Understanding Website Legal Requirements in 2025
Every business website must meet certain website legal requirements to stay compliant with modern privacy standards, tracking regulations, and platform rules like Google’s Consent Mode V2. This guide breaks down the essential policies your website needs—Privacy Policies, Cookie Notices, Consent Banners, DSAR processes, Terms & Conditions, and more—and explains how tools like Termly can help you implement them correctly.
If you haven’t read the full overview yet, this is your starting point for understanding how website compliance works and what your business is responsible for in 2025.
Table Of Contents
- Privacy Policy (What It Is And Why You Need One)
- Cookie Policy (Written Explanation Of Cookies)
- Cookie Banner / Consent Banner (The Pop-Up)
- DSAR (Data Subject Access Request)
- Terms & Conditions (Do You Need Them?)
- Return & Refund Policy (For E-Commerce)
- How To Set Up Policies In Termly
- Information For Real Digital Marketing Clients
Privacy Policy (What It Is And Why You Need One)
A Privacy Policy is a written page that legally explains what information your website collects and how you use it. Any website that collects personal data must have a Privacy Policy.
A Privacy Policy should include:
- What information you collect
- Why you collect it
- What tools collect that data (Google Analytics, forms, pixels, etc.)
- Who you share data with
- How users can opt out, request access, or delete their data
- How to contact your business
You need a Privacy Policy if your website has:
- A contact form
- A newsletter or lead form
- Google Analytics
- Scheduling or appointment forms
- Online shopping
- Embedded videos, reviews, or social feeds
You can generate a Privacy Policy through Termly using their guided questionnaire.
Read: “Do Small Businesses Need A Privacy Policy?”
Cookie Policy (Written Explanation Of Cookies)
A Cookie Policy is a written page that explains:
- What cookies your website uses
- What each cookie does
- How users can manage their cookie preferences
A Cookie Policy is NOT the same as a Cookie Banner.
- Cookie Policy = Written explanation
- Cookie Banner = Pop-up that asks for consent
Most modern websites use cookies for analytics, functionality, embedded tools, or advertising. Termly can scan your website and build an accurate Cookie Policy based on real data.
Read: “Cookie Policy vs Cookie Banner (Simple Explanation)”
Cookie Banner / Consent Banner (The Pop-Up)
A Cookie Banner and a Consent Banner are the same thing. This is the pop-up that appears on your website asking visitors to Accept or Reject cookies.
Notice, these different names mean the same thing:
- Cookie Banner
- Consent Banner
- Cookie Popup
- Cookie Notice
- CMP (Consent Management Platform) Banner
All of these refer to the same pop-up consent.
When Is A Cookie Banner Required By Google?
Google requires a consent banner if you use:
- Google Analytics (GA4)
- Google Ads
- Google Tag Manager with marketing or tracking tags
- YouTube embeds
- Remarketing pixels
Google uses a system called Consent Mode V2. This system requires the banner to collect the visitor’s “yes” or “no” before tracking. Without a banner:
- Google Analytics becomes limited
- Google Ads lose personalization
- Retargeting stops working
- Your data becomes incomplete
Most small businesses use Google Analytics, so they need a Cookie Banner.
(RDM Clients: All website built by Real Digital Marketing include Google Analytics integration and will require a consent banner. If you do not want tracking installed, please contact support@realdigitalmarketing.co.)
When Is A Cookie Banner Legally Required?
In the U.S., cookie banners are only legally required if you target:
- California residents
- Visitors from the European Union (EU)
For most small U.S.-based businesses, the cookie banner requirement comes from Google, not federal or state law.
How Google Consent Mode V2 Fits Into This
Google Consent Mode V2 is the system that works inside your cookie banner.
It communicates:
- “This visitor accepted tracking” or
- “This visitor rejected tracking”
Consent Mode V2 determines how Google Analytics and Google Ads behave.
If the visitor clicks Accept:
- Tracking works normally.
- Ads and analytics report accurate data.
If the visitor clicks Reject:
- Analytics collects limited, privacy-safe data
- Ads personalization is turned off
If you show NO banner:
- Google treats every visitor as “rejected”
- Your tracking and ads suffer
Consent Mode V2 is automatically supported in Termly’s cookie banner.
Read: “Google Consent Mode V2 Explained For Business Owners”
DSAR (Data Subject Access Request)
A DSAR is a user request for:
- Access to their personal information
- Deletion of their data
- Correction of incorrect information
U.S., European, and California privacy laws recognize DSAR requests.
Does Termly Automatically Delete User Data?
The answers is NO.
Termly’s DSAR form:
- Collects the user request
- Helps you manage and respond
- Logs and organizes the request
But you (the business owner) must manually delete:
- CRM records
- Email marketing lists
- Form submissions
- Appointment software entries
- Internal files or databases
Termly does not delete data from your systems.
Read: “How To Handle A DSAR Request On Your Website”
Terms & Conditions (Do You Need Them?)
Terms & Conditions (also called Terms of Service) are not legally required, but strongly recommended for most small businesses.
A Terms & Conditions page helps:
- Limit your liability
- Protect your content and intellectual property
- Set rules for using your website
- Explain refunds, payments, or cancellation policies
- Prevent misuse or abuse
- Define which state laws govern disputes
You should have Terms & Conditions if you:
- Sell physical or digital products
- Offer services
- Use contracts
- Take bookings or payments online
- Provide educational, advisory, or professional content
Termly can generate this policy as well.
Read: “Do You Need Terms & Conditions On Your Website?”
Return & Refund Policy (For E-Commerce)
If you sell anything online — even a few products — you should publish a clear, easy-to-read return or refund policy.
It should state:
- Who qualifies for returns
- Deadlines for returns
- Return shipping requirements
- How refunds are processed
- Whether digital products are refundable
A return policy protects your business and reduces chargebacks.
Termly can generate a Refund and Return Policy for you.
Read: “What To Include In A Return & Refund Policy”
How To Set Up Policies In Termly
- Create a Termly account.
- Generate your Privacy Policy using their guided questions.
- Run the cookie scanner to build your Cookie Policy.
- Turn on the Cookie/Consent Banner.
- Make sure Google Consent Mode V2 is enabled.
- Copy your embed code(s).
- Add them to your website or send them to your developer.
Termly updates policies automatically and handles future law changes when possible.
Read: “How To Set Up Termly On Your Website”
Information For Real Digital Marketing Clients
For more information, see our Termly Fast Setup Guide for RDM Clients post.
Need Help?
We’re happy to assist. Reach out to us at support@realdigitalmarketing.co.