When you launch a SaaS product, legal documents are not something you can push to later. They protect you from day one — before you have your first paying customer. Here is exactly what you need and why.
1. Privacy Policy — required
A Privacy Policy is legally required for any SaaS product that collects user data — and every SaaS product collects user data. At minimum, your SaaS will collect email addresses for accounts, usage data for product analytics, and payment information for billing.
Your Privacy Policy needs to cover what data you collect, why, how you store and protect it, who you share it with (Stripe, analytics tools, etc.), and what rights users have. Under GDPR, you also need to specify the legal basis for processing each type of data.
2. Terms of Service — essential
Your Terms of Service defines the contract between you and your users. For a SaaS product this is especially important because it needs to cover:
- Subscription terms — billing cycles, what happens when payment fails
- Acceptable use — what users can and cannot do with your product
- Intellectual property — who owns user-generated content and data
- Limitation of liability — limiting your exposure if the service goes down or loses data
- SLA disclaimer — unless you are explicitly guaranteeing uptime, disclaim it
- Account termination — when and how you can close an account
- Dispute resolution — arbitration is standard
3. Cookie Policy — if you use cookies
If your SaaS product uses cookies — for sessions, analytics, or advertising — you need a Cookie Policy under GDPR and the ePrivacy Directive. This is most commonly needed for the marketing website, not the app itself.
4. Data Processing Agreement (DPA) — for B2B
If your SaaS processes personal data on behalf of other businesses — as a data processor — you need a Data Processing Agreement. GDPR requires this for any processor-controller relationship. Many enterprise customers will request a DPA before signing up. This is more complex and may require legal help to draft properly.
5. Refund Policy — recommended
While not legally required, a clear refund policy prevents disputes and builds customer trust. Define clearly what is and is not refundable, and under what circumstances.
What you can generate free on LegalyJet
LegalyJet covers the three core documents every SaaS needs at launch: Privacy Policy, Terms and Conditions, and Cookie Policy. All three are generated free, personalized to your actual product, and ready to publish in minutes.