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How to Write a Disclaimer for Your Blog
About the author: Courtney, better known as Phyrra, is a writer and beauty blogger. Phyrra.net focuses on indie beauty companies and products, but also covers some mainstream products. She loves makeup, standard poodles, sci-fi/horror/fantasy, writing and gaming. She is nearly inseparable from her cherished standard poodle, Phaedra.
New bloggers often don’t have disclaimers or know that they’re needed. It is well worth it to take the time to write up a disclaimer!
When at the blogger event that I went to today, we discussed why it is important to have a disclaimer for your blog. I don’t know if every PR rep reads disclaimers, but they should. And even more importantly, every blogger should have a disclaimer/disclosure policy!
Among other things, I state in my disclaimer that:
- I accept products for consideration and do not guarantee reviews and I always state if a product was sent to me by PR for consideration.
- The vast majority of items you see me use and review in my blog are purchased by me. I always give an honest review of how the product worked for me, whether I purchased it or it was sent to me for consideration.
- The site was designed for recreational use only. I am not giving medical or personalized advice.
- The site is owned by me, and does not represent the views of any other school, business, or institution I may be associated with.
What does this mean?
I make no promises on how long it will take me to write a review. It means that if I don’t like a product, I may not review it. It means that I have full editorial control (after all, it is my blog) and I will review products in whatever order I desire.
Until recently, I worked a very hectic schedule between my full-time position and my contract work, which meant that my ‘to review’ pile really grew. I’m now slowly working my way through it.
It also reduces legal liability, because you are plainly stating to your readers that you are not giving them medical or personalized advice. Instead, you are simply stating your own views on a public forum for their entertainment.
For more help
If you need help writing a disclaimer, please visit DisclosurePolicy.org.
Continue the conversation!
Do you have your own blog? Do you have a disclosure policy? What’s one thing you consider critical for bloggers to do?
is the disclaimer you mention same as a terms of service? and amazing blog <3 kisses
I am so glad that I read this here and on Courtney’s blog. I had no idea how badly I needed a disclaimer in my life. Thank you for sharing!
Hopefully those being sent products for review consideration are all aware that legally, you MUST disclose if a product was sent to your for such purposes.
One thing I’m not sure bloggers realize though, is that the opposite is not true: you don’t need to disclose that you bought the product yourself, if a friend sent it to you as a birthday gift, etc…I sometimes feel like a disclaimer after each and every post gets tedious. Either tack on the disclaimer in its own section or only on the posts where it’s legally necessary.