How to Write an AI Usage Policy for a SaaS Product
An AI usage policy does not need to be long to be useful. For a small SaaS team, it should answer a few clear questions: which AI tools are approved, what data is restricted, who reviews AI output, and what customers should know.
Quick note
This guide is practical product education, not legal advice, security advice, SOC 2 certification, GDPR certification, or compliance certification. Review every answer against your actual product and company processes before sending it to a buyer.
Define approved uses
List what AI can be used for: drafting, summarizing, categorizing, support assistance, internal notes, or product features. Avoid a vague “we use AI” statement.
Restrict sensitive data
A practical policy should restrict passwords, API keys, secrets, private customer files, regulated data, and unsupported security claims from being pasted into AI tools unless you have a controlled process.
Require human review
AI output should be reviewed before it is sent to customers, buyers, or auditors. This matters especially for security questionnaires, where an invented claim can create real business risk.
Document providers
If an AI provider processes customer-entered content, keep that provider in your subprocessor or vendor notes and explain the use clearly.
Keep the policy readable
The best internal policy is one people actually follow. Start short, make it specific, and update it as your product changes.
Make this easier in VettBase
VettBase helps small SaaS teams draft security questionnaire answers, save reviewed wording, reuse approved answers, and flag missing information before sending unsupported claims.