What should UK Terms of Service include?

They should usually cover account use, prohibited conduct, content standards, moderation, intellectual property, termination, disclaimers, and governing law.

What should community guidelines include?

They should clearly state acceptable behaviour, banned content, reporting procedures, moderation actions, enforcement, and consequences for breaches.

Are Terms of Service legally binding in the United Kingdom?

Yes, if properly drafted and accepted by users, Terms of Service can form a legally binding contract under UK law.

Are community guidelines legally enforceable in the UK?

Community guidelines may be enforceable where they are incorporated into the Terms of Service or clearly accepted by users.

Do UK consumer laws affect Terms of Service?

Yes. Consumer-facing terms must be fair, transparent, and compliant with UK consumer protection laws.

Do Terms of Service need to mention privacy and data protection?

Yes. If the service collects personal data, Terms of Service should align with your privacy policy and UK GDPR obligations.

Can I have both Terms of Service and community guidelines?

Yes. Many UK businesses use separate documents so legal terms and community behaviour rules are easier for users to understand.

How often should community guidelines and Terms of Service be updated?

They should be updated when laws change, your platform features change, moderation policies change, or business practices are revised.

How should users be informed about updated Terms of Service?

You should usually notify users, publish the updated version, and explain when the new terms take effect.

Why are community guidelines important for online platforms?

They reduce uncertainty, set user expectations, support moderation decisions, and help protect the platform from misuse and disputes.

Can I use a template for UK Terms of Service?

A template can help, but it should be adapted to your platform, users, services, and UK legal requirements.

What behaviour should community guidelines prohibit?

Examples include harassment, hate speech, spam, fraud, illegal content, impersonation, intellectual property infringement, and abusive behaviour.

How should moderation be addressed in community guidelines?

Moderation clauses should explain review processes, content removal, account suspension, appeals, and when action may be taken without notice.

Which governing law should UK Terms of Service use?

Many UK terms choose the laws of England and Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland, depending on the business and users involved.

Where can I create UK community guidelines and Terms of Service documents?

You can generate tailored community guidelines and Terms of Service documents on the main category page linked from this guide.

EN-GB>Privacy>Terms of Service>Community Guidelines Documents In United Kingdom

Types Of Community Guidelines And Terms Of Service Documents In The United Kingdom

Created: 8 Jun 2026

Explore key document types and use cases for online platforms. This guide helps UK readers understand options in AI Generated Terms of Service for use in the United Kingdom.

