What to put in an ecommerce footer: policy links, social profiles and trust cues
The footer is where shoppers look for policies and proof the business is real. See what a strong ecommerce footer includes and how the audit checks it.
2 min read
Area
Trust & policies
Severity
Low
Fix effort
Small
Stores failing
0%
Of 180 stores we scanned where this check applies, 0% fail it and 33% pass. See all benchmarks.
The footer is where shoppers look for the things they need before paying: policy links, contact details, social profiles and payment badges. This check looks for the essentials, so a shopper who scrolls to the bottom finds reassurance and not an empty strip.
Why it matters
Shoppers who are unsure about a store scroll to the footer to check it. They are hunting for evidence that real people run the business and for answers to delivery and return questions. A footer that gives them those answers shortens the decision.
Social profiles matter less for conversion than policies do, but a profile with recent posts is a quick proof of life.
What the audit looks at
The audit reads the footer of the home page and looks for policy links, social profile links and contact routes.
What usually causes it
- A theme footer left at its default with placeholder links
- Policy links hidden in a menu and absent from the footer
- Social icons that link to the platform home page and not the store profile
- A footer cut down for design reasons that removed useful links
How to fix it
Put policies, contact and company details in the footer. The effort is small, usually a setting or a paste and under 30 minutes.
- The footer is where visitors look for proof that a business is real.
- Include the legal company name and registration details if your jurisdiction requires them.
How to check it yourself
- Scroll to the bottom of your home page on a phone and list what you can find.
- Click every footer link and note any that fail or go to a generic page.
- Ask someone unfamiliar with the store to find the returns policy and time them.
Frequently asked questions
How many links belong in a footer?
Enough for the key questions and no more. Policies, contact, about and a short set of shop links usually cover it.
Should payment badges be in the footer?
They help when they are accurate. Show only the methods you really accept.
Related checks
Check your own store
See whether your store passes this check
Paste your store URL. The audit loads your pages in a real browser and shows the result for this check with the evidence behind it.