Creating a Shopify Legal Notice: Guide & Required Information for 2026

If you operate your Shopify store in Germany as a business, you must provide the provider information required under Section 5 of the German Data Protection Act (DDG). This information must be easily identifiable, directly accessible, and permanently available.

For Shopify merchants, this means that you not only need the correct information, but you must also integrate the legal notice into your store in such a way that visitors can easily find it.

In this article, you’ll learn how to create a Shopify legal notice, what information may be required, where to post it in Shopify, and what mistakes to avoid.

In Shopify, for example, you can create the legal notice as a separate page and include a permanent link to it in the footer, or you can enter your contact information under Settings → Policies.

Where should the legal notice be placed?

The law does not generally require that a legal notice be, for example, “no more than two clicks away.” What matters is that the required information is easily identifiable, immediately accessible, and always available.

In practice, a permanently visible link in the footer of a Shopify store is a suitable way to make the legal notice easily accessible.

Check the following:

• Is the legal notice accessible from the main store pages?

• Does the link work on mobile devices?

• Is the link clearly identifiable as “Legal Notice” or “Contact Information”?

• Does it lead to the current version?

• Is the company information complete?

A permanently visible link in the Shopify footer is therefore a practical way to meet this requirement.

Latori Tip: Don’t just test the legal notice on the homepage. Also open product pages, the shopping cart, and—if applicable—the checkout page. Links can change, especially after making changes to the theme or navigation.

What is an imprint?

A legal notice—often referred to in legal terms as “provider identification”—informs visitors about who is behind a commercial digital offering.

Section 5 of the German Digital Services Act (DDG) requires providers of commercial digital services—typically offered for a fee—to make certain information easily recognizable, directly accessible, and permanently available.

This may include, among other things:

• Name or business name of the provider

• Full address

• Legal form

• Persons authorized to represent the provider

• Email address

• A means of quickly establishing electronic contact and direct communication

• Commercial register and registration number, if applicable

• Competent supervisory authority, if official authorization is required

• Certain professional licensing information, if relevant

• VAT ID number, if applicable

• Tax ID number, if applicable

• Information regarding liquidation for certain companies

Creating a Legal Notice on Shopify: Step by Step

Shopify offers several ways to include legal information in a store. For merchants in Germany, for example, you can create the legal notice as a separate page or include it under Settings → Policies.

Step 1: Create a Legal Notice as a Shopify Page

First, log in to your Shopify admin

Now create the page as follows:

1. Click on "Online Store" and...

2. ...in the drop-down menu below, under “Pages.”

   Here you'll see an overview of the existing pages.

3. Click “Add Page” in the upper-right corner.

You'll now be taken to the “Page” view.

Enter the desired data here.

1. Title -> The page title, e.g., “Legal Notice.”

2. Content -> The page content. You can enter this as HTML or as plain text. You can format this text in the editor. Be sure not to use a “Header 1” heading, as in most Shopify themes the page title is already set as an H1 heading, and there should only be one H1 heading per page.

3. Visibility → visible/hidden. Selecting “Hidden” allows you to create a page that isn’t yet visible, so you can finish it at your own pace and publish it later.

4. Click “Save” to save your page.

Important: A page that is initially hidden can be useful for preparing the legal notice. However, as soon as your store is operating as a business, the legal notice must be accessible in accordance with legal requirements.

The legal notice must be easily recognizable, immediately accessible, and constantly available. There is no legally specified number of clicks required.

Step 2: Link the Legal Notice in the Shopify Footer

This is how you get to the menu:

1. Click on "Online Store"..

2. ..and in the submenu on Navigation

3. Click on the desired menu item. The footer is usually the best place to put it so that customers can find the legal notice without having to search too hard.

Click "Add menu item" to add a menu item.

In the popup that appears, select the page you just created. Shopify will assign the name of the link for you. If you want to use a different term, you can of course do so. Confirm your change by clicking on "Add".

You will now see your added menu item and only need to save it by clicking on "Save".

Step 3: Add your legal notice under “Settings → Policies”

Shopify also provides a dedicated field for legal information under Settings → Policies.

There, merchants can enter content for the following sections, among others:

• Legal notice or contact information

• Privacy policy

• Terms and conditions

• Shipping policies

• Return and refund policies

Shopify confirms that saved policies can be automatically linked in the checkout footer. In the German Shopify documentation, the “Contact Information” field is referred to as the legal notice.

Important: Shopify provides the technical infrastructure. The merchant remains responsible for the accuracy and completeness of the legal content.

Step 4: Recheck the Shopify legal notice after making changes to your store

You’ve already checked whether the legal notice is accessible at all in the section above titled “Where should the legal notice be located?” Additionally, it’s always worth performing a targeted recheck whenever something changes in your store—since theme and navigation changes can break existing links without you noticing.

Check the link again after:

• Theme changes or major theme updates.

• Changes to navigation or the footer.

• Adjustments to checkout, e.g., after changes under Settings → Policies.

• Changes to your company information (e.g., new address, new authorized representatives, new VAT ID or W-ID).

Latori - Tip: Create a short internal checklist that you can go through after every major store update—that way, you won't overlook the legal notice link during major redesigns.

The specific information required depends on the type of business and its activities. Therefore, a legal notice should not be created based solely on a general sample list.

The necessary mandatory information in the imprint

Name and Address

The legal notice must include the name or business name and the address at which the provider is established.