Document Type	Primary Purpose	Typical Complexity	Typical Sections	UK Drafting Notes
Online community, Customer portal, Educational platform
Website Terms of Service	Set the contract for access to and use of the website or service.	Medium	Eligibility, account rules, permitted use, IP, disclaimers, liability, suspension, changes, governing law.	Consumer-facing terms should be fair, transparent and prominent under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
Online community, Forum, Professional network
Community Guidelines	Explain expected behaviour and prohibited conduct within a community.	Medium	Respectful conduct, harassment, hate speech, spam, safety, reporting, moderation outcomes, appeals.	Rules should align with UK equality, harassment and online safety expectations, especially for user-generated content.
Customer portal, Online community, Educational platform
Acceptable Use Policy	Define prohibited technical, abusive, unlawful or harmful use of a service.	Medium	Security misuse, unlawful content, spam, scraping, malware, impersonation, service interference, enforcement.	Consider Computer Misuse Act 1990 risks where rules cover hacking, unauthorised access or malware.
Online community, Forum, Marketplace, Educational platform
User-Generated Content Terms	Set rules for users who upload, post, review or share content.	High	Content licence, ownership, warranties, prohibited content, takedown, moderation, complaints, IP infringement.	Draft content licences clearly and consider copyright ownership, moral rights and platform moderation duties.
Online community, Forum, Professional network, Marketplace
Content Moderation Policy	Explain how content is reviewed, restricted, removed or escalated.	High	Review process, automated tools, human review, sanctions, urgent threats, appeals, repeat offenders.	Relevant for services within the Online Safety Act 2023 regime and Ofcom online safety guidance.
Online community, Forum, Marketplace, Educational platform
User Reporting And Complaints Policy	Tell users how to report content, conduct, accounts or safety concerns.	Medium	Report channels, required information, triage, response times, confidentiality, outcomes, appeals.	Online services may need accessible complaints and reporting systems under Online Safety Act duties.
Customer portal, Online community, Membership organisation, Professional network
Account Suspension And Termination Policy	Set when accounts may be restricted, suspended, closed or restored.	Medium	Grounds for suspension, notice, urgent action, investigation, reinstatement, data access, appeals.	Consumer account termination rights should not be drafted as unfair or excessively one-sided.
Forum, Online community, Educational platform
Forum Rules	Set practical posting and discussion rules for a forum environment.	Low	Posting etiquette, topic rules, duplicate posts, moderation, prohibited content, signatures, private messages.	Include clear escalation for defamatory, abusive, discriminatory or illegal posts.
Online community, Membership organisation
Social Media Group Rules	Set conduct rules for members of a group hosted on a social platform.	Low	Joining criteria, respectful posting, promotions, confidentiality, moderation, removal from group.	Clarify relationship between group rules and the host platform's own terms and reporting tools.
Membership organisation, Professional network, Online community
Membership Terms And Conditions	Define membership eligibility, benefits, fees, renewals and member obligations.	Medium	Applications, fees, renewals, conduct, benefits, cancellation, expulsion, complaints, governance links.	Consumer cancellation, renewal and fee terms should be transparent and not unfair.
Membership organisation, Professional network, Educational platform
Member Code Of Conduct	Set behavioural standards for members during activities, events and communications.	Medium	Respect, inclusion, conflicts, confidentiality, safeguarding, disciplinary process, sanctions.	Equality Act 2010 duties may be relevant where membership access or treatment could discriminate.
Professional network, Membership organisation, Online community
Professional Community Code Of Conduct	Set professional standards for networking, collaboration and knowledge sharing.	Medium	Professional behaviour, conflicts, confidentiality, solicitation, harassment, sanctions, reporting.	Consider regulated-profession obligations and avoid misleading claims about accreditation or endorsement.
Marketplace
Marketplace Terms Of Service	Set rules for buyers, sellers and the platform operator in a marketplace.	High	User roles, listings, transactions, fees, payments, disputes, prohibited items, liability, tax.	Consumer law, pricing transparency, trader status and platform liability wording need careful drafting.
Seller Terms	Set obligations for sellers listing goods or services on a marketplace.	High	Seller eligibility, listings, product compliance, delivery, returns, fees, taxes, suspension, indemnities.	Seller terms should reflect UK consumer cancellation, information and unfair trading requirements where buyers are consumers.
Marketplace, Customer portal
Buyer Terms	Explain buyer account rules, purchasing process, payment and dispute rights.	Medium	Purchases, payments, delivery, returns, buyer conduct, reviews, disputes, refunds, account restrictions.	Do not obscure statutory consumer remedies for faulty goods, digital content or services.
Marketplace
Listing Policy	Set standards for item, service or opportunity listings.	Medium	Listing accuracy, images, pricing, prohibited items, regulated goods, availability, ranking, removal.	Rules should address misleading pricing and material information under UK consumer protection law.
Marketplace, Online community
Prohibited Items Policy	Identify goods, services or content that cannot be sold, offered or promoted.	High	Illegal goods, age-restricted items, weapons, medicines, counterfeit goods, sanctions, enforcement.	Tailor to UK rules on restricted products and counterfeit or infringing goods.
Marketplace, Customer portal, Online community
