Free Privacy Policy for Blogger and What It Must Include

AdSense rejected your blog, or a reader asked what happens to the email they typed into your contact form, and you realised you have no privacy policy at all. Adding a privacy policy for Blogger is free, takes about an hour, and does not require a lawyer for a typical hobby or small content blog.

I review small blogs for SEO and monetisation readiness, and a missing or copied privacy page is one of the most common gaps I find. This guide explains what your policy must cover, which free options are worth using, and how to add it to your Blogger site so readers can actually find it.

Why a privacy policy for Blogger matters

Even a basic Blogger site collects personal data, often without the owner realising it. Blogger itself sets cookies. Comments record names and profile details. A contact form gathers email addresses. Embedded YouTube videos, share buttons and analytics all load scripts that track visitors.

That has three practical consequences:

• Ad networks require one. AdSense and most other ad programmes expect a privacy policy that explains cookies and third party advertising. Missing one is a frequent reason for rejection.
• Privacy laws may apply. If you have readers in the EU or UK, the GDPR applies to how you handle their data. California and several other US states have their own rules, though small blogs often fall below their thresholds.
• Readers look for it. A clear policy and an about page are basic trust signals, especially if you ask people to sign up for anything.

Do you also need a cookie banner?

Possibly, and it is a separate job from the policy page. Blogger shows a basic cookie notice to visitors from the EU automatically, which covers the cookies Blogger and Google set. If you add other tracking scripts, such as a third party analytics tool or an ad network outside Google, that built in notice may not cover them. In that case you need a consent tool that asks before those scripts load. The policy explains what you do. The banner asks permission. A blog with only the default Blogger setup and no extra trackers can usually rely on the built in notice.

What your privacy policy must include

A good policy is specific to your blog. Before writing a word, list every tool your site uses. Open your template, check your gadgets, and note each embed or script. Then make sure the policy covers these points in plain language:

1. Who you are and how to contact you. Your name or blog name and a working contact method.
2. What data you collect. Comments, contact form messages, newsletter signups, and data collected automatically through cookies and logs.
3. Which third parties are involved. Name them: Blogger, Google Analytics, AdSense, your newsletter service, your comment system if you replaced the default one.
4. Why you collect it. To reply to messages, to show ads, to understand which posts are read.
5. How long you keep it. For example, contact emails deleted after 12 months.
6. Reader rights. How someone can ask to see, correct or delete their data, and how quickly you will respond. Thirty days is a common commitment.
7. Cookies and opting out. What cookies do, and how readers can block or delete them in their browser or through ad settings.
8. The date of the last update.

If your contact form sends messages through a third party service, name that service too. Our guide to a free contact form for Blogger explains how the most common options handle the messages they deliver.

Free privacy policy options compared

There are three realistic free routes. Each has a catch.

If you use a generator, read every line it produces and delete anything that does not apply. A policy that mentions a shopping cart on a recipe blog tells reviewers you never read it.

The counter-take: a longer policy is not a safer policy

A lot of advice suggests using the most complete generator output you can get, on the theory that more clauses mean more protection. I see the opposite in practice.

A 4,000 word policy covering payment processing, account registration and data transfers you do not perform is not protective. It is inaccurate. Privacy rules are about telling people what you actually do, and a policy that describes things you do not do can be as much of a problem as one that leaves things out. It also makes the page useless for the reader who just wants to know if you sell their email address.

For most Blogger sites, an accurate policy of 600 to 1,200 words, with clear headings, is better than a bloated one. Short and true beats long and generic.

How to add the policy to your Blogger site

1. In the Blogger dashboard, go to Pages and create a new page. Pages do not appear in your post feed, which is what you want.
2. Title it "Privacy Policy" and paste your text in the compose view, then use the heading styles so each section is easy to scan.
3. In the page settings, turn off reader comments for this page.
4. Publish, then copy the page URL.
5. Add the link to your footer using a Link List or Pages gadget in the Layout section. Placing it in the footer is the convention readers and reviewers expect. If your template has no footer gadget area, add it to your menu instead, following our guide to Blogger navigation menu setup.
6. Check the link on mobile. Some templates hide footer gadgets on small screens.

Set a reminder to review the policy every six months, or whenever you add a new tool. Switching templates is a good trigger too, since a new theme often brings new scripts and fonts. If you are still choosing one, our guide on where to find free templates that are not malware covers what to check.

Frequently asked questions

Does a Blogger blog need a privacy policy?

In most cases, yes. Blogger sets cookies and most blogs use analytics, comments or contact forms that collect personal data. If you plan to run ads, the ad network will almost certainly require a privacy policy before approving your site.

Can I use a free privacy policy generator for Blogger?

You can, and it is a reasonable starting point. Read every line it produces, remove anything your blog does not do, and add any tools it missed. Avoid generators that require a visible credit link unless you are happy to keep it.

Where should I put the privacy policy link on my blog?

The footer is the standard place, and it is where ad reviewers usually look first. Make sure the link appears on every page and on mobile. Adding it to a secondary menu as well does no harm.