Build Your Author Website: Pages Behind the Scenes of Your Website

Posted February 13, 2024 by kddidit in Author Resources, Building Your Own Website


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DISCLAIMER: I am not a lawyer. Seek out a lawyer for advice on any of the below. KD Did It assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions in the content of this site. The information contained in this site is provided on an “as is” basis with no guarantees of completeness, accuracy, usefulness, or timeliness . . . although I do my best.

It’s not really “behind-the-scenes” so much as these are necessary pages for legal and practical reasons that must be accessible to your viewers.

It’s a slew of policies that could drive you mad. Fortunately, the primary ones are listed below so you can generate them and get them out of the way! I’ll be doing a post later on the “nuances” of disclosure pages like affiliate disclosure, guest post disclosures, and sponsored disclosures. I had meant them for this post, but their inclusion made this post even l . . . o . . . n . . . g . e . . r.

There is an assortment of examples from text to graphics to links to other websites.

On your website, provide links to these pages everywhere to ensure viewers see them and have access to them.

As I noted above, you might want to check with a lawyer once you’ve generated these pages to ensure you’re covered.

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Exploring More . . .

You may want to also look at more possibilities in Building Your Author Website“, “Outline Your Website“, and “The Front End of Your Website“.

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Build Your Author Website is . . .

. . . an opportunity to do a bit more with your author’s website or blog and have some fun with it as well as getting a look at building it from the ground up with a comprehensive listing of the pages you’ll need . . . all while learning something about HTML (hypertext markup language) and CSS (cascading style sheets) — the easy way, lol.

If you found this post on “Pages Behind the Scenes of Your Website” interesting, consider subscribing to KD Did It, if you’d like to track this post for future updates.

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Pages Behind the Scenes of Your Website
Part of Web Building: Site Architecture
Definition: Pages that explain your policies, satisfy legal requirements, a site map, and just for fun, a custom 404 page, etc.


POST CONTENTS:
Privacy Policy Page Definition: Explains to users how you will interact with their personal information and how you protect your viewers *.

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 Globally, you are legally required to have a Privacy Policy anytime you collect data from visitors and includes:

  • Data includes their name, email address, their birthday, location, financial information (that credit/debit card), social security number, IP address, etc.
  • A user signing up for a newsletter
  • A gift with sign-up
  • Paying for an item
  • Collecting information for your analytics

A Privacy Policy page should include the following:

  • What information you collect from visitors
  • Where the data is stored
  • How you’ll use that data
  • If you’ll share that data with third parties
  • If and how users can delete their data

* Required by law in the European Union’s GDPR and California’s CalOPPA.

Include a link to your Privacy Policy in the footer of EVERY page in your website.

Include links for your:

  • Impressum
  • Disclosures
  • Disclaimers
  • Terms of Service
  • Cookie Policy page

A.k.a. imprint page (although it’s not accurate)

Also see Terms of Service

Source: Cavalier, Johnson
Templates and/or generators to create a privacy policy can be found at:

Ironclad Journal’s “GDPR: 5 Best Privacy Policy Examples” has a few examples of what different companies do in the European Union. The US Department of State has their requirements for a privacy policy.
Impressum Definition: A list of information about your business that divulges contact and copyright information to users and aims to help individuals easily find who is legally responsible for published material and content.

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 This is a European requirement for a commercial website, i.e., your author site. It’s considered a legal document that gives visitors a true impression of the company and a key document that protects visitors and the rights of the publisher. So far, the European Union is the most strict about viewer privacy, and if you want to advertise, promote, sell, etc., your work in Europe, it’s the standard to which you should aspire.

I’m sure you’ve been encountering those annoying compliance pop-ups. The European Union (EU) requires a more informed consent and your viewer/visitor must actively provide “clear affirmative action consent” to the use of non-essential cookies and allow the visitor to manage their cookies preferences. Yes, they still require that Privacy Policy as well in the EU AND in the US.

In the United States, website imprints are not required by federal law, but some states have their own requirements. For example, California requires website owners to include an “online privacy policy” that provides information about how visitor data is collected and used.

NOTE: The impressum/imprint is separate from a Privacy Policy (do include a link to this Imprint page in your privacy policy), as required by the Telemedia Act:

  • Required for all commercial websites (one that is used to sell goods or services to the general public) and if your website is written in German, if you have a large customer base in this region, or if you directly market to such individuals.
    • This includes any digital or print publications owned or operated in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and other German-speaking countries.
    • On the Facebook pages of commercial businesses or organizations operating in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, etc.
    • You do not need an impressum if your commercial website isn’t operated from within a German-speaking country nor is marketed towards individuals there.

