaid services and cancellation
Include this section only if you charge. Set out prices, billing dates, cancellation steps and refund rules in plain terms.
80 wordsWarranties and liability limits
Say what you do not promise and the most you will pay if something goes wrong. Write the limit in specific terms, then ask counsel to check the wording.
70 wordsChanges, ending and governing law
Describe how you will announce changes, when either side can end the agreement, and which law and place apply.
80 wordsContact
Give one channel for questions about the terms, plus the legal business name and address where your location requires them.
30 words
Total: 580 words
Example excerpt
A sample acceptance and use section for a fictional repair shop
Sample section
Illustrative example. The business, website and details below are fictional, and the wording is a layout sample rather than legal text for your use. Using Lantern Cycle Works. These terms apply to anyone who visits lanternbikeworks.example, books a repair, or creates an account. By booking or creating an account, you agree to these terms. If you do not agree, please do not use the site. Who may book. You must be 18 or older, or have a parent or guardian book on your behalf. You must give accurate contact details and keep your account password private. Tell us promptly if you believe someone else has used your account. Your bike. Before we start a repair, you confirm that you own the bike or have the owner's permission to have it repaired. Please remove personal items from the bike before you drop it off. Our repairs. We quote the work before we start and do not go beyond the approved amount without your approval. Our liability for any repair is limited to the fee you paid for that repair. We are not responsible for items left on the bike after collection.
Weak and strong wording
Turn general promises into rules a reader can apply
Weak: You agree to use the site responsibly.
Strong: You may not use the site to send unsolicited messages, scrape pricing, or interfere with other customers' bookings.
A rule names the behaviour you need to stop, so a reader can tell whether it applies to them.
Weak: We are not responsible for anything.
Strong: We are not responsible for delays caused by carriers after we hand over your bike. Our liability for a repair is limited to the fee you paid for it.
Broad wording is hard to read and hard to rely on. A limit should name the situation and the amount it covers, and counsel should confirm the wording.
Weak: We may change these terms at any time.
Strong: We will post changes on this page and update the date at the top. For paid services, we will email account holders [number of days you choose] before a change takes effect.
A reader can see how and when a change reaches them. The bracketed notice period is a decision you make, not a figure to copy.
Weak: Your data is safe with us.
Strong: Our privacy policy explains what we collect and how we use it. These terms do not change that policy.
Terms should point to the privacy policy rather than make promises about data inside a different document.
Format notes
Make the page easy to check and easy to update
Define a term once, then keep using it
Decide whether you call the user 'you' and the business 'we', and define any other term the first time it appears. Switching between customer, user and member makes the scope unclear.
Lead with what readers come to check
People who open a terms page usually want to know how to cancel, what they are allowed to do, and who to contact. Put those sections early, with short paragraphs under each heading.
Mark a draft until counsel has reviewed it
A draft notice keeps an unreviewed page from being mistaken for final terms. Remove it only after the review is complete and the effective date is set.
Share the finished page
Publish the terms where people agree to them
Public link
Publish a public link once the terms are final, then place it in the footer, on sign-up pages and at checkout. A link only on an About page is hard to find at the moment a customer agrees.
Team link
Share a team link with staff who answer customer questions, so everyone quotes the same version and the same effective date.
HTML download
Download the generated HTML file when you need a copy for your records. Put the effective date in the file name so it can be told apart from later versions.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free terms of service template I can use as is?
This page gives a section order and drafting tips, not final wording for your business. A template can help you start, but the text has to match what your service does, and a lawyer should review it before you publish it.
Can Attain OS Content Creator generate my terms of service?
Attain OS Content Creator builds one self-contained HTML page from the description, documents and details you give it. It does not check terms against any law or make them compliant with anything. Have counsel review the final wording.
What is the difference between terms of service and terms of use?
The names are often used for the same kind of document: the rules for using a website or service. Some businesses use terms of use for a website and terms of service for a paid product. Choose one name and use it the same way in your links and headings.
Do users have to sign the terms?
Many sites show the terms at sign-up or checkout, with a link and a checkbox, and some rely on continued use after a notice. Whether that approach is enough depends on your business and where your users are, so ask counsel to confirm it.
How long should terms of service be?
Long enough to cover the sections your service needs and no longer. A brochure site may need a few sections, while a site with accounts and payments needs more. Short sections with clear headings are easier to read.
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How to build it
Follow the eight-step wizard: type, assets and description, images, branding, contact and call to action, Atty Suggestions, blueprint, and generate. Atty generates one HTML page in the background. Review it, then publish and share the page link or download the HTML file.
