What Changed in SiteCare's Master Terms & Conditions (April 2026)

We updated our Master Terms & Conditions. The new version is effective as of April 6, 2026, and you can read them in full at sitecare.com/legal.

If you received our email about this and want to know what actually changed (without reading 5,000 words of legal text) this is that post. We'll walk through every meaningful update and explain why we made it.

What Didn't Change

The core of our relationship with you is the same. How we deliver services, our guarantees, your ownership of your work product, our pricing and billing structure, and our commitment to keeping your site healthy — none of that changed.

What Did Change

1. New "Legacy Plans" Definition (Section 1)

We added a formal definition for Legacy Plans — those are plans that aren't part of our current Silver/Gold/Platinum/Diamond Medallion tier structure. If you're on one of those older plans, you're already aware of it. This definition helps us reference that group more precisely throughout the Terms.

2. Accessibility Section Clarified (Section 3)

The previous version implied a level of compliance guarantee we can't actually make. Web accessibility is an ongoing process, not a finish line. We've clarified that our Platinum and Diamond accessibility services are designed to *assist* with WCAG 2.1 AA conformance — not to certify or guarantee legal compliance under the ADA or Section 508. This is how we've always operated; the language now matches reality.

3. Stronger Liability Disclaimer for Non-Guaranteed Hosting Customers (Section 4)

If you're not on a Guaranteed Uptime plan (Gold, Platinum, or Diamond with SiteCare-managed hosting *and* Cloudflare), your hosting is provided on an "as is, where is" basis. We expanded the disclaimer language to be more explicit about what that means — SiteCare is not liable for interruptions, data loss, or downtime for those accounts, regardless of cause.

If you want uptime guarantees, that's what Medallion-tier plans are for.

4. SLA Credit Cap Added (Section 5)

We added a new cap: the total value of all service credits issued to any single customer cannot exceed 50% of the total fees that customer paid in the preceding 12 months. The per-month and 6-per-year limits remain unchanged. This cap formalizes a reasonable ceiling that protects both sides.

5. Billing Language Simplified (Section 7)

We removed the transitional language about the July 1, 2025 refund policy cutover — that date has passed and the language was no longer relevant. The current policy is straightforward: annual subscriptions are non-refundable for the full term, no exceptions. Monthly plans can be cancelled at any time before the next renewal.

We also clarified that the 5-business-day failed payment window is now 5 *calendar* days, and that suspension notices will be sent at least 10 calendar days before any action is taken.

6. Service Suspension Process Detailed (Section 9.2)

This is one of the more substantive changes. We spelled out exactly what happens — and in what order — when an account goes into default:

• When we send the 10-day notice, we may immediately pause *support services* (technical help, maintenance tasks), but your website stays online.
• After 10 days without payment, full suspension kicks in: hosting goes down, backups stop, access to all SiteCare systems is revoked.
• Suspension applies to *all* services on the account, not just the ones tied to the overdue invoice.

This is how we've always handled it — we just never spelled it out this clearly before.

7. Automatic Termination for Long-Suspended Accounts (Section 9.9 — New)

New section. If an account has been suspended for 60 consecutive days with no payment and no cancellation, we'll send a final 30-day notice. If there's still no resolution after that, we'll terminate the account and delete all data.

This prevents zombie accounts from floating indefinitely in suspended status. The 30-day final notice gives you ample time to either pay up or formally cancel and retrieve your data.

8. Business Cessation Clause (Section 9.10 — New)

In the unlikely event SiteCare ever winds down operations, we're now contractually obligated to give you at least 90 days' notice and make reasonable efforts to help you transition — including providing access to backups, configurations, and documentation. You can request a copy of our current shutdown policy at any time.

9. Data Deletion Deadline Specified (Section 9.5)

Previously, we said data would be deleted "on the effective termination date." Now we've pinned it to 11:59 PM Eastern Time on that date, and we recommend completing your data exports at least 48 hours before termination to give yourself time to verify. Nothing is recoverable after that point.

10. Domain Transfers: Language Tightened (Section 9.6)

The old language said domains "may be subject to release, expiration, or reassignment" after 30 days. The new version says they *will* be released and allowed to expire. This is what actually happens — we just made the language match. If SiteCare registered a domain on your behalf and you cancel, you have 30 days to initiate the transfer. After that, it's gone.

11. Support Hours + On-Call Routing Clarified (Section 14)

We clarified that our 24/7 live receptionist routes *critical issues* to on-call personnel — not just general inquiries. We also updated "U.S. holidays" to "U.S. federal holidays" for precision, and added a note that response times vary by plan tier and request volume.

12. New: AI & Automation Disclosure (Section 14.1 — New)

New section. We use AI-assisted tools in our work — automated monitoring, code review, performance diagnostics. This section formally discloses that and confirms that everything AI-assisted is reviewed and validated by a qualified SiteCare team member before it reaches you. This reflects standard practice in modern web development.

13. Core Web Vitals Guarantee Scope Clarified (Section 15.2)

We added explicit language clarifying that the guarantee only covers the specific pages we've agreed on in writing. Pages added to your site after the initial optimization period aren't automatically covered. This was always the practical reality — if we didn't know about a page, we couldn't optimize it. Now it's in writing.

### 14. Mediation Before Litigation (Section 17)

Disputes now require a good-faith mediation step before either party can file suit (for claims over $5,000 and outside of emergency/injunctive situations). Costs are split equally. If mediation doesn't resolve the dispute within 60 days, either party can proceed to litigation. Emergency and injunctive relief claims are exempt.

15. Notices: Formal vs. Operational Communications (Section 17)

We clarified that while SiteCare may use Slack or project management tools for day-to-day communication, *formal notices* — billing disputes, termination, suspension, legal matters — must be delivered via email to be valid.

16. Survivability: Explicit List (Section 17)

The general "provisions that survive termination" clause now includes a specific list: Sections 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 17, and 18. No change in substance — just removing any ambiguity about what stays in force after your account closes.

17. New: Data Privacy & Security Section (Section 18 — New)

New section covering how we collect and process customer data, our compliance with applicable data protection laws, and the availability of a Data Processing Addendum (DPA) for customers subject to GDPR, CCPA, or similar regulations. If you need a DPA, reach out and we'll execute one.

Questions?

If anything here raised a question, reach out to your account manager or contact us through the our support portal. We're happy to walk through anything.

You can read the full updated Terms at https://sitecare.com/legal.