Business websites: legal requirements

As a UK-registered business, you must display key details about your company on your website. Failure to do so can lead to fines, regulatory action, customer complaints, and damaged reputation.

Publish registered business details

You must display on your website the registered information relating to your business's identity. This includes:

• your company name
• registered number
• place of registration
• registered office address
• contact details, including an email address
• how to contact the business by non-electronic means (eg phone or post)
• VAT number of business, if applicable
• details of any trade body or regulator registration

For sole traders and partnerships, you must display the address of the primary place of business. If the company is in liquidation, you must also display this information on your website.

This information doesn't have to be on every page of your website, but it must be easily found. For example, you might want to put it on the 'contact us' or 'about us' page. Some websites have this information in the footer section of each page.

Privacy and cookie information

As well as registered information, you must also publish on your site:

• a privacy notice - to explain what personal data you collect and how you use it
• a cookie statement - to explain how you use cookies on your site (see more below)
• a website disclaimer - to outline liability for the use of your website and its information

Read about privacy information under the UK General Data Protection Regulation.

Cookie information and consent

Under privacy laws, you must tell users if you set cookies on your website, unless those cookies are strictly necessary to provide an online service they have requested (for example, to remember items in a shopping basket or ensure security in online banking).

For non-essential cookies (such as those used for analytics and marketing), you must get consent via a banner or pop-up. Consent must be clear, granular, and include an option to 'accept all' or 'reject all' cookies. Pre-ticked boxes are not allowed.

You must also explain in a clear statement what these cookies do and why. Your cookie statement can appear as a standalone page on your website or in your privacy policy.

The Information Commissioner's Office provides more information about cookies and similar technologies. See our sample privacy notice and sample website disclaimer if you need these documents for your business.

Selling online to consumers

If you sell online, you must also include on your website:

• terms and conditions (ToC) for website use - see guidance on website ToC
• delivery and returns policy

These are all required as part of the consumer protection regulations. As a website operator, you will also have a legal duty to address any web accessibility issues on your website.