Reviews And Ratings Policy	Set rules for posting, verifying, moderating and removing reviews.	Medium	Review eligibility, fake reviews, conflicts, incentives, moderation, removal, reporting, appeals.	CMA guidance treats fake or misleading online reviews as a consumer protection risk.
Marketplace, Customer portal
Marketplace Dispute Resolution Policy	Explain how buyer-seller or platform disputes are raised and handled.	High	Eligibility, complaint steps, evidence, response times, refunds, chargebacks, escalation, limitations.	Avoid excluding statutory rights and ensure complaint procedures are clear for consumers.
Educational platform
Educational Platform Terms	Set rules for learners, tutors and access to online learning materials.	High	Enrolment, access, learner conduct, tutor conduct, assessments, certificates, IP, payments, cancellation.	If learners are consumers, digital content and distance-selling cancellation rules may apply.
Learner Code Of Conduct	Set behaviour, participation and academic integrity standards for learners.	Medium	Respectful participation, plagiarism, cheating, recordings, communications, sanctions, appeals.	Draft sanctions and assessment consequences clearly, especially where certificates or paid courses are affected.
Educational platform, Marketplace
Tutor Or Instructor Terms	Set obligations for tutors who deliver lessons or upload educational content.	High	Tutor eligibility, safeguarding, content standards, fees, scheduling, cancellations, IP, misconduct.	Safeguarding, employment status and IP ownership should be considered where tutors teach UK learners.
Educational platform, Online community, Membership organisation
Online Safeguarding Policy	Protect children and vulnerable users from abuse, exploitation or unsafe interactions.	High	Risk controls, staff roles, reporting, escalation, moderation, contact rules, record keeping, training.	Children's services should consider safeguarding duties and age-appropriate online safety measures.
Online community, Educational platform
Children And Teen Community Rules	Set age-appropriate rules for minors using a community or learning service.	High	Age limits, guardian involvement, messaging, bullying, reporting, moderation, privacy, safety tips.	Use clear child-friendly language and consider the ICO Children's Code for online services likely accessed by children.
Customer portal
Customer Portal Terms	Set rules for account access, self-service features and customer communications.	Medium	Account security, authorised users, documents, payments, support, misuse, service availability, notices.	Where personal data is shown or changed, align account controls with UK GDPR security duties.
Customer portal, Online community, Marketplace, Professional network
Account Security Rules	Tell users how to protect accounts and what security misuse is prohibited.	Low	Passwords, MFA, shared accounts, suspicious activity, unauthorised access, credential misuse, notifications.	Security expectations should support UK GDPR integrity and confidentiality obligations.
Customer portal, Marketplace, Professional network
API Terms Of Use	Control developer access to APIs, data, integrations and platform functionality.	High	API keys, rate limits, data use, security, monitoring, changes, suspension, developer obligations.	Data sharing through APIs may need UK GDPR controller-processor or controller-controller analysis.
Online community, Forum, Professional network
Developer Community Guidelines	Set collaboration and conduct rules for developer forums, repositories or support spaces.	Medium	Respectful collaboration, issue reporting, code contributions, security disclosures, spam, moderation.	Include responsible disclosure routes if users may report security vulnerabilities.
Online community, Professional network, Educational platform
Open Source Contribution Guidelines	Explain how contributors submit code, documentation or community improvements.	Medium	Contribution process, licensing, code standards, reviews, conduct, attribution, security issues.	Clarify contribution licensing and copyright ownership before accepting user code or documentation.
Membership organisation, Professional network, Educational platform, Online community
Event Community Rules	Set conduct rules for webinars, conferences, workshops and event networking spaces.	Medium	Registration, conduct, chat, recordings, harassment, photography, removal, complaints, accessibility.	Address accessibility and discrimination risks for UK events and online participation.
Educational platform, Professional network, Membership organisation
Virtual Event Terms	Set rules for accessing live or recorded online events.	Medium	Access links, recordings, attendee conduct, chat, cancellations, substitutions, technical failures, IP.	If paid by consumers, include cancellation, refund and digital access terms clearly.
Online community, Educational platform, Professional network, Customer portal
Chat And Messaging Rules	Set rules for direct messages, group chat, comments and live chat features.	Medium	Harassment, unsolicited messages, scams, sharing personal data, monitoring, reporting, blocking, sanctions.	If monitoring messages, explain processing in privacy notices and avoid disproportionate surveillance.
Online community, Forum, Membership organisation, Professional network, Educational platform
Anti-Harassment Policy	Prohibit harassment, bullying, threats, stalking and targeted abuse.	Medium	Definitions, examples, protected characteristics, reporting, interim measures, sanctions, victim support.	Consider Equality Act 2010 protected characteristics and UK harassment offences when defining prohibited conduct.
Online community, Forum, Professional network, Educational platform
Hate Speech Policy	Prohibit attacks or abuse based on protected or vulnerable characteristics.	High	Protected traits, hateful slurs, dehumanisation, threats, context, exceptions, moderation, appeals.	Definitions should be precise and consistent with equality and criminal-law risk areas in the UK.
Online community, Forum, Marketplace, Educational platform
