Directory and Advertising Website Terms and Conditions

This selection of website terms and conditions templates includes a set for business directory websites and for websites offering classified advertising.

A business directory website is a online platform that list businesses in a categorised structure to help users (businesses or consumers) find providers of specific goods and/or services.

What does the choice of Business Directory Website templates provide?

The Free Business Directory Website Terms and Conditions is a set of terms designed for acceptance through use of the website. It outlines the use of free services only covering standard website terms such as acceptable use, intellectual property, disclaimers and liability limits. It defines user-generated content rules and business profile accuracy. It is best suited to non-commercial directories or directories funded by advertising or sponsorship.

The Paid Business Directory Terms of Use covers the general terms of using the relevant website prior to paying for access to the services/directory listings. It combines general website use provisions with paid access or services provisions. The template covers user responsibilities, registration and account handling, intellectual property and acceptable use. It applies to all site visitors and customers and is also for acceptance through use of the website.

The Paid Business Directory Terms of Sale governs the transactional relationship for businesses that pay for listings. The template focuses on the e-commerce aspects of directory such as pricing and payment, cancellation and refunds, order processing, and fulfilment. These terms and conditions must be specifically accepted to "make the contract" and work in combination with the above terms of use.

What does the choice of Business Directory Website templates provide?

The Free Classified Ads Website Terms and Conditions sets out rules for account creation, posting of ads, acceptable content and user responsibilities and is designed for acceptance through the use of the website. However, to accommodate the account creation, an option is included if the website operator wishes to make acceptance of the terms and conditions a part of the account sign-in process. An optional reference to third party advertising is also included.

The Paid Classified Ads Terms of Use provides general terms for all users, including those posting free and paid premium ads, and designed for acceptance through use of the website. It should be used in conjunction with the Terms of Sale below. The key provisions include user accounts, intellectual property ownership, linking, disclaimers, legal rights, liability, acceptable usage, privacy, and data protection. Similar to the "Free" version optional provisions also cover free advertisements which may or may not be supported by third-party advertising.

The Paid Classified Ads Terms of Sale provides the contractual framework between website operators and paying advertisers when users post an ad. The template covers, inter alia, the purchase process, pricing, payment and taxes; cancellation and refund provisions; content warranty and liability; acceptable ad content/copy; and the licensing of paid ads to the site. It use be applied with the Terms of Use summarised above.

What other Templates Work with these Website Terms and Conditions?

Within the subscription to Business is a selection of Website Privacy Policies, each explaining how personal data is collected, stored and used. Also a Cookie Policy is required providing users with clear and comprehensive information on which types of cookies are applied and their purpose. All these and much, much more are available within the subscription.

Please click on the links below to view and read the full descriptions of each of these terms and conditions:

Directory and Advertising Website Terms and Conditions is part of Business . Just £38.50 + VAT provides unlimited downloads from Business for 1 year.

Frequently Asked Questions

I run an online business directory or classified ads website. Which terms and conditions do I need? +

Choose by whether you charge and what the site does. Simply-Docs splits these into business directory and classified ads templates, each with a free version that takes effect through use and a paid version. The paid versions come as a terms of use plus a separate terms of sale, because taking payment for listings or ads creates a contract that has to be accepted, not just implied. Match the template to whether your directory or ads are free or paid.

I charge businesses to list or advertise on my site. What extra terms do I need? +

You need terms of sale on top of your terms of use. The terms of use cover general access, accounts, acceptable use and intellectual property for everyone, while the terms of sale form the paid contract, covering pricing, payment and tax, the order and fulfilment process, cancellation and refunds, the advertiser's content warranties and the licence to display paid listings. The paid terms must be specifically accepted at purchase. Simply-Docs provides matching paid directory and paid classified ads terms of use and terms of sale.

Am I responsible for what advertisers or businesses put in their listings? +

Your terms should push primary responsibility to the advertiser, but you cannot switch off all duties. The templates make advertisers warrant that their content is accurate, lawful and not misleading and indemnify you if it is not, which matters because advertising is regulated and misleading ads expose the advertiser. You should still act on unlawful content once you are aware of it. So the terms allocate responsibility to the advertiser while leaving you a residual duty to remove content that breaks the law.

Do people who pay for a listing or ad get a cancellation right? +

It depends on whether the buyer is a consumer. An individual buying a paid ad or listing outside their business is a consumer purchasing a service at a distance, so the 14-day cancellation right applies, though if they ask the ad to go live straight away they can be charged for what has been provided and lose the right once it is fully run. A business advertiser does not get this right, so your terms of sale set the cancellation position. Simply-Docs paid terms of sale cover both.

Do the Online Safety Act rules apply to a directory or classified ads site? +

They can, so check your set-up. If users can post listings, ads or messages that other users see, your site is likely a user-to-user service caught by the Online Safety Act 2023 illegal content duties, which have applied since 17 March 2025 to UK services of any size. That means assessing the risk of illegal content, offering easy reporting and complaints and removing illegal content, with Ofcom regulating. A directory of your own vetted entries with no user posting is less likely to be in scope. Assess where your site falls.

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