Impressum: What is it and when do you need one?
Learn what an Impressum is and when you need one for your Shopify store with our comprehensive guide. Ensure legal compliance and transparency for your business. Learn how to add it on your Shopify store here.
An "Impressum" page is a legal disclosure or imprint that provides visitors with detailed information about the entity responsible for a website. It is commonly required in countries like Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Belgium, where laws mandate website ownership and accountability transparency.
An Impressum, also known as an "Imprint," is a mandatory declaration that provides information about the owner of a commercial website. The purpose of an Impressum is to facilitate the identification of the legal entity responsible for the published content and material, making it easy for individuals to access this information.
In essence, an Impressum is a declaration of ownership and authorship. It was implemented in an effort to safeguard user data, and stop spam and unlawful content by requiring website owners to identify themselves and so take ownership of the information on their platform.
Frequently, when people refer to an Impressum, they mean the German (DACH) version of the legal disclosures posted online.
Legal Disclosure: It serves as a legally mandated notice that identifies the website owner and the responsible party for the content.
Transparency: The page provides transparency, ensuring that users know who is behind the website, which is important for legal accountability.
Regardless of whether the store is published using the .de top-level domain or not, the Impressum is legally obligatory on all commercial websites published in German-speaking nations (Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Belgium).
Legal Accountability: The Impressum helps ensure that there is a clear record of who is legally responsible for the website’s content, which can be critical in cases of defamation, copyright disputes, or consumer protection issues.
Consumer Protection: By providing clear contact information and company details, it protects consumers by allowing them to reach out directly in case of grievances or questions.
Compliance with Regulations: It helps website operators comply with local laws such as the Telemediengesetz (TMG) in Germany, ensuring they avoid potential fines or legal actions.
While the specific requirements may vary by country, a typical Impressum should include:
Name and Legal Form: The full name of the company or individual and, if applicable, the legal form (e.g., GmbH, AG).
Physical Address: A complete postal address where the business is located.
Contact Details: An email address and, preferably, a telephone number for direct contact.
Registration Information: If the business is registered, include details such as the commercial register number and the name of the registration court.
VAT or Tax ID: If applicable, include the VAT identification number or other tax-related information.
Responsible Person: The name of a person who is legally responsible for the content (often the CEO or owner).
Additional Disclosures: Depending on the nature of the website, additional legal disclaimers or licensing information might be required.
Note: In the case of Germany, the Impressum is regulated inside Art. 5 TMG.
An Impressum should be:
always available
easily recognizable (call it “Impressum”)
immediately accessible
The placement may not satisfy the standards for "clearly recognizable" and "immediately accessible" if you decide to include the Impressum information in the owner portion of the privacy. Again, this is the reason why we think the Impressum should be a separate page on your store.
Our app provides a special link option for the Impressum page inside the banner settings.
Here is an example Impressum page:
Remember to adjust and expand the details according to your local legal requirements and the specifics of your organization.
Introduction
An "Impressum" page is a legal disclosure or imprint that provides visitors with detailed information about the entity responsible for a website. It is commonly required in countries like Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Belgium, where laws mandate website ownership and accountability transparency.
What is an Impressum?
An Impressum, also known as an "Imprint," is a mandatory declaration that provides information about the owner of a commercial website. The purpose of an Impressum is to facilitate the identification of the legal entity responsible for the published content and material, making it easy for individuals to access this information.
In essence, an Impressum is a declaration of ownership and authorship. It was implemented in an effort to safeguard user data, and stop spam and unlawful content by requiring website owners to identify themselves and so take ownership of the information on their platform.
Frequently, when people refer to an Impressum, they mean the German (DACH) version of the legal disclosures posted online.
Legal Disclosure: It serves as a legally mandated notice that identifies the website owner and the responsible party for the content.
Transparency: The page provides transparency, ensuring that users know who is behind the website, which is important for legal accountability.
Is an Impressum legally required?
Regardless of whether the store is published using the .de top-level domain or not, the Impressum is legally obligatory on all commercial websites published in German-speaking nations (Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Belgium).
What cases does it cover?
Legal Accountability: The Impressum helps ensure that there is a clear record of who is legally responsible for the website’s content, which can be critical in cases of defamation, copyright disputes, or consumer protection issues.
Consumer Protection: By providing clear contact information and company details, it protects consumers by allowing them to reach out directly in case of grievances or questions.
Compliance with Regulations: It helps website operators comply with local laws such as the Telemediengesetz (TMG) in Germany, ensuring they avoid potential fines or legal actions.
What do I put in an Impressum page?
While the specific requirements may vary by country, a typical Impressum should include:
Name and Legal Form: The full name of the company or individual and, if applicable, the legal form (e.g., GmbH, AG).
Physical Address: A complete postal address where the business is located.
Contact Details: An email address and, preferably, a telephone number for direct contact.
Registration Information: If the business is registered, include details such as the commercial register number and the name of the registration court.
VAT or Tax ID: If applicable, include the VAT identification number or other tax-related information.
Responsible Person: The name of a person who is legally responsible for the content (often the CEO or owner).
Additional Disclosures: Depending on the nature of the website, additional legal disclaimers or licensing information might be required.
Note: In the case of Germany, the Impressum is regulated inside Art. 5 TMG.
Where should I place an Impressum page on my store?
An Impressum should be:
always available
easily recognizable (call it “Impressum”)
immediately accessible
The placement may not satisfy the standards for "clearly recognizable" and "immediately accessible" if you decide to include the Impressum information in the owner portion of the privacy. Again, this is the reason why we think the Impressum should be a separate page on your store.
Our app provides a special link option for the Impressum page inside the banner settings.
Example of Impressum statements
Here is an example Impressum page:
Impressum
=========
Angaben gemäß § 5 TMG:
----------------------
Fictional Web Solutions GmbH
Example Street 123
10115 Sample City
Germany
Vertreten durch:
----------------
Geschäftsführer: John Doe
Kontakt:
--------
Telefon: +49 30 12345678
Telefax: +49 30 12345679
E-Mail: info@fictionalwebsolutions.de
Registereintrag:
----------------
Eintragung im Handelsregister.
Registergericht: Amtsgericht Sample City
Registernummer: HRB 987654
Umsatzsteuer-ID:
----------------
Umsatzsteuer-Identifikationsnummer gemäß §27 a Umsatzsteuergesetz: DE123456789
Verantwortlich für den Inhalt nach § 55 Abs. 2 RStV:
----------------------------------------------------
John Doe
Example Street 123
10115 Sample City
Germany
Haftungsausschluss:
-------------------
Trotz sorgfältiger inhaltlicher Kontrolle übernehmen wir keine Haftung für die Inhalte externer Links.
Für den Inhalt der verlinkten Seiten sind ausschließlich deren Betreiber verantwortlich.Remember to adjust and expand the details according to your local legal requirements and the specifics of your organization.
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Updated on: 19/03/2025
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