Illegal Content Policy	Prohibit and provide response processes for unlawful content or activity.	High	Illegal content categories, reporting, preservation, urgent escalation, law enforcement, takedown, appeals.	User-to-user services should consider illegal content duties under the Online Safety Act 2023.
Online community, Marketplace, Forum, Educational platform
Intellectual Property Infringement Policy	Set how copyright, trade mark and other IP complaints are submitted and handled.	High	Complaint requirements, evidence, counter-notices, repeat infringers, takedown, reinstatement, contact details.	UK copyright and trade mark rights differ from US DMCA concepts, so avoid relying only on DMCA wording.
Online community, Forum, Marketplace, Educational platform
Copyright Takedown Policy	Provide a process for removing allegedly infringing copyright material.	Medium	Notice details, rights owner statements, review, removal, counter-response, repeat infringement.	Use UK copyright terminology and avoid promising automatic removal without assessment.
Forum, Online community, Professional network, Marketplace
Defamation Complaints Policy	Set a route for complaints about allegedly defamatory user content.	High	Complaint details, identification, poster contact, assessment, removal, response times, legal notices.	Operators should consider the Defamation Act 2013 website operator defence and related notice process.
Online community, Forum, Educational platform, Professional network
Privacy And Personal Information Rules	Prohibit doxxing and unsafe sharing of personal or confidential information.	Medium	Personal data, doxxing, consent, confidential information, screenshots, reporting, removal, sanctions.	Community rules should work alongside privacy notices and UK GDPR personal data obligations.
Professional network, Customer portal, Membership organisation
Data Sharing And Confidentiality Rules	Control sharing of confidential, personal or business-sensitive information within a platform.	High	Confidential information, permitted sharing, personal data, breach reporting, screenshots, sanctions.	Avoid using community terms as a substitute for required data processing agreements or privacy notices.
Membership organisation, Online community, Educational platform
Volunteer Community Code	Set standards for volunteers participating in community activities or online spaces.	Medium	Role expectations, conduct, safeguarding, expenses, confidentiality, conflicts, complaints, removal.	Avoid accidentally creating employment obligations safeguarding and charity governance may be relevant.
Membership organisation, Online community
Charity Supporter Community Rules	Set rules for supporters engaging in charity groups, campaigns or fundraising communities.	Medium	Respectful conduct, fundraising claims, brand use, safeguarding, donations, moderation, complaints.	Fundraising statements and charity branding should reflect Charity Commission and fundraising rules.
Online community, Customer portal, Membership organisation
Brand Community Terms	Set rules for customer, fan, ambassador or loyalty communities around a brand.	Medium	Membership, content permissions, reviews, promotions, brand use, conduct, rewards, removal.	Promotional rewards and endorsements should be transparent under UK advertising and consumer rules.
Customer portal, Membership organisation, Online community
Loyalty Programme Terms	Define how users earn, redeem, lose or transfer points and rewards.	High	Eligibility, points, rewards, expiry, exclusions, changes, fraud, account closure, tax.	Unilateral changes, expiry and forfeiture clauses should be prominent and fair for consumers.
Online community, Membership organisation, Educational platform, Customer portal
Subscription Community Terms	Set paid subscription rules for access to community features or content.	High	Plans, billing, renewals, cancellation, refunds, access, community rules, content, suspension.	Automatic renewal, cancellation and price-change terms require clear pre-contract information.
Online community, Customer portal, Educational platform
Freemium Service Terms	Explain free access limits, paid upgrades and feature restrictions.	Medium	Free plan, paid features, trials, upgrades, downgrades, usage limits, cancellation, data retention.	Trial-to-paid conversion and pricing claims should be transparent to avoid misleading practices.
Customer portal, Online community, Professional network
Beta Tester Terms	Set rules for users testing pre-release products or features.	Medium	Eligibility, feedback licence, confidentiality, no reliance, data loss, changes, termination.	Limitations must not exclude non-excludable consumer rights or liability for negligence causing death or injury.
Customer portal, Educational platform, Online community
Free Trial Terms	Set conditions for using a free trial or promotional access period.	Medium	Trial length, eligibility, payment details, conversion, cancellation, limits, abuse, reminders.	Make auto-renewal and payment triggers clear before the consumer signs up.
Online community, Marketplace, Professional network
Creator Community Terms	Set rules for creators who publish, monetise or promote content through a platform.	High	Eligibility, content standards, monetisation, disclosures, IP, brand safety, payments, termination.	Paid promotions and affiliate links should be clearly disclosed under ASA and CMA expectations.
Marketplace, Professional network, Customer portal
Affiliate Programme Terms	Define referral, commission and promotional rules for affiliates.	High	Eligibility, tracking, commissions, prohibited marketing, disclosures, clawback, termination, brand use.	Affiliates should disclose advertising relationships and avoid misleading consumer claims.
Online community, Membership organisation, Customer portal
Community Competition Rules	Set entry, judging, prize and eligibility rules for community promotions.	Medium	Eligibility, entry method, deadlines, judging, prizes, winner notification, publicity, data use.	UK promotions must avoid unlawful lotteries and follow CAP Code rules on promotions.
Online community, Educational platform, Membership organisation, Customer portal
