Website Terms and Conditions Spain

Website Terms and Conditions Spain (Términos y Condiciones de Uso del Sitio Web, also known as Condiciones Generales de Uso or Aviso Legal) are the legally binding contractual terms published on a website or digital platform by the website owner (titular del sitio web) that govern the relationship between the owner and users of the website, establishing the conditions under which the website may be accessed and used, the rights and obligations of both parties, and the applicable legal framework. In Spain, the obligation to publish terms and conditions — and a legal notice (aviso legal) — on commercial and professional websites is established by Article 10 of the Ley 34/2002, de 11 de julio, de Servicios de la Sociedad de la Información y de Comercio Electrónico (LSSI), the primary Spanish statute regulating electronic commerce and online services.

The LSSI implements EU Directive 2000/31/EC on electronic commerce and was modified by the Ley 56/2007 and, more recently, by the Ley 11/2022, de 28 de junio, General de Telecomunicaciones, and complementary regulations. Article 10 LSSI requires all providers of information society services (prestadores de servicios de la sociedad de la información — PSSI) — including all commercial websites, e-commerce platforms, SaaS providers, bloggers who monetise their content, and professional service providers operating online — to publish certain mandatory information that must be easily and permanently accessible on the website. Failure to publish the mandatory information constitutes an administrative infraction under Articles 37 to 41 LSSI, punishable by fines of up to €600,000 for very serious infractions.

The Website Terms and Conditions in Spain must be understood as a composite legal document combining multiple distinct regulatory obligations: (1) the aviso legal (legal notice) required by Article 10 LSSI, identifying the website owner; (2) the condiciones generales de contratación (general contracting conditions) required by the Ley 7/1998 de Condiciones Generales de la Contratación (LCGC) for standard-form contracts; (3) the política de privacidad (privacy policy) required by Article 13 of the GDPR (Reglamento UE 2016/679) and Articles 11 to 13 of the LOPDGDD (Ley Orgánica 3/2018); (4) the política de cookies (cookie policy) required by Article 22.2 LSSI as modified by the AEPD's Guía de Cookies and the ePrivacy Directive (2009/136/EC); and (5) the condiciones específicas de contratación (e-commerce specific conditions) required by Articles 27 to 29 LSSI and the Ley 3/2014 de modificación del texto refundido de la Ley General para la Defensa de los Consumidores y Usuarios (TRLGDCU) for business-to-consumer online sales.

The Agencia Española de Protección de Datos (AEPD) and the Ministerio de Asuntos Económicos y Transformación Digital (through the Secretaría de Estado de Digitalización e Inteligencia Artificial) jointly enforce LSSI and GDPR/LOPDGDD compliance for Spanish websites.

The legal framework governing the Website Terms and Conditions Spain in Spain draws on several key statutes and regulatory bodies. Under the Ley de Sociedades de Capital (LSC) RDL 1/2010, the Registro Mercantil maintains the register of Spanish companies. The Código de Comercio 1885 governs commercial obligations. The Agencia Estatal de Administración Tributaria (AEAT) administers Impuesto sobre Sociedades (IS) under Ley 27/2014. The Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia (CNMC) enforces competition law. The Código Civil governs general contractual obligations under Article 1255. Parties executing a Website Terms and Conditions Spain in Spain should confirm the document reflects current law, including any amendments enacted since the original drafting date. The Ley 34/2002 de Servicios de la Sociedad de la Información (LSSI) art. 10 sets the foundational requirements.

Website Terms and Conditions Spain are required whenever a company, professional, or individual operates a commercial or professional website, e-commerce platform, mobile application, or any digital service targeting Spanish users — the LSSI obligations apply regardless of where the server is located, as long as the service targets Spanish users.

The Términos y Condiciones are needed for any website that offers goods or services for sale online (comercio electrónico) — the LSSI Articles 27 to 29 and the TRLGDCU require specific pre-contractual information, distance contracts conditions, and right of withdrawal disclosures for consumer sales. Without these provisions, consumer contracts may be voidable and the seller faces sanctions.

The terms are required for any website that processes personal data of Spanish users — the GDPR Article 13 information notices must be integrated into or linked from the terms, and the AEPD may inspect and sanction websites that fail to meet GDPR transparency requirements.

Website Terms and Conditions are needed for any website using cookies, web analytics (Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics), advertising tracking technologies (Facebook Pixel, Google Ads), or social media integration — the LSSI Article 22 cookie consent and policy requirements apply, and the AEPD's 2023 cookie guidance requires explicit opt-in consent for non-essential cookies.

The terms are required for SaaS (Software as a Service) platforms, online subscription services, and digital content providers operating in Spain — the Digital Content and Digital Services Directive (EU Directive 2019/770), implemented in Spain through the TRLGDCU reform, imposes specific obligations for digital content contracts.

