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Terms of Service

Last updated: January 2026

1. Agreement to Terms

By accessing or using RivalHound's website, applications, or services (collectively, the "Service"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms" or "Agreement"). If you are using the Service on behalf of an organization, you represent and warrant that you have the authority to bind that organization to these Terms.

If you do not agree to these Terms, do not access or use the Service.

These Terms constitute a legally binding agreement between you and RivalHound. Please read them carefully before using our Service. By clicking "I Agree," signing up for an account, or otherwise accessing or using the Service, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms.

2. Definitions

Throughout these Terms, the following definitions apply:

  • "Agreement" means these Terms of Service, including any amendments and all incorporated documents.
  • "Brand" means a company, product, service, or entity that you configure for monitoring within the Service.
  • "Competitor" means another brand or entity that you configure to track alongside your primary Brand for comparative analysis.
  • "Content" means all text, data, graphics, images, and other materials displayed on or generated by the Service.
  • "Monitoring Query" means a specific question or prompt configured to be sent to AI Platforms to gather data about your Brand or Competitors.
  • "Platform" or "AI Platform" means third-party AI services including but not limited to ChatGPT, Google AI, Perplexity, Claude, and other AI-powered search or conversational systems.
  • "Project" means an organizational unit within the Service used to group Brands, Monitoring Queries, and team members.
  • "Service" means RivalHound's AI search visibility monitoring platform, including all features, APIs, websites, and applications.
  • "Subscription" means your paid access to the Service under a specific plan and pricing tier.
  • "User," "you," or "your" means any individual or entity that accesses or uses the Service.
  • "We," "us," "our," or "RivalHound" means RivalHound and its affiliates, officers, employees, and agents.

3. Description of Service

RivalHound provides an AI search visibility monitoring platform designed to help businesses understand how their brands are mentioned and represented across AI-powered search and conversational platforms. Our Service includes:

  • Brand Mention Monitoring: Automated tracking of how AI platforms respond to queries about your brand, products, and services.
  • Competitive Intelligence: Comparative analysis of how AI platforms discuss your brand versus competitors.
  • Sentiment Analysis: Automated analysis of the tone and sentiment of AI-generated content about your brand.
  • Analytics and Reporting: Dashboards, reports, and insights about your brand's AI visibility over time.
  • Alerts and Notifications: Real-time alerts when significant changes occur in how AI platforms represent your brand.
  • Query Management: Tools to create, manage, and optimize monitoring queries across multiple AI platforms.

The specific features available to you depend on your Subscription plan. We may modify, suspend, or discontinue any aspect of the Service at any time, with or without notice.

4. User Accounts

4.1 Account Registration

To use the Service, you must create an account. When registering, you agree to:

  • Provide accurate, current, and complete information
  • Maintain and promptly update your account information
  • Be at least 18 years old or have the legal capacity to enter into contracts
  • Create only one account per person or legal entity (unless expressly permitted)

4.2 Account Security

You are responsible for:

  • Maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials
  • All activities that occur under your account
  • Notifying us immediately of any unauthorized access or security breach
  • Ensuring that all users authorized under your account comply with these Terms

We recommend using a strong, unique password and enabling two-factor authentication if available. RivalHound will never ask for your password via email or phone.

4.3 Team Accounts

If you invite team members to your Project, you are responsible for their compliance with these Terms. You may remove team members at any time through your account settings. Access permissions for team members can be configured based on their roles.

5. Subscription and Billing

5.1 Subscription Plans

The Service is offered under various Subscription plans with different features, query limits, and pricing. Current plan details and pricing are available on our pricing page. We reserve the right to modify our plans and pricing at any time with 30 days' notice.

5.2 Billing and Payment

  • Billing Cycle: Subscription fees are billed in advance on a monthly or annual basis, depending on your selected plan.
  • Payment Processing: All payments are processed securely through Stripe, our third-party payment processor. By providing payment information, you authorize us to charge your payment method for all fees incurred.
  • Auto-Renewal: Subscriptions automatically renew at the end of each billing period unless you cancel before the renewal date.
  • Price Changes: If we change pricing for your plan, we will notify you at least 30 days before the change takes effect. Continued use after the price change constitutes acceptance.

5.3 Refunds

All subscription fees are non-refundable except as required by applicable law. This includes:

  • Partial month/year fees when you cancel mid-cycle
  • Fees for unused features or queries
  • Fees when you downgrade to a lower-tier plan

If you believe you are entitled to a refund due to a billing error or other issue, please contact us at legal@rivalhound.com within 30 days of the charge.