Accessibility And Inclusion Rules	Set expectations for inclusive participation and accessible community interactions.	Medium	Inclusive language, accessibility needs, captions, alternative formats, discrimination, reporting, adjustments.	Service providers should consider Equality Act reasonable adjustment duties for disabled users.
Customer portal, Educational platform, Online community, Membership organisation
Accessibility Statement	Explain accessibility standards, known issues and contact routes for accessibility support.	Medium	Compliance status, accessible features, limitations, contact details, enforcement, update date.	Public sector bodies have specific website accessibility statement obligations in the UK.
Customer portal, Educational platform, Professional network, Online community
AI Tool Terms Of Use	Set rules for prompts, outputs, permitted use and user responsibility for AI tools.	High	Inputs, outputs, accuracy, prohibited uses, IP, confidentiality, human review, disclaimers, data use.	Avoid misleading users about accuracy consider data protection, IP and professional reliance risks.
Online community, Educational platform, Professional network
AI Community Guidelines	Set rules for sharing, labelling or using AI-generated content in a community.	Medium	AI disclosure, prohibited outputs, misinformation, impersonation, IP, academic integrity, enforcement.	Disclosure rules help reduce misleading content, fake reviews and impersonation risks.
Online community, Forum, Educational platform, Professional network
Misinformation Policy	Set how false, misleading or manipulated information is labelled, reduced or removed.	High	Scope, harmful misinformation, manipulated media, expert sources, labels, removals, appeals.	Balance safety rules with clear criteria, especially for health, elections and public-safety topics.
Online community, Forum, Customer portal
Health Community Guidelines	Set rules for health discussions, support groups and sharing medical experiences.	High	No medical advice, emergencies, misinformation, privacy, vulnerable users, moderation, reporting.	Avoid presenting community content as regulated medical advice and protect special category health data.
Online community, Forum, Professional network
Financial Community Guidelines	Set rules for investment, finance, crypto or money-management discussions.	High	No financial advice, promotions, risk warnings, scams, conflicts, regulated activities, moderation.	Financial promotions and regulated advice are controlled in the UK by FSMA and FCA rules.
Online community, Forum, Professional network, Educational platform
Legal Discussion Community Guidelines	Set rules for law-related discussions without creating solicitor-client advice relationships.	High	No legal advice, jurisdiction, confidentiality, professional conduct, conflicts, moderation, emergencies.	Avoid suggesting regulated legal services are provided unless authorised and properly supervised.
Professional network, Customer portal, Online community
Workplace Community Rules	Set standards for workplace-related online spaces and collaboration channels.	Medium	Professional conduct, confidentiality, harassment, discrimination, monitoring, disciplinary links, reporting.	Employee-facing rules should align with employment policies, monitoring notices and equality obligations.
Educational platform, Professional network, Membership organisation
Alumni Network Terms	Set rules for alumni profiles, networking, events and institutional communications.	Medium	Eligibility, profiles, networking, events, donations, communications, conduct, account closure.	Marketing communications to alumni must comply with PECR and data protection rules.
Professional network, Marketplace, Membership organisation
Professional Directory Terms	Set rules for professional profiles, directory listings and enquiries.	High	Eligibility, verification, listing content, rankings, enquiries, reviews, fees, suspension.	Avoid misleading credentials, rankings or endorsements regulated professions may need extra checks.
Marketplace, Professional network, Customer portal
Job Board Terms	Set rules for job adverts, applicants, recruiters and recruitment interactions.	High	Advert rules, recruiter obligations, applicant conduct, fees, discrimination, scams, data use, removal.	Job adverts and recruitment processes must avoid discrimination under Equality Act 2010.
Professional network, Educational platform, Membership organisation
Mentoring Platform Terms	Set rules for matching, mentoring sessions and mentor-mentee conduct.	Medium	Eligibility, matching, session conduct, confidentiality, boundaries, safeguarding, feedback, termination.	Safeguarding, professional boundaries and liability disclaimers should be tailored to the mentoring context.
Online community, Membership organisation, Educational platform
Peer Support Group Rules	Set boundaries and safety rules for peer-to-peer emotional or practical support.	High	Support boundaries, crisis escalation, confidentiality, triggering content, respect, moderation, safeguarding.	Include crisis signposting and avoid implying professional healthcare, counselling or emergency support unless provided.
Online community, Forum, Membership organisation
Local Community Group Rules	Set rules for local discussion, recommendations, classifieds and neighbour interactions.	Low	Local relevance, respectful posts, adverts, recommendations, lost items, safety, reporting, moderation.	Rules should address defamation, privacy, discriminatory posts and potentially unsafe meetups.
Marketplace, Forum, Online community
Classified Ads Terms	Set rules for user-posted adverts, enquiries and off-platform transactions.	Medium	Ad accuracy, prohibited items, scams, user responsibility, reporting, removals, fees, safety tips.	Clarify whether the platform is a marketplace intermediary and address misleading adverts and scams.
Online community, Marketplace, Professional network, Customer portal
Advertising And Promotions Policy	Set rules for adverts, sponsored posts, promotions and commercial messages.	High	Ad approval, prohibited claims, targeting, disclosures, regulated products, removals, advertiser liability.	Advertising should be obviously identifiable and comply with CAP Code and consumer protection rules.
