Technology Template
Free API Terms of Service Template
API terms of service govern how developers can use your API including rate limits, acceptable use, and liability.
Template
Copy this markdown, replace the {{variables}}, and send via API.
# API Terms of Service
**Provider:** {{providerName}}
**Effective Date:** {{date}}
## 1. API Access
By using the API, you agree to these terms.
## 2. Authentication
{{authRequirements}}
## 3. Rate Limits
{{rateLimits}}
## 4. Acceptable Use
{{acceptableUsePolicy}}
## 5. Data
{{dataHandlingTerms}}
## 6. Liability
The API is provided as-is. Provider's liability is limited to fees paid.
## 7. Changes
Provider may update these terms with {{noticePeriod}} notice.Send for e-signature
curl -X POST https://signb.ee/api/send \
-H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"content": "YOUR_RENDERED_MARKDOWN",
"senderName": "Your Name",
"senderEmail": "you@company.com",
"recipientName": "Recipient",
"recipientEmail": "recipient@email.com"
}'What happens next
- Signbee converts the markdown to a professional PDF
- Recipient gets an email with a signing link
- Both parties sign with an animated handwriting signature
- Both receive the signed PDF with a SHA-256 certificate
All signatures are legally binding under the ESIGN Act, eIDAS, and ECA.
More details
API Terms of Service govern how third-party developers and applications interact with your platform's API. They're distinct from your website terms or SaaS agreement because APIs introduce unique risks: automated access at scale, data extraction, integration dependencies, and the potential for abuse that doesn't involve a human user at all.
Why API-specific terms are necessary: Your website terms cover human users browsing your site. Your SaaS agreement covers customers using your product. Neither adequately covers a developer building automated integrations that send thousands of requests per minute, extract data programmatically, or build competing products using your infrastructure.
Key clauses for API terms of service: 1. Authentication and API keys — How developers obtain access (API key, OAuth, JWT). Responsibility for key security — the developer is liable for all activity under their credentials. Revocation policy for compromised or abused keys. 2. Rate limits — Requests per second/minute/hour per endpoint. Burst limits vs sustained limits. What happens when limits are exceeded (429 responses, temporary bans, throttling). Tiered limits for different plan levels. 3. Acceptable use — What developers can and cannot build. Prohibit: scraping, competitive data mining, circumventing access controls, reselling API access, and using the API to build a competing service. 4. Data handling — What developers may do with data received via the API. Caching policies, retention limits, data deletion obligations, and GDPR compliance requirements for personal data. 5. Versioning and deprecation — How you'll handle API version changes. Minimum notice period for deprecation (typically 6-12 months). Commitment to maintain older versions during the transition period. 6. Uptime and SLAs — Whether you guarantee API availability. Most APIs provide 'best effort' without uptime guarantees, but enterprise APIs may include SLAs with credits for downtime. 7. Liability limitation — The API is provided 'as-is'. Disclaim all warranties. Cap liability at fees paid (or zero for free tiers). Exclude liability for downstream application failures caused by API changes or outages. 8. Termination — Your right to revoke API access for policy violations, abuse, or at your discretion. Include a wind-down period for legitimate developers to migrate.
API terms are typically accepted by clicking 'I agree' during API key provisioning (clickwrap) rather than negotiated individually. For enterprise API customers, the terms may be incorporated into the broader SaaS or licence agreement.
Frequently asked questions
Are API terms of service different from website terms?
Yes. Website terms cover human users browsing your site. API terms cover automated access by third-party applications, addressing rate limits, authentication, data handling, versioning, and acceptable use policies that don't apply to regular website visitors.
Do I need API terms of service for a free API?
Yes. Free APIs still need terms governing acceptable use, rate limits, data handling, and liability limitations. Without terms, you have no legal basis to restrict abusive usage, data scraping, or developers building competing products on your infrastructure.
Can API terms of service be accepted electronically?
Yes. API terms are typically accepted via clickwrap (clicking 'I agree' during API key provisioning). This is legally valid under ESIGN (US), eIDAS (EU), and ECA (UK). The acceptance should be logged with timestamp and IP address for evidence.
Related resources
Send this template for signing — free, no credit card.