Governance document

CA-D-000697

Snowflake Terms of Service

Snowflake

Last change detected August 19, 2026 Terms of service

SHA-256: ca425f09548244f9446… 18 versions captured 12 changes documented

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This page describes what the document states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability may vary by jurisdiction. Methodology

131 Total

48 High severity

69 Medium severity

14 Low severity

Key Facts

What may Customer retrieve upon written notice to Snowflake?

Snowflake grants Customer up to thirty calendar days after termination or expiration of the Agreement to access the Service solely to retrieve Customer Data, upon written notice to Snowflake.

What right does Customer have to refund?

Snowflake requires that, upon Snowflake's termination of the Agreement for cause in accordance with Section 7.2(a), all outstanding payment obligations immediately become accelerated and due and payable, and Customer has no right to any refund.

What does Snowflake require each party to submit to binding, individual arbitration?

Snowflake requires each party to irrevocably submit any disputes or claims arising under the Agreement to binding, individual arbitration as the sole and exclusive forum.

What is the sole and exclusive forum for disputes or claims arising under the Agreement?

Snowflake requires each party to irrevocably submit any disputes or claims arising under the Agreement to binding, individual arbitration as the sole and exclusive forum.

What right does Snowflake require each party to waive?

Snowflake requires each party to expressly and irrevocably waive the right to a jury trial and to resolve disputes solely and exclusively in binding, individual arbitration rather than in any class, representative, or consolidated action or proceeding.

How must disputes be resolved?

What does Snowflake require Customer to defend Snowflake against?

Snowflake requires Customer to defend Snowflake against any third-party claim arising from or relating to Customer Data, Customer Materials, or any Customer-offered product or service used in connection with the Service.

Who does Snowflake hold responsible for each User's compliance with the Agreement?

Snowflake holds Customer responsible for each User's compliance with the Agreement, and deems any act or omission by a User to be an act by Customer.

What does Snowflake deem to be an act by Customer?

Snowflake holds Customer responsible for each User's compliance with the Agreement, and deems any act or omission by a User to be an act by Customer.

What does Snowflake cap each party's total liability for Data Protection Claims at?

Snowflake caps each party's and its affiliates' total liability for Data Protection Claims at two times the amount actually paid or payable to Snowflake in the prior twelve months.

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Summary

This document sets the rules for using Snowflake's service, including what you can and cannot do with it, how disputes are handled, and what you owe if things go wrong. If the agreement ends, you have up to 30 days to retrieve your data but must give written notice first. All fees are non-refundable and non-cancelable, and if Snowflake terminates for cause, any remaining fees become immediately due.

Analysis

This Agreement establishes the terms under which Snowflake provides its cloud data platform to Customers, including payment obligations, data access rights, acceptable use restrictions, liability allocations, and dispute resolution mechanisms. Customers bear full accountability for User conduct, which is legally attributed to Customer under the Agreement. Snowflake's technology may not be redistributed or made available to third parties in any form. Liability is capped at twelve months of fees paid for aggregate claims and at two times that amount for Data Protection Claims, with consequential and indirect damages excluded entirely for both parties. All disputes are resolved exclusively through binding individual arbitration, with class actions, representative actions, and jury trials expressly and irrevocably waived.

What this means for you

As a Customer, you are responsible for everything your users do on the platform, and any violation by a user is treated as your own. Your data becomes inaccessible after the agreement ends unless you promptly send Snowflake written notice and retrieve it within 30 days. You cannot process HIPAA Data in the service without first executing a Business Associate Agreement with Snowflake. Any dispute you have with Snowflake must be resolved through individual arbitration only — you cannot join a class action or demand a jury trial. The concrete action available to you: upon termination or expiration, send Snowflake written notice immediately to preserve your right to retrieve your Customer Data within the 30-day window.

Institutional Analysis

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12 important changes detected

18 versions captured · Last updated: August 2026

August 19, 2026

low

What changed The detected change on August 19, 2026 involved a minor capitalization correction in Snowflake's Terms of Service. The opening line previously read 'skip_to_content' (lowercase); the updated version reads 'Skip to content' (title case). This is a formatting adjustment with no operational impact on the agreement's substantive terms, conditions, or arbitration provisions.

Why this matters This change has no impact on consumer rights, obligations, or the substance of Snowflake's Terms of Service. The updated language corrects only a capitalization format in the header navigation ('Skip to content' instead of 'skip_to_content'). All substantive terms, including binding arbitration provisions, remain unchanged.

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July 31, 2026

low

What changed On July 31, 2026, Snowflake's Terms of Service updated a single sentence in the cookie disclosure section. The text changed from 'Cookie Settings' to 'Cookies Settings'. This is a minor wording adjustment with no operational impact on how cookies are disclosed, managed, or used.

Why this matters This change updates wording in Snowflake's cookie disclosure from 'Cookie Settings' to 'Cookies Settings'. The change does not alter how cookies are collected, disclosed, or managed, nor does it modify any user controls or consent mechanisms. No action is required.