Online community, Forum, Professional network, Customer portal
Spam And Solicitation Policy	Prohibit unwanted promotional messages, scams, scraping and mass contact.	Low	Spam, unsolicited DMs, phishing, referral abuse, bots, scraping, enforcement, reporting.	Marketing messages may also trigger PECR consent and soft opt-in rules.
Online community, Professional network, Marketplace, Customer portal
Impersonation And Authenticity Policy	Prohibit misleading identity claims, fake profiles and impersonation.	Medium	Real identity rules, parody, verification, fake accounts, scams, reporting, removal, appeals.	Identity misuse may overlap with fraud, harassment, defamation and consumer protection risks.
Marketplace, Professional network, Customer portal, Membership organisation
User Verification Policy	Explain when users must verify identity, status, credentials or eligibility.	High	Verification triggers, evidence, checks, refusal, re-verification, data retention, appeals.	Verification involves personal data and may require data minimisation, retention limits and lawful basis analysis.
Online community, Marketplace, Educational platform, Customer portal
Age Verification Policy	Explain age checks and restrictions for users or age-restricted content and products.	High	Minimum age, verification methods, parental consent, restricted features, refusal, retention, appeals.	Age assurance should be proportionate and privacy-preserving for services likely accessed by children.
Customer portal, Marketplace, Educational platform, Membership organisation
Payment And Billing Terms	Set payment, billing, tax, refund and failed-payment rules.	High	Prices, VAT, payment methods, invoices, failed payments, refunds, chargebacks, renewals, changes.	Consumer prices should be clear and usually include compulsory charges such as VAT.
Refund And Cancellation Policy	Explain cancellation rights, refund eligibility and how refunds are requested.	High	Cooling-off rights, digital content, services, refunds, exceptions, process, timing, statutory rights.	Distance contracts with consumers may require 14-day cancellation information and model instructions.
Customer portal, Online community, Marketplace, Educational platform
Service Availability Terms	Set expectations for uptime, maintenance, outages and service changes.	Medium	Availability, maintenance, outages, changes, support, backups, force majeure, liability limits.	B2C liability limitations must be fair and cannot exclude core statutory remedies improperly.
Online community, Forum, Marketplace, Professional network, Educational platform
Enforcement And Appeals Policy	Explain sanctions and how users can challenge moderation or account decisions.	High	Warnings, removals, restrictions, suspensions, bans, appeal steps, review standards, final decisions.	A clear appeals process supports transparency and may assist Online Safety Act compliance for in-scope services.
Online community, Forum, Marketplace, Educational platform
Repeat Offender Policy	Set escalating consequences for repeated breaches of platform rules.	Low	Strike system, warning periods, serious breaches, ban evasion, appeals, record keeping.	Avoid rigid automation where context, proportionality or consumer fairness requires human review.
Online community, Forum, Marketplace, Professional network
Ban Evasion Policy	Prohibit users from bypassing bans, suspensions or account restrictions.	Low	Alternative accounts, shared accounts, VPN misuse, linked accounts, enforcement, appeals.	If detecting linked accounts uses device or behavioural data, explain this in privacy materials.
Online community, Marketplace, Educational platform, Professional network
User Content Licence Terms	Grant the platform rights to host, display, edit and promote user content.	High	Ownership, licence scope, sublicensing, duration, deletion, moral rights, warranties, infringement.	Draft moral rights and assignment language carefully under UK copyright law.
Online community, Educational platform, Professional network, Marketplace
Content Submission Guidelines	Tell users how to submit acceptable articles, posts, images, videos or resources.	Low	Formats, quality standards, originality, citations, images, review, editing, publication, removal.	Require permissions for third-party images, quotes and embedded materials.
Online community, Professional network, Customer portal, Membership organisation
Private Community Confidentiality Rules	Restrict disclosure of information shared inside a private community.	Medium	Confidential information, screenshots, onward sharing, exceptions, permitted disclosures, sanctions.	Define confidential information clearly community terms may not replace a separate NDA for sensitive deals.
Membership organisation, Online community, Professional network
Community Governance Rules	Set how community decisions, roles, elections or moderation governance work.	High	Roles, elections, voting, committees, conflicts, rule changes, records, disputes, removal.	For incorporated associations, align rules with articles, bylaws or charity governing documents.
Online community, Forum, Marketplace, Educational platform
Moderator Guidelines	Guide moderators on applying rules consistently and recording decisions.	High	Decision standards, escalation, evidence, safety, bias, record keeping, appeals, moderator conduct.	Moderator processing of user reports may involve personal data and special category data.
Online community, Marketplace, Customer portal, Forum
Law Enforcement Request Policy	Explain how the platform handles police or authority requests for user data or content.	High	Request channels, legal process, emergency disclosure, preservation, user notice, transparency, records.	Disclosures to authorities need a lawful basis and must comply with UK data protection rules.
Online community, Marketplace, Forum, Professional network
Transparency Reporting Policy	Set what moderation, safety or enforcement data the platform reports publicly.	High	Metrics, content removals, account actions, complaints, government requests, methodology, frequency.	Larger or regulated services may need reporting processes aligned with online safety governance.