5.4 Taxes

All fees are exclusive of taxes. You are responsible for all applicable taxes (including VAT, GST, and sales tax) unless you provide a valid tax exemption certificate.

5.5 Failed Payments

If a payment fails, we will attempt to process it again and notify you. If payment cannot be collected after multiple attempts, we may suspend or terminate your access to the Service. You remain responsible for any uncollected amounts.

6. Free Trial Terms

We may offer a free trial period for new users. During the trial:

  • Duration: Free trials are typically 7 days unless otherwise specified.
  • Credit Card Required: You may be required to provide valid payment information to start a trial. Your card will not be charged during the trial period.
  • Automatic Conversion: Unless you cancel before the trial ends, your account will automatically convert to a paid Subscription, and we will charge the applicable fee to your payment method.
  • Feature Access: Trial accounts may have limited access to certain features or query limits.
  • One Trial Per User: Free trials are limited to one per person or organization. We may deny trials to users who have previously had an account.

To avoid charges, you must cancel your Subscription before the trial period ends. You can cancel at any time through your account settings.

7. Acceptable Use Policy

You agree to use the Service only for lawful purposes and in compliance with these Terms. You agree NOT to:

7.1 Prohibited Activities

  • Use the Service for any illegal or unauthorized purpose
  • Violate any applicable laws, regulations, or third-party rights
  • Monitor brands, products, or entities without proper authorization or legal right
  • Interfere with, disrupt, or attempt to gain unauthorized access to our systems, servers, or networks
  • Attempt to bypass, circumvent, or disable any security or access controls
  • Reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble any aspect of the Service
  • Copy, modify, or create derivative works based on the Service
  • Use automated scripts, bots, or scrapers to access the Service (except through our official API)
  • Share your account credentials or allow others to use your account
  • Resell, sublicense, or commercialize the Service without our written permission
  • Use the Service to develop a competing product or service
  • Harass, abuse, or harm other users or our staff
  • Submit false, misleading, or fraudulent information
  • Engage in any activity that could damage, disable, or impair the Service

7.2 Consequences of Violation

We reserve the right to investigate and take appropriate action against anyone who violates these Terms, including:

  • Issuing warnings
  • Suspending or terminating accounts
  • Removing content
  • Reporting violations to law enforcement
  • Pursuing legal remedies

8. Data and Privacy

Your privacy is important to us. Our collection, use, and protection of your personal information is governed by our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference.

By using the Service, you acknowledge and agree that:

  • You have read and understood our Privacy Policy
  • We may collect, process, and store your data as described in the Privacy Policy
  • You are responsible for obtaining any necessary consents for data you submit to the Service
  • We may use aggregated, anonymized data for service improvement and benchmarking

For information about cookies and tracking technologies, please see our Cookie Policy.

9. Service Availability

9.1 Uptime Goal

We strive to maintain 99.9% uptime for the Service but do not guarantee uninterrupted availability. The Service may be unavailable due to:

  • Scheduled maintenance (we will provide advance notice when possible)
  • Emergency maintenance or security updates
  • Factors beyond our reasonable control (see Force Majeure)
  • Third-party service outages (including AI Platforms)

9.2 Service Modifications

We may modify, update, or discontinue any feature of the Service at any time. For significant changes, we will provide reasonable notice. We are not liable for any modification, suspension, or discontinuation of the Service.

10. Intellectual Property

10.1 RivalHound's Intellectual Property

The Service, including all software, algorithms, designs, graphics, text, and other content (excluding User Content), is owned by RivalHound or its licensors and is protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws.

You are granted a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to:

  • Access and use the Service for your internal business purposes
  • View, download, and print reports generated by the Service for your use

This license does not include the right to:

  • Copy, modify, or distribute our software or content
  • Use our trademarks, logos, or branding without permission
  • Create derivative works based on the Service
  • Sublicense or transfer your rights

10.2 Trademarks

"RivalHound," our logo, and other marks are trademarks of RivalHound. You may not use our trademarks without prior written permission. All other brand names and trademarks appearing in the Service are the property of their respective owners.

10.3 Feedback

If you provide feedback, suggestions, or ideas about the Service, you grant us a perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free license to use that feedback for any purpose without compensation or attribution to you.