Information to include (think of it as a contact page)
An Imprint page should include the following:

  • The name of your business (company name and legal designation, if applicable), organization and/or name(s) of the website owner
  • First and last name of an authorized representative of the company
    • Information about a board of directors or managers and their names
    • If your business requires licensure, then you need to include the addresses, phone numbers, and websites of the licensing authorities
    • If your business provides journalistic content, then you will want to include the editors’ names and addresses
  • Website homepage with link
  • Physical address of the owner (whether you have a physical location for buyers or not)
  • Email address with contact form link (disguise your actual link information by using hexadecimal codes in place of some of the numbers, letters and/or replace the @ (@), or the period, . , (.) as a way to avoid scammers)
  • Telephone and/or fax number of the owner or manager (disguise this in the same way as above)
  • Any associated identification, licensing, or registration numbers, including:
    • A trade registry number
    • A VAT number, if you’re based in Europe
    • US business license information (authorizes you to open and operate your business); EU is the Registry Court
    • Your company registration number (or equivalent state-issued number), which puts your company’s information — your business name or your tax data, for instance — in the government’s files
  • Copyright information
  • A link to and from your Privacy Policy
  • Any professional bodies of which you are a member
  • If you are a doctor, lawyer, or other professional whose business depends on membership within an association, your Impressum should include the association’s phone number, address, and website
  • Include a link to the EU online dispute settlement platform, if you sell products or services

Title the link “Impressum”, “Imprint”, or “Legal Disclosure”.

Your imprint page must be easy to find from anywhere on your website and clearly labeled — the footer is a good place.

WARNING: You can be fined for not having an imprint page.

A.k.a. imprint, legal disclosure, legal notice, website imprint,

Source: Hartley

Example of an Impressum Page.
Facebook Impressum Definition: A list of information about your business that divulges contact and copyright information to users and aims to help individuals easily find who is legally responsible for published material and content, only it’s posted on Facebook.

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 If you / your website has a presence on Facebook in a German-speaking country, you must include an Impressum for it.

The same information for the impressum above can be used on Facebook.

Source: Lister
Disclosure Page Definition: Legally and ethically, this is an important page for bloggers who disclose information to their viewers — create a disclosure page separate from a Terms of Service page, etc., although it wouldn’t hurt to include a link on the TOS, Privacy Policy, etc., for the Disclosure page.

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 The Federal Trade Commission of the United States specifically requires you to disclose whenever a conflict of interest arises in any post, course, etc., for your viewers that relies on your expertise and advice.

A Disclosure Page should be included:

  • If you participate in affiliate marketing programs
  • If you run contextual ads, such as Google Adsense
  • If you receive compensation in any form including anything on your website — a link, an image, an article, a book, etc.

A future post will explore affiliate disclosures, guest post disclosures, and sponsorship disclosures.

Include links for your:

  • Privacy Policy
  • Impressum
  • Disclaimers
  • Terms of Service
  • Cookie Policy page

A.k.a. self-disclosure

Source: A2, Slack, Disclosure Examples
American Economic Disclosure is the only site I could find that addressed disclosures. The rest either focused on affiliate disclosures or disclaimers.
Disclaimer Page Definition: A legal warning that “minimizes legal risks, clarifies your liabilities, and aligns with your business’s operations and offerings”.

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 Disclaimers indicate what the site does not warrant or the limits to what the site is liable for concerning users and should state the limitations of your liability and professional in simple language:

  • Specify Limitations: Clearly outline the specific limitations of your liability. For instance, if you’re providing advice, state that it shouldn’t be taken as a substitute for professional consultation. If selling products, clarify the scope of your responsibility regarding the use or misuse of those products.
  • Be Comprehensive, Yet Concise: While it’s important to cover all necessary aspects, avoid making the disclaimer excessively lengthy. A concise, well-crafted disclaimer is more likely to be read and understood by your customers.
  • Customize to Your Business: Generic disclaimers may not adequately cover the unique aspects of your business. Tailor your disclaimer to address the specific operations, products, or services you offer. This customization is particularly crucial if your business operates in a niche industry or provides specialized services.