Which Community Guidelines Or Terms Of Service Does A UK Platform Need?

Most UK platforms need more than one rules document. A general Terms of Service sets the contractual baseline, while community guidelines, acceptable use rules, moderation policies and reporting processes explain how users must behave and how enforcement decisions are made.

How Should UK Consumer Platforms Draft These Terms?

If users are consumers, key terms should be transparent, fair and prominent under UK consumer law. Clauses on account suspension, content removal, fees, renewals, liability and changes to terms usually need particular care.

What Rules Matter Most For User-Generated Content?

Platforms with user posts, reviews, forums, groups or social features should include clear rules on illegal content, harassment, hate speech, intellectual property, reporting, appeals and moderation. Where children may use the service, age-appropriate safety and privacy wording is especially important.

When Are Specialist Terms Useful?

Marketplaces, membership bodies, learning platforms and professional networks often need tailored terms covering sellers, members, learners or business users. This helps separate user conduct rules from commercial terms such as payments, cancellations, verification, accreditation and dispute handling.

What UK Legal Issues Should Be Checked Before Publishing?

Consumer fairness: review against the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and CMA guidance where individuals use the service outside business purposes.
Online safety: services with user-generated content or search functions should consider Online Safety Act 2023 duties and Ofcom guidance.
Data protection: account rules, moderation, profiling and reporting workflows should align with UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018 notices.
Accessibility and equality: community rules and enforcement should avoid discriminatory treatment and support reasonable access for disabled users.