11. User Content and Brand Data

11.1 Your Ownership

You retain ownership of all data, brand information, monitoring configurations, and other content you submit to the Service ("User Content"). We do not claim ownership of your User Content.

11.2 License Grant

By submitting User Content to the Service, you grant RivalHound a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to:

  • Store, process, and display your User Content to provide the Service
  • Execute Monitoring Queries on your behalf against AI Platforms
  • Analyze AI Platform responses to generate insights for you
  • Create aggregated, anonymized data that does not identify you or your brands

11.3 Your Responsibilities

You represent and warrant that:

  • You have the right to submit User Content and grant the above license
  • Your User Content does not violate any third-party rights
  • You have authorization to monitor the brands and entities you configure
  • Your use of the Service complies with all applicable laws

11.4 Data Export

You may export your monitoring data and reports at any time through the Service's export functionality. Upon account termination, we will retain your data for 30 days to allow you to export it, after which it will be deleted.

12. Third-Party AI Platforms

12.1 Dependency Disclaimer

Our Service relies on third-party AI Platforms (including but not limited to ChatGPT, Google AI, Perplexity, and others) to gather data about your brand's AI visibility. These platforms are owned and operated by third parties, and we have no control over their:

  • Availability, uptime, or performance
  • Accuracy, completeness, or reliability of responses
  • Terms of service, pricing, or API access policies
  • Content moderation, filtering, or safety policies

12.2 Platform Changes

AI Platforms may change their behavior, responses, or availability at any time without notice. Such changes may affect:

  • The availability of monitoring for specific platforms
  • The frequency or accuracy of monitoring results
  • The types of queries that can be executed

We will make reasonable efforts to adapt to platform changes but cannot guarantee uninterrupted monitoring across all platforms.

12.3 No Endorsement

We do not endorse, control, or assume responsibility for any content generated by third-party AI Platforms. The responses captured by our monitoring reflect the output of those platforms, not our opinions or recommendations.

13. Warranty Disclaimers

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, we disclaim all warranties, including but not limited to:

  • Implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement
  • Accuracy warranties - We do not guarantee that monitoring results are accurate, complete, or current
  • Reliability warranties - We do not guarantee that the Service will be uninterrupted, error-free, or secure
  • Results warranties - We do not guarantee any specific outcomes from using the Service

AI Platform responses may change frequently and may not reflect the current state of those platforms at any given time. Monitoring results are provided for informational purposes and should not be the sole basis for business decisions.

Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion of certain warranties, so some of the above exclusions may not apply to you.

14. Limitation of Liability

14.1 Exclusion of Damages

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, RIVALHOUND SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY:

  • Indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages
  • Loss of profits, revenue, data, or business opportunities
  • Cost of procurement of substitute services
  • Damages arising from unauthorized access to or alteration of your data
  • Damages arising from third-party conduct or content (including AI Platform responses)

This limitation applies regardless of the legal theory (contract, tort, negligence, strict liability, or otherwise) and even if we have been advised of the possibility of such damages.

14.2 Cap on Liability

OUR TOTAL AGGREGATE LIABILITY FOR ALL CLAIMS ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THESE TERMS OR THE SERVICE SHALL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF:

  • The total fees you paid to us in the twelve (12) months preceding the claim, or
  • One hundred US dollars ($100)

14.3 Exceptions

The limitations in this section do not apply to liability arising from:

  • Our gross negligence or willful misconduct
  • Death or personal injury caused by our negligence
  • Fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation
  • Any liability that cannot be excluded by law

14.4 Jurisdictional Variations

Some jurisdictions do not allow limitations on implied warranties or exclusion of certain damages. If these laws apply to you, some of the above limitations may not apply, and you may have additional rights.

15. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless RivalHound and its officers, directors, employees, agents, and affiliates from and against any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or related to:

  • Your use of the Service
  • Your violation of these Terms
  • Your violation of any applicable laws or regulations
  • Your User Content or brand data you submit to the Service
  • Any claim that your User Content infringes third-party intellectual property rights
  • Your monitoring of brands or entities without proper authorization
  • Any dispute between you and a third party related to the Service

We reserve the right to assume the exclusive defense and control of any matter subject to indemnification by you, in which case you will cooperate with us in asserting any available defenses.

16. Termination

16.1 Termination by You

You may cancel your Subscription at any time through your account settings. Cancellation will take effect at the end of your current billing period. You will retain access to the Service until the end of the period you have paid for.

