This is Yelp's legal agreement that applies to everyone who uses Yelp's website, app, or services. By using Yelp, you agree to these rules, which include giving Yelp broad rights to use content you post and agreeing to resolve disputes through arbitration rather than in court. There are important limitations on your ability to sue Yelp as part of a group lawsuit.
Technical Summary
Yelp's Terms of Service (effective January 1, 2026, last updated October 1, 2025) govern all access to and use of Yelp's consumer and business platforms, including websites, mobile applications, events, and communications. The document establishes a binding contract between users and either Yelp Inc. (US) or Yelp Ireland Ltd. (EEA/UK/Switzerland), and imposes a mandatory arbitration clause with class action waiver for US users. Key provisions include a broad intellectual property license granted to Yelp over user-submitted content, content moderation and account suspension rights reserved unilaterally by Yelp, a limitation of liability cap, and an indemnification obligation placed on users. The Terms also incorporate Additional Terms for Business Accounts, creating a two-tier contractual structure for business versus consumer users.
Institutional Analysis
This document engages primarily with US consumer protection law, CCPA (California), and GDPR/UK GDPR for EEA and UK users via the Yelp Ireland Ltd. contracting entity. The mandatory arbitration claus…
This document engages primarily with US consumer protection law, CCPA (California), and GDPR/UK GDPR for EEA and UK users via the Yelp Ireland Ltd. contracting entity. The mandatory arbitration clause and class action waiver present class action exposure risk mitigation for Yelp but raise FTC and s…
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If you have a dispute with Yelp, you must resolve it through binding arbitration — a private process — rather than going to court. This applies to almost all claims you might have against Yelp.
You agree to give up your right to join or lead any class action, group lawsuit, or representative proceeding against Yelp. Any claims must be brought individually.
Yelp limits the amount of money it can be held responsible for if something goes wrong — typically capped at the amount you paid Yelp in the past 12 months, or a small fixed amount.
When you post reviews, photos, or other content on Yelp, you give Yelp a free, permanent, worldwide license to use, copy, display, and distribute that content in any way they choose.
If you use Yelp to manage a business, additional legal terms apply on top of the standard Terms, covering how you can use Yelp's business tools and advertising services.
These Terms are governed by US law, and the English version of the Terms is the official version — any translated versions don't change your legal rights or obligations.