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July 19, 2026 low

Snowflake's updated Terms of Service, detected on July 19, 2026, adds a comprehensive cookie consent framework to the website footer. The updated terms now include detailed descriptions of cookie types …

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June 18, 2026 low

Snowflake updated its Terms of Service on June 18, 2026. The change detected is a reordering of language options in the document header; the position of Korean and Japanese language …

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June 17, 2026 low

Snowflake added Simplified Chinese (中文（简体）) to the language options available in their Terms of Service header on June 17, 2026. The substantive terms of service remain unchanged. This is a …

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June 4, 2026 low

Snowflake's Terms of Service was updated on June 4, 2026 to add a navigation link to 'Data Governance' in the footer menu. The prior version did not include this link. …

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June 2, 2026 low

Snowflake made two minor updates to its Terms of Service on June 2, 2026: the language navigation menu was reorganized (English moved to a different position among available languages), and …

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June 1, 2026 low

Snowflake added Simplified Chinese (中文（简体）) to the language options available in their Terms of Service interface on June 1, 2026. The substantive terms and conditions remain unchanged; only the language …

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May 28, 2026 low

Snowflake updated its Terms of Service on May 28, 2026 with formatting and navigation changes to its website and legal documentation structure. The change involved updating the legal notices email …

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May 23, 2026 low

Snowflake made two minor formatting corrections to the header and footer navigation of their Terms of Service on May 23, 2026. The header changed 'skip_to_content' to 'Skip to content' (standardizing …

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May 22, 2026 low

Snowflake's Terms of Service was substantially reorganized on May 22, 2026, with 204 sentences added describing product features, capabilities, and navigation elements that now appear at the beginning of the …

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May 14, 2026 low

Snowflake updated its Terms of Service on May 14, 2026 with predominantly formatting and navigation changes. The document reorganized website navigation elements, removed references to several developer programs and ROI …

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Featured, High severity

30-day data retrieval right after termination Compare →

The right to retrieve Customer Data is time-limited to 30 days and conditioned on written notice, meaning data may become inaccessible if the customer fails to act promptly or provide proper notice.

Added July 10, 2026 Standard Seen across 275 platforms
All fees accelerate on Snowflake termination for cause Compare →

Fee acceleration means a customer could face an immediate obligation for the full remaining contract value upon a for-cause termination, with no recourse to recover any amounts already paid.

Added July 10, 2026 Standard Seen across 231 platforms
Binding arbitration clause for U.S. customers Compare →

Mandatory binding arbitration eliminates access to court adjudication for all disputes or claims under the Agreement, restricting both parties to the arbitral process.

Added July 10, 2026 Standard Seen across 206 platforms
Class action and jury trial waiver for U.S. customers Compare →

Customers cannot pursue collective remedies through class or representative actions and cannot demand a jury trial; all disputes are confined to individual arbitration.

Added July 10, 2026 Standard Seen across 206 platforms
Customer indemnifies Snowflake for customer data and materials claims Compare →

The customer bears the obligation to defend Snowflake in litigation or other proceedings brought by third parties based on the customer's own data, materials, or offerings, creating a potentially significant legal and financial obligation.

Added July 10, 2026 Standard Seen across 229 platforms
Customer responsible for all user compliance Compare →

Because User conduct is legally attributed to Customer, any User violation of the Agreement exposes Customer directly to liability or consequences under the Agreement.

Added July 10, 2026 Standard Seen across 265 platforms
Data protection claims cap at two times prior 12 months fees Compare →

The liability cap for Data Protection Claims limits the maximum financial recovery available to either party, regardless of the severity of a data protection breach, to twice the prior year's fees paid to Snowflake.

Added July 10, 2026 Standard Seen across 287 platforms
Exclusion of indirect and consequential damages Compare →

The exclusion of consequential and indirect damages means that even significant downstream losses—such as lost profits or business interruption caused by a service failure—cannot be recovered by either party.

Added July 10, 2026 Standard Seen across 287 platforms
General liability cap at prior 12 months fees Compare →

The aggregate cap limits the total financial exposure of either party across all claims to a single year of fees paid to Snowflake, which may be substantially lower than actual damages suffered.

Added July 10, 2026 Standard Seen across 287 platforms
HIPAA data prohibited without executed BAA Compare →

Processing HIPAA Data without an executed BAA is a breach of the Agreement, and Snowflake expressly disclaims liability for HIPAA Data in the absence of a BAA.

Added July 10, 2026 Standard Seen across 245 platforms
Payment obligations are non-cancelable and fees non-refundable Compare →

Customers generally cannot cancel payment commitments or obtain refunds once fees are incurred, limiting financial recourse to only those exceptions explicitly stated in the Agreement or mandated by applicable law.

Added July 10, 2026 Standard Seen across 231 platforms
Prohibition on reselling or sublicensing Snowflake technology Compare →

The prohibition prevents customers from commercialising or redistributing Snowflake's technology in any form, including allowing third parties to access it, which limits how customers can build and offer their own products.

Added July 10, 2026 Standard Seen across 282 platforms