This translation has not been editorially reviewed yet. The German version is authoritative. Deutsche Fassung

Data protection

Must the privacy policy be reachable from every page?

Yes — visitors should be able to reach the privacy policy from every page of your website with one click, usually via a link in the footer. Behind this is the duty to inform: anyone processing data has to provide findable information about it. Our check searches for this link automatically and reports if it's missing.

One click is enough — the link in the footer

The proven solution is unglamorous: a link labelled "Privacy" or "Privacy Policy" in the footer that appears on every page. Visitors expect it right there, whether they arrive via the homepage or land in the middle of a subpage from a Google result. The link therefore belongs in the website's template, not on individual pages — that way it's automatically present everywhere. Our check examines the pages audited for such a link and records in the report whether it was found.

Findable means clearly labelled

A link only serves its purpose if visitors recognise it as such. "Privacy" or "Privacy Policy" are unambiguous; hidden phrasing, tiny text, or a link that only exists on a single subpage miss the mark. The consent banner itself should also link to the privacy policy, so visitors can read up on what's involved before they decide — the check records this banner link as its own feature. The check itself is a technical examination of findability; whether the policy's content is complete and correct is for your legal counsel to assess.

Open any three subpages of your website and check whether the footer shows the "Privacy" link everywhere.
Ask your agency to build the link into the central page template if it currently only exists on individual pages.
Label the link clearly — "Privacy" or "Privacy Policy", with no roundabout phrasing.
Check whether your consent banner also links to the privacy policy.
Have your legal counsel review the policy's content whenever something changes about the services you use.

Deutsche Fassung dieser Seite

FAQ

Where should the link to the privacy policy go?

In the website's footer, so it appears on every page — that's where visitors look for it first. It's most reliable in the central page template, so no new subpage can leave it out. In addition, the consent banner should link to the policy, so visitors can read up before making their decision.

Is it enough to have the privacy policy only on the homepage?

No. Many visitors enter your website via a subpage, from a search result say, and never see the homepage. The link therefore has to be reachable from every page. Our check searches for it on the pages audited and reports if it's missing.

Does the service also check the content of my privacy policy?

No. The check technically establishes whether a link to the privacy policy exists and is findable. Whether the text itself is complete and correctly describes every service used is a content and legal question — that's for your legal counsel. The audit report gives them a useful basis for it: the inventory of every third-party provider found.