Legal requirements for websites – basics of the legal notice

Last change on 2021-08-02 • Created on 2021-08-02 • ID: GE-12AD7

This article is intended for customers who operate websites, online shops, platforms, or other publicly accessible online content. It explains why an imprint is required in many cases, what legal requirements typically apply, and what information must be included.
The information provided here is for general guidance only and does not constitute legal advice.

A legal notice names the legally responsible provider of a website or online service and ensures that the author, operator, and contact point are clearly identifiable. This includes the name, address, contact details, and—depending on the type of company—additional information such as commercial register data or tax information.

The legal notice makes it easier for third parties to contact a responsible person in case of legal or administrative questions, for example, in case of copyright issues, unsolicited emails (“spam”) or other complaints.

In Germany, the Telemedia Act (TMG) requires commercial, publicly accessible online offerings to have a legal notice page. There are similar legal regulations in Austria and Switzerland.
The obligation applies regardless of the domain extension. The decisive factor is whether it is a commercial offering or whether the service is aimed at users in German-speaking countries.
International operators also often need an imprint if their website offers German-language content or if they have business relationships with German-speaking customers.

Placement and accessibility

An imprint must be easy to find and permanently available. The usual placement is:

  • in the footer of each page
  • in the main navigation
  • within a maximum of two clicks from the home page

The link should be clearly labeled, for example with “Imprint.” The information must be complete, correct, and up to date.

Content requirements

A complete legal notice usually includes:

  • the name of the publisher or company
  • a postal address that can be used for legal summonses
  • a valid email address and telephone number
  • the legal form of the company
  • commercial register entry (if applicable)
  • VAT or tax number or the respective equivalent

Additional information may be useful:

  • Management or board of directors
  • Contact information for German-speaking support
  • Contact details of the data protection officer
  • Information on dispute resolution procedures
  • Copyright information
  • Legal disclaimers

For internationally oriented websites, it may be helpful to also provide the legal notice in English.

Impact on email delivery

A correct legal notice can reduce technical problems when sending business emails. Some email providers occasionally block emails from commercial senders without a legal notice, as they are more often associated with spam. For more information on email delivery, see the sections on email configuration under

Web Hosting – Email Configuration.

Imprint for private websites

Purely private, non-commercial websites do not usually require an imprint. These include personal blogs or pages that do not generate income and are only accessible to a private audience.

Imprint for international offerings

Website operators based outside Germany often need an imprint if their content is aimed at German-speaking users or if they conduct business in German-speaking countries.
If in doubt, a legal expert should be consulted.

Support from generators

Online generators can be helpful for creating an imprint. These often offer templates for German-language or bilingual imprint pages. Some examples:

Please note that these generators are not a substitute for legally binding advice.

For guidance, published legal notice pages of other companies may be helpful, e.g.:

These examples show typical structures and the scope of the information provided.

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