The most common types of disclaimers:

  • Responsibility disclaimer
  • Fair use disclaimer
  • Past performance disclaimer
  • Copyright disclaimer
  • Warranty disclaimer
  • Risk disclaimer
  • Medical disclaimer
  • Errors or omissions disclaimer

Include links for your:

  • Privacy Policy
  • Impressum
  • Disclosure Policy page
  • Terms of Service
  • Cookie Policy page

Keep your disclaimer up-to-date with changes in your business operations, products, services, and relevant laws. Regularly revisiting and updating your disclaimer ensures its continued effectiveness.

WARNING: Get legal advice, especially for businesses in highly regulated industries, or those dealing with complex liability issues. A lawyer can help ensure that your disclaimer is legally sound and fully protective of your interests.

Source: Pilon
“Disclaimer: This article is not a substitute for professional legal advice. This article does not create an attorney-client relationship, nor is it a solicitation to offer legal advice.”

“[The author] assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions in the content of this site. The information contained in this site is provided on an “as is” basis with no guarantees of completeness, accuracy, usefulness, or timeliness . . .”

Check out these sites for Disclaimer generators that can create one for your site:
Terms of Service (TOS) Definition: A set of rules that spells out how users can interact with your site or service and protects you and your company.

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 Although a TOS might be unnecessary for some sites, most will benefit from using one.

A Terms of Service page should include the following:

  • State that your site is protected by copyright laws
  • Explain that your site does not have control over the content of other websites you may link to and that you are not responsible for the content that may appear on other sites
  • Which country’s laws govern the terms listed here (although you should consider following the European Union’s GDPR)

Include links for your:

  • Privacy Policy
  • Impressum
  • Disclosure Policy page
  • Disclaimers
  • Cookie Policy page

Also see Privacy Policy.

A.k.a. terms and conditions, terms of use

Source: Cavalier
Templates to create a TOS can be found at:
Cookies Definition: Small text files containing unique data to identify your computer to the network.

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 They ensure that websites remember who you are and your preferences from past visits, so you can have a smooth browsing experience.

Not all cookies are good. (An upcoming post will explore the many different types of cookies.)

Include links for your:

  • Privacy Policy
  • Impressum
  • Disclosure Policy page
  • Disclaimers
  • Terms of Service

A.k.a. browser cookies, tracking cookies

Source: Nguyen, Husain, Cookies


I love Burger King’s easy-to-use cookie banner. I don’t have to click several times to finally get to click on only necessary cookies! Burger King also has a web page that states their cookies policy.
Templates (policy generators) for a cookie banner can be found at:
Strictly Necessary Cookies Definition: Cookies that enable a website to function.

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 These cookies include ones that enable users to log into secure areas of the website and use a shopping cart.

These cookies do not track any personal data of visitors.

Cookies necessary to a website’s operation are exempt from the need for consent and they cannot be disabled.

FUN FACT: That choice on a cookie consent form that states “Reject All”? It will not reject Necessary Cookies.

Source: Cookie Consent


A black dialog box with text and three linked buttons to choose how you want your cookies.

StackExchange’s new cookie banner displays a Necessary Cookies Only choice.

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C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which website issues are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix the . . . and we’ll all benefit!

Satisfy your curiosity about other Working Your Website posts in its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Word Confusions, and Writing Ideas and Resources.

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Resources for Pages Behind the Scenes of Your Website

Some of these links may be affiliate links, and I will earn a small percentage, if you should buy it. It does not affect the price you pay.

A2 Marketing Team. “6 Pages Every Website Needs: a Privacy Policy, Disclosure, and More.” A2 Hosting. 10 Nov 2016. Accessed 24 Jan 2024. <https://www.a2hosting.com/blog/6-pages-every-website-needs-privacy-policy-disclosure/>.

“Author Disclosure Form.” Journal of Military Veteran and Family Health. n.d. Accessed 5 Feb 2024. <https://jmvfh.utpjournals.press/pb-assets/utoronto/jmvfh/JMVFH-Author-Disclosure-Form.pdf>.

“Cookie Consent Exemptions: Strictly Necessary Cookies.” CookieYes.com. 7 Aug 2023. Accessed 18 Jan 2024. <https://www.cookieyes.com/blog/cookie-consent-exemption-for-strictly-necessary-cookies/>.