16.2 Termination by Us

We may suspend or terminate your account immediately if:

  • You violate these Terms or our Acceptable Use Policy
  • We are required to do so by law
  • You fail to pay applicable fees after notice
  • We reasonably believe your account poses a security risk
  • We discontinue the Service (with reasonable notice)

16.3 Effect of Termination

Upon termination:

  • Your right to access the Service ends immediately
  • You remain liable for any unpaid fees
  • We will retain your data for 30 days to allow export, then delete it per our Privacy Policy
  • Provisions that should survive (such as liability limitations, indemnification, and dispute resolution) will remain in effect

16.4 Account Deletion

You may request complete deletion of your account and data by contacting us at privacy@rivalhound.com. Deletion requests will be processed in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

17. Force Majeure

Neither party shall be liable for any failure or delay in performing obligations under these Terms if such failure or delay results from circumstances beyond the party's reasonable control, including but not limited to:

  • Natural disasters (earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, etc.)
  • Acts of war, terrorism, or civil unrest
  • Government actions, laws, or regulations
  • Pandemics, epidemics, or public health emergencies
  • Internet or telecommunications failures
  • Third-party service outages (including AI Platform unavailability)
  • Changes to AI Platform APIs, terms, or policies
  • Cyberattacks, DDoS attacks, or security incidents
  • Labor disputes or strikes
  • Power outages or utility failures

The affected party shall promptly notify the other party and make reasonable efforts to mitigate the impact of the force majeure event.

18. Beta/Preview Features

We may offer beta, preview, early access, or experimental features ("Beta Features"). By using Beta Features, you agree to the following additional terms:

18.1 As-Is Basis

Beta Features are provided "as is" without any warranties. They may contain bugs, errors, or instabilities and may not perform as expected.

18.2 No Guarantee of Availability

We may modify, suspend, or discontinue Beta Features at any time without notice or liability. Beta Features may never be released as general features.

18.3 Feedback

We encourage feedback on Beta Features. Any feedback you provide becomes our property and may be used to improve the Service without compensation to you.

18.4 Confidentiality

Beta Features may be confidential. Unless we state otherwise, you agree not to disclose information about Beta Features to third parties.

19. API Usage Terms

If we provide access to an Application Programming Interface (API), the following additional terms apply:

19.1 API License

Subject to these Terms, we grant you a limited, non-exclusive, revocable license to access and use our API solely for integrating with the Service for your internal business purposes.

19.2 API Keys

You are responsible for keeping your API keys secure. Do not share API keys or embed them in publicly accessible code. You are responsible for all activity under your API keys.

19.3 Rate Limits

API usage is subject to rate limits based on your Subscription plan. Exceeding rate limits may result in throttling or temporary suspension of API access.

19.4 Prohibited Uses

You may not use the API to:

  • Create a competing service or product
  • Resell or redistribute API access
  • Circumvent usage limits or security measures
  • Access data you are not authorized to access

19.5 API Changes

We may modify, deprecate, or discontinue API endpoints with reasonable notice. We recommend subscribing to our API changelog for updates.

20. Fair Use and Rate Limiting

20.1 Query Limits

Each Subscription plan includes a specific allocation of Monitoring Queries. These limits are designed to ensure fair access for all users and sustainable operation of the Service.

20.2 Fair Use Policy

Even within your plan limits, you agree to use the Service reasonably and not in ways that:

  • Disproportionately consume system resources
  • Degrade service quality for other users
  • Circumvent or attempt to circumvent usage limits
  • Generate excessive automated requests

20.3 Overage Handling

If you exceed your plan's query limits, we may:

  • Notify you and suggest upgrading your plan
  • Throttle or pause monitoring until the next billing cycle
  • Charge overage fees (if your plan includes this option)

21. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of North Carolina, United States, without regard to its conflict of law provisions.

Subject to the arbitration provisions below, any legal action or proceeding arising out of or relating to these Terms shall be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in Wake County, North Carolina. You consent to the personal jurisdiction of such courts and waive any objection based on venue or inconvenient forum.

22. Dispute Resolution and Arbitration

PLEASE READ THIS SECTION CAREFULLY. IT AFFECTS YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS, INCLUDING YOUR RIGHT TO FILE A LAWSUIT IN COURT AND TO HAVE A JURY TRIAL.

