The Indie Developer's Guide to Rapid Policy Creation
A practical guide for indie devs: how to create privacy policies and terms of service quickly, compliantly, and without losing your shipping momentum.
Indie developers wear many hats. You code, design, market, and support. The last thing you want is to become an amateur lawyer. But app stores require privacy policies—and often terms of service—before you can publish. Here's how to get them done without derailing your launch.
What App Stores Actually Require
Apple: Privacy Policy URL required for all apps. Terms of Use recommended for apps with accounts or subscriptions. URLs must be publicly accessible.
Google Play: Privacy Policy required for apps that request permissions or collect data. Terms of Service recommended. Both URLs must be publicly accessible.
Three Approaches to Rapid Policy Creation
1. Copy a template (slow, risky)
Find a generic template, replace placeholders, host it. Fast to start, slow to get right. Easy to miss sections or leave placeholders. Not recommended for vibe coding.
2. Hire a lawyer (thorough, expensive)
Best for complex apps with lots of data or high liability. Overkill for most indie apps. Adds days or weeks to your timeline.
3. Use AI-powered policy generation (fast, compliant)
Describe your app. Get tailored policies. Host and edit as needed. Covers store requirements, mentions your app by name, and takes minutes. This is the vibe coding approach.
Rapid Policy Creation Checklist
- App name and description ready
- Privacy policy generated and tailored to your app
- Terms of service generated (if you have accounts/IAP)
- Landing page with links to both
- URLs hosted on HTTPS (required by stores)
- URLs pasted into App Store Connect / Google Play Console
With the right tools, this checklist takes under an hour. No legal degree required.