Terms of Service Generator

When to Use This Skill

Launching a new website, app, or SaaS product
Selling digital products or online courses
Running a membership site or community platform
Updating outdated terms after changing business model
Adding user-generated content features to a platform

IMPORTANT: This skill generates starting-point terms of service. It is NOT legal advice. Always have a qualified attorney review before publishing.

Core Principle

TERMS OF SERVICE PROTECT BOTH PARTIES. Good terms set clear expectations — what users can expect from you and what you expect from them.

Workflow

Step 1: Gather Business Details

Ask the user:

What type of platform? (website, SaaS, e-commerce, community, course)
Do users create accounts?
Do users pay for anything? (subscriptions, one-time purchases)
Is there user-generated content? (comments, uploads, posts)
What's your refund/cancellation policy?
Business name and website URL?

Minimum needed: questions 1 and 6.

Step 2: Determine Required Sections

Platform Type	Extra Sections Needed
SaaS	Service availability, SLA, data ownership, API usage
E-commerce	Purchase terms, shipping, returns, product warranties
Course/Membership	Access terms, refund windows, content licensing
Community/UGC	Acceptable use, content moderation, IP ownership
All types	Limitation of liability, termination, dispute resolution

Step 3: Draft the Terms

Write these sections:

Agreement to Terms — By using the site, you agree
Description of Service — What we provide
User Accounts (if applicable) — Registration, responsibilities, security
Acceptable Use — What users can and can't do
Payment Terms (if applicable) — Pricing, billing, refunds
Intellectual Property — Who owns what
User Content (if applicable) — License granted, content rules
Limitation of Liability — Caps on damages
Disclaimers — No warranties, "as is" provision
Termination — When and how accounts can be closed
Dispute Resolution — Governing law, arbitration vs. court
Changes to Terms — How users are notified of updates
Contact Information

Add plain-language annotations in italics for each section.

Step 4: Review & Deliver

Verify all revenue models are covered in payment terms
Check that content ownership is clearly defined
Ensure refund/cancellation policy is explicit
Add "Last Updated" date
Remind user to get legal review

Examples

Example 1: SaaS Product Terms (Excerpt)

Terms of Service Last Updated: [Current Date]

1. Agreement to Terms

By accessing or using TaskFlow ("the Service"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.

In plain language: By using TaskFlow, you're agreeing to these rules. If you don't agree, please don't use the product.

5. Payment Terms

a) Subscription Billing. TaskFlow subscriptions are billed monthly or annually in advance. Your subscription automatically renews at the end of each billing period unless you cancel before the renewal date.

b) Free Trial. New accounts receive a 14-day free trial. No credit card is required for the trial. If you do not subscribe before the trial ends, your account will be downgraded to a limited free tier.

c) Refunds. Monthly subscriptions: no refunds for partial months. Annual subscriptions: pro-rated refund available within the first 30 days. After 30 days, no refunds for the remainder of the annual term.

d) Price Changes. We may change pricing with 30 days' notice. Price changes apply to the next billing cycle, not the current one.

In plain language: You pay at the start of each month or year. You can cancel anytime, but we don't refund partial periods (except annual plans within 30 days). If we raise prices, you'll know 30 days in advance.

6. Intellectual Property

a) Our IP. TaskFlow, its logo, design, and underlying technology are owned by [Company Name]. You may not copy, modify, or reverse-engineer any part of the Service.

b) Your Data. You retain full ownership of all data, content, and files you upload to TaskFlow. We do not claim any intellectual property rights over your content.

c) License to Us. By uploading content, you grant us a limited license to store, display, and process your content solely for the purpose of providing the Service. This license terminates when you delete your content or close your account.

In plain language: We own TaskFlow. You own your stuff. We only use your data to make the product work for you. Delete your account and we delete your data.

Example 2: Online Course Terms (Excerpt)

7. Course Access & Refunds

a) Access. Upon purchase, you receive lifetime access to the course materials as they exist at the time of purchase. "Lifetime" means for as long as the course platform remains operational.

b) Updates. We may update course content at our discretion. Major updates are provided free to existing students. If the course is substantially redesigned and relaunched as a new product, existing students receive a minimum 50% discount.

c) Refund Policy. Full refund available within 14 days of purchase, no questions asked. After 14 days, or after completing more than 50% of the course modules (whichever comes first), no refunds are available.

d) Sharing. Your course access is for your individual use only. Sharing login credentials, downloading and distributing course materials, or screen-recording lessons is prohibited and will result in immediate access revocation without refund.

In plain language: You get the course forever (as long as we're around). Full refund within 14 days. Don't share your login or record the lessons — that's not fair to us or other students who paid.

Recovery & Fallbacks

User operates internationally: Default to including both US and international provisions. Specify governing law (typically the state where the business is incorporated).
User doesn't know their refund policy: Recommend: 14-day refund for digital products, 30-day for physical. Make it generous — it builds trust and reduces chargebacks.
User has a complex platform: For multi-sided platforms (marketplace, community + courses), address each user type separately in the terms.
User wants "bulletproof" legal protection: No terms of service can guarantee full protection. They reduce risk and set expectations. Always recommend legal review for the final version.

Constraints

ALWAYS include the legal disclaimer — this is not legal advice
NEVER use only legalese — include plain-language annotations for every section
Specify governing law jurisdiction
Include a clear update notification process
Date every version with "Last Updated"
Make refund/cancellation terms specific and unambiguous
Always include contact information for legal questions