22.1 Informal Resolution First

Before initiating any formal dispute resolution, you agree to contact us at legal@rivalhound.com and attempt to resolve the dispute informally for at least 30 days. Most disputes can be resolved through good-faith discussion.

22.2 Binding Arbitration

If we cannot resolve the dispute informally, you and RivalHound agree to resolve any claims relating to these Terms or the Service through final and binding arbitration, except as set forth below. This agreement to arbitrate is intended to be broadly interpreted.

Arbitration shall be conducted by the American Arbitration Association (AAA) under its Commercial Arbitration Rules and, where applicable, its Supplementary Procedures for Consumer-Related Disputes. The arbitration will be conducted in English and held in Wake County, North Carolina, unless we agree otherwise.

22.3 Class Action Waiver

YOU AND RIVALHOUND AGREE THAT EACH MAY BRING CLAIMS AGAINST THE OTHER ONLY IN YOUR OR ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY AND NOT AS A PLAINTIFF OR CLASS MEMBER IN ANY PURPORTED CLASS, COLLECTIVE, OR REPRESENTATIVE PROCEEDING.

Unless both you and RivalHound agree, the arbitrator may not consolidate more than one person's claims or otherwise preside over any form of representative or class proceeding.

22.4 Opt-Out

You may opt out of this arbitration agreement by sending written notice to legal@rivalhound.com within 30 days of first accepting these Terms. Your notice must include your name, mailing address, email address, and a clear statement that you wish to opt out of the arbitration agreement.

22.5 Exceptions

This arbitration agreement does not apply to:

  • Claims for injunctive or equitable relief
  • Claims regarding intellectual property rights
  • Small claims court actions (if your claim qualifies)

22.6 Costs

If you initiate arbitration, you will be responsible for paying the AAA filing fee. We will pay the remaining arbitration fees as required by AAA rules. Each party will bear its own attorneys' fees unless the arbitrator determines that a claim was frivolous, in which case the losing party may be required to pay the prevailing party's fees.

23. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is held to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable by a court or arbitrator of competent jurisdiction, that provision shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it valid and enforceable, or if modification is not possible, it shall be severed from these Terms. The remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.

If the class action waiver in Section 22.3 is found to be unenforceable as to a particular claim, then that claim (and only that claim) shall be severed from arbitration and may be brought in court.

24. Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy, and any other policies or agreements incorporated by reference, constitute the entire agreement between you and RivalHound regarding your use of the Service.

These Terms supersede any prior agreements, communications, or understandings between you and RivalHound relating to the Service, whether oral or written.

25. Assignment

You may not assign or transfer these Terms or any rights or obligations hereunder, by operation of law or otherwise, without our prior written consent. Any attempted assignment without consent is void.

We may assign these Terms without restriction, including in connection with a merger, acquisition, corporate reorganization, or sale of all or substantially all of our assets. Upon any permitted assignment, these Terms will bind and inure to the benefit of the parties and their respective successors and assigns.

26. Notices

Notices from Us: We may send you notices through:

  • Email to the address associated with your account
  • In-app notifications or banners
  • Posting on our website

Notices sent by email are deemed received when sent (or on the next business day if sent outside business hours). Notices posted on our website are effective upon posting.

Notices from You: You may send notices to us at:

27. No Waiver

Our failure to enforce any provision of these Terms shall not be deemed a waiver of that provision or our right to enforce it in the future. Any waiver must be in writing and signed by an authorized representative of RivalHound to be effective.

No course of dealing or course of performance shall be deemed to modify or waive any provision of these Terms.

28. Changes to Terms

We may modify these Terms from time to time. When we make changes:

28.1 Material Changes

For material changes that significantly affect your rights or obligations, we will:

  • Provide at least 30 days' advance notice via email or prominent website notice
  • Update the "Last Updated" date at the top of these Terms
  • Give you the opportunity to review the changes before they take effect

28.2 Non-Material Changes

For minor changes (such as clarifications or corrections), we may update these Terms without advance notice. We will update the "Last Updated" date.

28.3 Acceptance

Your continued use of the Service after the effective date of any changes constitutes your acceptance of the modified Terms. If you do not agree to the modified Terms, you must stop using the Service and cancel your account.

29. Contact Information

If you have questions about these Terms of Service, please contact us:

For more information about our data practices, please see our Privacy Policy. For information about cookies and tracking, please see our Cookie Policy.