IDD and IPID requirements: what to check on an insurance website

The Insurance Distribution Directive (IDD) and the Insurance Product Information Document (IPID) shape a large part of what an insurance website has to say, when it has to say it, and how it has to be presented. This guide sets out the checks that most often reveal problems on live customer journeys.

It is written to help compliance, marketing and digital teams have a shared conversation about wording. It is not legal advice, and the requirements that apply to your business depend on your permissions, your products and your jurisdiction.

Where IDD requirements appear on a website

IDD obligations are usually described as pre-contract information duties. On a website they tend to land in five places:

• The product page, where the product is described and where suitability language often creeps in.
• The quote journey, where the demands and needs assessment either happens or does not.
• The quote summary, where price, fees and total payable are presented.
• A "how we are paid" or "about us" page, where status and remuneration disclosure sits.
• The document library, where the IPID and policy wording must be reachable before purchase.

The most common gap is not a missing page. It is a page that exists but is never linked from the journey where the customer needs it.

Demands and needs

For non-advised sales, the customer needs a statement of the demands and needs that the product is designed to meet, and it should be clear that no personal recommendation is being made.

Wording to look for and reconsider:

• "Perfect for anyone who…"
• "You're fully covered"
• "The right policy for you"
• "We recommend our premium cover"

Each of these can read as a personal recommendation, or as an assurance about the extent of cover. A safer construction states what the product is designed to do, then points to the documents:

This policy is designed for travellers who want cover for emergency medical costs, cancellation and baggage. It is sold without a personal recommendation. Please read the Insurance Product Information Document and policy wording to confirm the cover meets your demands and needs.

Remuneration and status disclosure

Customers should be told the nature of the remuneration received in relation to the contract, and it should be available before the contract is concluded rather than only in a footer document.

A complete disclosure usually confirms three things: whether you are paid a fee, a commission or something else; who pays it; and whether the customer pays anything directly. "We are paid by the insurer" answers only one of the three.

IPID checks

The IPID has a standardised presentation format. When reviewing one, work through the structure before the wording:

1. Is it clearly identified as an Insurance Product Information Document?
2. Are the standardised sections present and identifiable, including what is insured, what is not insured, and restrictions on cover?
3. Is the content short, in plain language, and consistent with the policy wording?
4. Is the document reachable before purchase, not only after payment?
5. Where cover changes, has the IPID been updated in step with the policy wording?

Structural findings matter because they affect whether a customer can locate the information at all. A document that contains every exclusion in a single paragraph headed "Exclusions and limits" is harder to defend than one that follows the expected sections.

Keeping wording and documents in step

Most IDD and IPID problems on websites are version problems. The policy wording is updated, the IPID follows a few weeks later, and the product page keeps its original marketing copy for another quarter.

Two habits help:

• Treat the product page, the IPID and the policy wording as one set that changes together.
• Re-check the journey after every campaign, not only after product changes. Marketing wording is the most frequent source of suitability language.

How Observe IQ helps

Observe IQ scans product pages, quote journeys and uploaded documents against selected IDD and IPID rules, shows the wording that triggered each finding, explains the potential risk and suggests replacement wording that your team can review and adapt.

Observe IQ is a compliance-support tool. Results should be reviewed by an appropriately qualified person. Observe IQ does not provide legal advice or guarantee regulatory compliance.