Website Terms and Conditions are also needed for any website using user-generated content (UGC) — forums, reviews, social features — to establish the platform's moderation rights, IP licence from users, and liability limitations under the Digital Services Act (EU Regulation 2022/2065 — DSA), which directly applies in Spain from February 2024 for all online platforms operating in the EU.

Parties in Spain should prepare a Website Terms and Conditions Spain proactively rather than waiting for a dispute to arise. Courts interpret agreements based on the written terms rather than oral representations. Under the Ley de Sociedades de Capital (LSC) RDL 1/2010, the Registro Mercantil maintains the register of Spanish companies. The Código de Comercio 1885 governs commercial obligations. The Agencia Estatal de Administración Tributaria (AEAT) administers Impuesto sobre Sociedades (IS) under Ley 27/2014. The Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia (CNMC) enforces competition law. The Código Civil governs general contractual obligations under Article 1255. Where the transaction involves regulated activities, prior approval from the relevant authority may be required before execution.

Valid Website Terms and Conditions Spain under Article 10 of the Ley 34/2002 (LSSI), the GDPR (Reglamento UE 2016/679), and complementary legislation must contain the following mandatory and recommended elements.

Mandatory Legal Notice (Aviso Legal — Article 10 LSSI): Company or owner name; NIF/CIF or DNI/NIE; registered address; contact email and telephone; registration details (Registro Mercantil registration, professional association colegiación, or other applicable registry); and, for supervised activities, the supervisory authority's name. This information must be easily, directly, and permanently accessible on the website — typically in the footer or a dedicated Aviso Legal page.

Scope and Conditions of Use: A description of the website's services and content, the conditions for accessing and using the website (including age requirements — minimum 14 for general use, 16 for data consent under LOPDGDD), and the user's obligations. The terms must clarify that the user accepts the conditions by using the website, though for distance contracts with consumers, an explicit acceptance mechanism (button click) is required under TRLGDCU.

Intellectual Property Notice: A statement that the website's content — text, images, design, logos, videos, software, and databases — is protected by Ley de Propiedad Intelectual (RDL 1/1996 — LPI) and Ley 17/2001 de Marcas (for registered trademarks). The terms should specify permitted uses of the content (viewing, private printing) and prohibit commercial reproduction, modification, or distribution without the owner's written consent.

Privacy Policy (Política de Privacidad — GDPR Article 13 and LOPDGDD): The complete GDPR transparency information — identity and contact details of the data controller; contact details of the DPO if designated; purposes and legal basis for each processing activity; data recipients; international transfer safeguards; retention periods; data subject rights (access, rectification, erasure, restriction, portability, objection) and the procedure for exercising them; right to lodge a complaint with the AEPD; and whether the provision of data is a contractual or statutory requirement. This section may be a separate Política de Privacidad linked from the main terms.

Cookie Policy (Política de Cookies — LSSI Article 22): A description of all cookies used on the website — name, purpose, duration, and whether first-party or third-party; the categories (technically necessary, analytical, advertising, personalisation); the consent mechanism for non-essential cookies; and instructions for managing cookie preferences. The AEPD's 2023 Guía de Cookies requires a visible consent banner (cookie banner) that allows users to accept or reject non-essential cookies before they are placed. A separate Política de Cookies page with full details is required.

E-commerce Terms (if applicable — LSSI Articles 27-29 and TRLGDCU): For websites selling goods or services to consumers — the pre-contractual information required by Article 97 TRLGDCU (total price including taxes and delivery, product description, trader identity, delivery arrangements, payment methods), the right of withdrawal (derecho de desistimiento — fourteen calendar days under Article 102 TRLGDCU), the returns procedure, warranty information (two-year legal guarantee under Article 120 TRLGDCU), and the online dispute resolution platform (plataforma ODR of the European Commission).

Limitation of Liability: Provisions limiting the website owner's liability for damages arising from use of the website — including third-party content, technical errors, unavailability of the service, and user-generated content — within the limits permitted by Spanish consumer protection law. Liability exclusions that would deprive consumers of their statutory rights are void under Article 86 TRLGDCU.

Forms-legal.com provides this Website Terms and Conditions Spain template as a practical starting point. Websites operated by regulated entities (banks, insurers, investment firms, healthcare providers, legal professionals) must include sector-specific mandatory disclosures in addition to the standard LSSI requirements. The AEPD provides model privacy policy texts and cookie guidance at aepd.es. Legal review by an abogado especialista in data protection and e-commerce law is recommended for high-traffic commercial websites, SaaS platforms, and any website processing sensitive personal data or conducting significant e-commerce activity in Spain.

Under the Ley de Sociedades de Capital (LSC) RDL 1/2010, the Registro Mercantil maintains the register of Spanish companies. The Código de Comercio 1885 governs commercial obligations. The Agencia Estatal de Administración Tributaria (AEAT) administers Impuesto sobre Sociedades (IS) under Ley 27/2014. The Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia (CNMC) enforces competition law. The Código Civil governs general contractual obligations under Article 1255.