Terms of Service and Legal Document Readability Design
Terms of service and privacy policies are among the least-read documents on the internet. Research suggests that the average user spends less than a minute on these pages, despite their legal importance. This article examines typical word counts, readability challenges, and strategies for making legal text more accessible.
Average Word Counts for Legal Documents
| Document Type | Average Word Count | Reading Time |
|---|---|---|
| Terms of Service | 3,000–8,000 words | 12–32 minutes |
| Privacy Policy | 2,000–5,000 words | 8–20 minutes |
| Cookie Policy | 500–2,000 words | 2–8 minutes |
| EULA | 3,000–10,000 words | 12–40 minutes |
| NDA | 1,000–3,000 words | 4–12 minutes |
Improving Readability
- Use plain language summaries alongside legal text
- Break long documents into clearly labeled sections with a table of contents
- Highlight key points that affect users most (data collection, cancellation, liability)
- Use shorter sentences — aim for an average of 20 words per sentence
- Consider a "TL;DR" summary at the top of each section
Conclusion
Legal documents don't have to be impenetrable. By structuring content clearly, using plain language, and highlighting key terms, you can create legal text that users actually understand. Use Character Counter to monitor document length and reading time estimates.