“Cookies and Similar Technologies.” European Commission. DATE. Accessed 18 Jan 2024. <https://commission.europa.eu/resources-partners/europa-web-guide/design-content-and-development/privacy-security-and-legal-notices/cookies-and-similar-technologies_en>.

Cox, Lindsay Kolowich. “25 Testimonial Page Examples.” HubSpot. 17 Aug 2023. Accessed 24 Jan 2024. <https://blog.hubspot.com/service/testimonial-page-examples#types>.

Crestodina, Andy. “How to Write Testimonials (Plus 10 Customer Testimonial Examples).” OrbitMedia. n.d. Accessed 24 Jan 2024. <https://www.orbitmedia.com/blog/how-to-write-testimonials-examples/>.

Dar, Usman. “Affiliate Disclosures: How to Write One for Your WordPress Site (with Examples).” Cloudways. 1 July 2021. Accessed 2 Feb 2024. <https://www.cloudways.com/blog/affiliate-disclosures/>.

Diggity, Matt. “Affiliate Link Disclosure Examples | 11 Unique Approaches.” Diggity Marketing. n.d. Accessed 5 Feb 2024. <https://diggitymarketing.com/learn-affiliate-marketing/affiliate-link-disclosure-examples/>.

“Disclosure Examples.” American Economic Association. n.d. Accessed 5 Feb 2024. <https://www.aeaweb.org/journals/policies/disclosure-policy/disclosure-examples>.

“Disclosure Statement.” Always a Lesson. 6 Nat 2012. Accessed 5 Feb 2024. <https://alwaysalesson.com/disclosure-statement/>.

Gustafson, Aaron. “When Your Code Has to Work: Complying with Legal Mandates.” Smashing Magazine. 2 Mar 2017. Accessed 19 Jan 2024. <https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2017/03/code-complying-with-legal-mandates/>.

Hartley, Cara. “Impressum Template.” TermsFeed. Last updated 1 July 2023. Accessed 18 Jan 2024. <https://www.termsfeed.com/blog/sample-impressum-template/#Where_do_I_display_my_Impressum>.

Husain, Osman. “Cookie Banner Requirements: GDPR, CCPA, CPRA, UK & More.” Enzuzo.com. 15 Aug 2023. Accessed 18 Jan 2024. <https://www.enzuzo.com/blog/cookie-banner-requirements>.

Hwang, Y. and S.-H Jeong. “This is a Sponsored Blog Post, but All Opinions are My Own: The Effects of Sponsorship Disclosure on Responses to Sponsored Blog Posts.” ResearchGate. n.d. Accessed 5 Feb 2024. <https://www.researchgate.net/publication/301705747_This_is_a_sponsored_blog_post_but_all_opinions_are_my_own_The_effects_of_sponsorship_disclosure_on_responses_to_sponsored_blog_posts>.

Johnson, Desiree. “How To Create a Privacy Policy For My Website.” Bluehost. n.d. Accessed 25 Jan 2024. <https://www.bluehost.com/blog/how-to-write-a-policy-privacy-for-your-website/>.

Lister, John. “Sample Impressum Template.” FreePrivacyPolicy. Last updated 18 Nov 2022. Accessed 18 Jan 2024. <https://www.freeprivacypolicy.com/blog/sample-impressum-template/>.

Nguyen, Sara J. Catherine McNally (ed.) “What are Internet Cookies and How are They Used?” All About Cookies. Last updated 28 July 2023. Accessed 18 Jan 2024. <https://allaboutcookies.org/what-is-a-cookie>.

Pilon, Annie. “10 Disclaimer Examples.” Marketing Tips. Small Business Trends.com. 8 Dec 2023. Accessed 26 Jan 2024. <https://smallbiztrends.com/2023/12/disclaimer-examples.html>.

Slack, Chris. “Disclaimers Versus Disclosures.” Free Privacy Policy. Last updated 1 July 2022. Accessed 24 Jan 2024. <https://www.freeprivacypolicy.com/blog/disclaimers-versus-disclosures/>.

The WordPress.com Team. “How to Optimize Your 404 Error Page and Make It Useful for Your Visitor.” WordPress.com. 1 Jan 2022. Accessed 5 Feb 2024. <https://wordpress.com/go/tutorials/how-to-optimize-404-error-page/>.

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Pinterest Photo Credits

Scenography, Set Construction, and Theatrical Scenery is Jorge Royan’s own work and is under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons.

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