Additional disclosure requirements apply to legal entities.

A P.O. box address alone should therefore not be used as a substitute for the required address.

Contact Information

The legal notice must include information that enables quick electronic contact and direct communication. This includes, in particular, an email address.

For practical purposes, it is recommended to provide another suitable means of contact in addition to the email address.

A current guide should not generally present “phone and fax” as the standard combination required by law. Rather, what is crucial is that the legally required ability to establish rapid electronic contact and direct communication is provided.

Commercial Register

If your company is registered in a commercial register, you must specify the relevant register and the registration number.

VAT ID No. and Economic Identification No.

If the provider has a value-added tax identification number or an economic identification number, Section 5(1)(6) of the German Data Protection Act (DDG) requires that this number be provided.

However, it should not be assumed that every company is required to have or provide a VAT ID No. or Economic Identification No.

The W-ID number does not automatically replace the VAT ID number. Both numbers exist in parallel and serve different functions.

For the legal notice, it is therefore crucial whether the provider already has a corresponding identification number.

Professional Licensing Information

For certain regulated professions, additional information may be required, such as details regarding the relevant professional association, professional title, and the applicable professional regulations.

For a standard online store not associated with a regulated profession, this information is generally not relevant.

Legal Notice: What Information Is Relevant Depending on the Type of Business?

The information required in the legal notice depends, among other things, on the type of business and its specific activities. The following overview is therefore intended as a guide and does not replace a review of the individual case.

Note: This table is for guidance only. The information actually required may vary depending on your business activities, company structure, and other legal requirements.

Displaying the Shopify Legal Notice During Checkout

An important Shopify-specific consideration is the display of legal information during the checkout process.

In its current documentation for merchants in Germany, Shopify explains that the legal notice or contact information can be entered directly via Settings → Policies.

Saved policies are automatically linked in the footer of the checkout page.

Shopify Best Practice: After setting this up, don’t just check whether the policy is saved in the admin panel. Actually open the checkout page and verify that the link is visible and leads to the correct page.

Example for the imprint

You can see from our legal notice how it should ultimately look. Nevertheless, an imprint should always be checked for legal validity.

Create an imprint with the Shopify imprint generator

The Shopify Legal Notice Generator can help you compile the required information and create a first draft of your legal notice.

However, a generator is no substitute for an individual review. Whether the information is complete and accurate in a specific case depends, among other things, on the type of business, its activities, registry entries, professional specifics, and other legal requirements.

Using a generator can therefore be a practical aid in creating an initial draft, particularly in straightforward situations. For more complex corporate structures, regulated activities, or unique business models, the final legal notice should also undergo a legal review.

Common Mistakes in Shopify Legal Notices

1. Outdated Reference to the TMG

Since May 2024, the Digital Services Act (DDG) has been the primary legal basis for the relevant provider information.

If older legal notices still refer to Section 5 of the TMG, they should be reviewed and updated.

2. “Maximum of Two Clicks” as a Legal Requirement

The commonly cited statement that a legal notice must be accessible “within two clicks” should not be presented as a specific legal requirement.

Section 5 of the DDG requires that the information be easily recognizable, directly accessible, and constantly available.

A clearly visible footer link is a practical way to meet this requirement.

3. Legal Notice Is Hard to Find

Do not hide the legal notice on a subpage that is difficult to access.

A permanently visible link in the footer is an obvious solution for Shopify stores.

4. Company information is no longer correct

If, for example, the following change:

• Company name

• Business address

• Managing director

• Legal form

• Registration details

• VAT ID number

you should also update your legal notice.

5. Incorrect or missing identification number

Check whether the VAT ID number provided belongs to your company.

If you have received a W-ID number, also check whether it must be included in the legal notice in accordance with applicable requirements.

6. Legal notice no longer works after a theme update

Changes to the theme or navigation can affect the display of the footer.

Therefore, after making major changes, check the following:

• Desktop

• Mobile

• Homepage

• Product page

• Shopping cart

• Checkout, if applicable

What happens if the legal notice is incorrect?

A violation of Section 5(1) of the German Data Protection Act (DDG) may constitute an administrative offense. Section 33 of the DDG expressly provides that it may be an administrative offense if the required information is not made available, or is made available incorrectly or incompletely.

The statement “Failure to include a legal notice is a criminal offense” is therefore too general.

The specific legal consequences that may arise in an individual case depend, among other things, on the nature of the violation and other circumstances.

Conclusion: Does a Shopify store need a legal notice?

For a Shopify store operated as a business in Germany, the provider information required under § 5 DDG must be provided—in a manner that is easily recognizable, immediately accessible, and constantly available. 🆕 (Completed from this point on: The section in the original text was cut off mid-sentence.)

For Shopify merchants, this means specifically:

• Create your legal notice either as a separate page under Online Store → Pages or enter the contact information under Settings → Policies.

• Link to the legal notice permanently and prominently—usually in the footer—and verify that it is correctly integrated into the checkout process as well.

• Keep the information up to date: If company details, legal form, registration entry, or identification numbers change, the legal notice must be updated accordingly.

• Avoid outdated references (e.g., § 5 TMG) and blanket statements that are no longer accurate, such as a fixed “2-click rule” or a general liability for errors.

A legally compliant legal notice is not a one-time task but an ongoing responsibility: Review it regularly—especially after changes to your company, your theme, or your navigation—and seek individual legal advice for more complex situations.