Website Terms of Service

Website Terms of Service are the rules a website or app operator sets for anyone using the platform.

Company / website operator name*

Website / platform name*

Description of the service offered*

City (and state) whose courts have jurisdiction, e.g. Pune, Maharashtra*

Refund, return and cancellation terms (if you sell goods or services)

Grievance officer's name and designation

Grievance officer's email, phone and address

Effective date*

Format:

Free with an account: Word or PDF, no watermark, saved to your dashboard. Each page carries a small reference footer so anyone can verify it.

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TERMS OF SERVICE Effective date: [effective_date] These Terms of Service govern your use of [website_name], operated by [company_name] ("we", "us"). 1. THE SERVICE [website_name] provides the following service: [service_description]. 2. ACCEPTANCE OF TERMS By using [website_name], you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree, please do not use the platform. 3. ACCOUNTS Where the platform allows you to create an account, you shall provide accurate information, keep your login credentials confidential, and inform us promptly of any unauthorised use of your account. You are responsible for activity carried out through your account. 4. USER OBLIGATIONS Users agree to use the platform lawfully and not to misuse, disrupt, or attempt unauthorised access to the platform. 5. USER CONTENT 5.1 Where the platform allows users to post, upload or share content, users shall not host, display, upload, modify, publish, transmit, store, update or share any information that: (a) belongs to another person and to which the user has no right; (b) is obscene, pornographic, paedophilic, invasive of another's privacy, harassing, defamatory, or racially or ethnically objectionable; (c) is harmful to a child; (d) infringes any patent, trademark, copyright or other proprietary right; (e) deceives or misleads about the origin of a message, or knowingly communicates information that is patently false or misleading; (f) impersonates another person; (g) threatens the unity, integrity, defence, security or sovereignty of India, friendly relations with foreign States or public order, or incites the commission of an offence; (h) contains a software virus or other computer code designed to interrupt, destroy or limit the functionality of any computer resource; or (i) violates any law for the time being in force. 5.2 We may remove or disable access to content that breaches these Terms or the law, and may suspend or terminate the access of a user who breaches these Terms, in accordance with applicable law. 6. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY All content, trademarks, and materials on [website_name] are the property of [company_name] unless otherwise stated. 7. REFUNDS, RETURNS AND CANCELLATION Where goods or services are sold through the platform, the following terms apply. Refund, return and cancellation terms: [refund_policy] 8. GRIEVANCE OFFICER Users may send complaints about the platform, its content or these Terms to our Grievance Officer: Name and designation: [grievance_officer_name] Contact details: [grievance_officer_contact] Complaints will be acknowledged and dealt with within the time prescribed under applicable law. 9. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY [company_name] shall not be liable for indirect or consequential losses arising from use of the platform, to the extent permitted by law. Nothing in these Terms limits any right a consumer has under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 or any other right that cannot be excluded by contract. 10. GOVERNING LAW AND JURISDICTION These Terms shall be governed by the laws of India. Subject to any right a consumer has under law to approach a forum elsewhere, disputes shall be subject to the jurisdiction of the courts at [governing_state]. For [company_name]

Website Terms of Service: what it is

Website Terms of Service are the rules a website or app operator sets for anyone using the platform. This document describes the service, records acceptance of the terms, sets account and user content rules, protects the operator's content, gives refund and grievance officer details, limits liability for indirect losses and fixes Indian law and the courts of a named city.

When you need this document

You are launching a website, mobile app or online platform and want users bound by basic rules from day one.
Your platform lets users post content, create accounts or contact each other, and you need conduct rules you can enforce.
A payment gateway, app store or investor has asked for published terms before onboarding you.
You want to state clearly that your logos, text and designs belong to your business.

What it covers

The effective date, the platform and the operator, a description of the service, and acceptance of the terms by use.
Account rules on accurate information and keeping login details safe, and a duty to use the platform lawfully.
User content rules listing the kinds of material users must not post, and the operator's right to remove content and suspend accounts.
Ownership of content, trademarks and materials by the operator.
Optional refund, return and cancellation terms for platforms that sell, and grievance officer contact details.
A limit on liability for indirect losses that preserves consumer rights, and Indian governing law with the courts of a named city.

How to fill, sign and use it

Describe your actual service accurately, including whether you sell goods, take payments or host user content, since the terms must match how the platform really works.
Fill in the operator name, platform name, service description, jurisdiction city, effective date and, where they apply, the refund terms and grievance officer details, then check the preview.
Ask an advocate to review and extend the terms before publishing, because platforms that host user content, sell to consumers or take payments have specific legal duties that a short set of terms does not cover.
Publish the terms on a clearly linked page, usually in the website footer and on sign-up or checkout screens.
Where possible, ask users to tick a box agreeing to the terms at sign-up, and keep a log of the version each user accepted.
When you change the terms, update the effective date and inform registered users.

Documents to attach or keep with it

Privacy policy for the same website or app
Refund, cancellation and shipping policy, if you sell goods or services online
Grievance officer or customer care contact details

The law behind it

Online terms accepted electronically are recognised as valid contracts under the Information Technology Act, 2000, read with the Indian Contract Act, 1872. Platforms that host or transmit user content are intermediaries and must publish rules and a privacy policy and appoint a grievance officer under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. Sites selling to consumers must also follow the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 and the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020. A liability limit cannot override rights that consumer law gives users.

Common mistakes to avoid

Copying another site's terms that describe a different business, foreign laws or features you do not offer.
Hiding the terms where users never see them, which weakens the argument that users accepted them.
Leaving out grievance officer details and refund or cancellation terms that consumer and IT rules expect.
Assuming the limitation of liability clause will protect against every consumer complaint.

Website Terms of Service: frequently asked questions

Are website terms and conditions legally binding in India?

Generally yes, if users had a fair chance to see them and agreed, for example by ticking a box or continuing after a clear notice. Electronic contracts are valid under the IT Act. Terms hidden at the bottom of a page with no notice are harder to enforce.

Is a terms of service page mandatory for a website?

No single rule requires every website to have one. However, intermediaries that host user content must publish rules and a user agreement, and e-commerce sellers must display certain information. Payment gateways also usually ask for published terms. In practice, most commercial sites need them.

What is the difference between terms of service and a privacy policy?

Terms of service set the rules for using the platform and the relationship between user and operator. A privacy policy explains what personal data is collected, why, and how it is protected. Most platforms need both, published as separate pages.

Can I choose which city's courts will hear disputes?

You can name the courts of a particular city, and courts usually respect such clauses between businesses. For consumers, the Consumer Protection Act allows complaints to be filed where the consumer lives or works, so a jurisdiction clause may not stop a consumer case elsewhere. This template keeps that consumer right open.

Last updated 11 October 2026.

General information on Indian law, not legal advice for your situation. Stamp duty, registration and fees differ by state, so check with the local office or an advocate before you rely on it.

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