Legal

Terms of Service

Apicus, LLC Effective Date: May 2026
The Short Version

Apicus provides AI referral infrastructure services to qualified oral health practices under a written engagement agreement. These terms govern use of the website and the service. The important things: the guarantee is a results guarantee backed by Apicus’s time, not a refund. Client data is handled as described in the Privacy Policy. Neither party is liable for indirect or consequential damages. Disputes are resolved under Florida law. The rest of this document explains the details.

1. Who These Terms Apply To

These Terms of Service (“Terms”) apply to:

Anyone who visits apicus.ai or uses any content, tools, or forms on the site
Any individual or practice entity that requests an audit, submits an intake form, or enters into a service engagement with Apicus, LLC (“Apicus,” “we,” “us”)

By using this site or submitting any form, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the site.

2. The Service

Apicus provides AI referral infrastructure services including but not limited to:

AI Referral Index (ARI) auditing and measurement across major AI engines
Technical and entity infrastructure buildout
Citation and authority signal development
Monthly Query Panel monitoring and reporting
Strategic recommendations based on engine response patterns

The specific scope of services delivered to any client is defined in a separate written Service Agreement executed between Apicus and the client. These Terms govern the general relationship. The Service Agreement governs the specific engagement. Where they conflict, the Service Agreement controls.

3. The Free Audit

Apicus offers a complimentary 20-query audit to qualified prospects. Submitting an audit request form does not create a client relationship, does not obligate Apicus to perform an audit, and does not guarantee qualification for the full service.

Apicus reserves the right to decline audit requests that do not meet the published qualification criteria or at its sole discretion.

Audit results delivered to prospects are prepared in good faith using current methodology. They are diagnostic and informational. They do not constitute a guarantee of any future performance outcome and should not be relied upon as professional marketing, legal, or business advice.

Audit results are confidential and prepared for the named recipient only. They may not be shared, published, or distributed without Apicus’s written consent.

4. The Service Guarantee

Within 120 days of engagement start, the client’s practice will be cited across at least 60% of its custom 75-prompt Query Panel across the five measured AI engines. If this benchmark is not met by Day 120, Apicus will continue delivering the full service at no additional cost to the client until the benchmark is reached, or through Day 210, whichever comes first.

What the guarantee is

A commitment of Apicus’s continued time and work at no additional charge.

What the guarantee is not

A refund guarantee. Fees paid are earned as services are delivered and are non-refundable.

A guarantee of specific patient volume, booked consultations, or revenue outcomes.

A guarantee that any particular AI engine will cite the practice for any particular query.

An obligation extending beyond Day 210 under any circumstances.

Conditions that void the guarantee

The guarantee is voided if the client materially changes the practice’s information, procedures, or online presence without notifying Apicus; if the client fails to provide requested access within 14 days of request; if the client publicly disparages Apicus’s methodology or brand during the engagement; or if the client is in arrears on any invoice.

ARI measurement uses the methodology published at apicus.ai/methodology, which may be updated periodically. The version of the methodology in effect at engagement start governs guarantee assessment.

5. Fees and Payment

Monthly retainer. The monthly retainer of $4,997 is billed in advance on a recurring basis beginning at engagement start (Day 0). Onboarding is included in month one — there is no separate setup fee. Payment terms are net 7 from invoice date.

Late payment. Invoices unpaid after 14 days accrue interest at 1.5% per month. Apicus reserves the right to pause active work on any engagement with an overdue invoice until payment is received. Paused time does not count toward the 120-Day Results Guarantee period.

Failed payment. In the event of a failed payment method, Apicus will notify the client and allow 7 business days to resolve before pausing services.

Fee changes. Apicus may adjust its published rates. Existing clients under active Service Agreements are protected at their contracted rate for the duration of the current term. Rate changes take effect at renewal.

6. Client Responsibilities

Delivering results requires baseline cooperation from the client. By entering into a service engagement, the client agrees to:

Provide accurate and complete information during onboarding
Respond to information requests and access requests within the timeframes specified in the Service Agreement
Grant manager-level access (not owner-level) to required platforms as requested
Notify Apicus of material changes to the practice, including location changes, credential updates, procedure mix changes, or significant reputation events
Not take actions that directly undermine the AI referral infrastructure being built, including but not limited to removing content, claiming or abandoning directory listings, or blocking AI crawlers, without notifying Apicus

Failure to meet these responsibilities may affect ARI progress and may void the guarantee as described in Section 4.

7. Platform Access and Credentials

Apicus requests manager-level access to certain third-party platforms as part of service delivery. The following applies to all such access:

Credentials are collected exclusively via encrypted secure-sharing links. Never via email, SMS, or standard form fields.
Apicus will not request owner-level or administrative access to any platform.
Apicus will not use platform access for any purpose outside the scope of the engagement.
The client may revoke access at any time by notifying Apicus in writing. Revocation of required access may affect service delivery and may pause the guarantee period.
Upon engagement termination, Apicus will confirm in writing that all access has been relinquished. The client is responsible for removing Apicus from any platform access they control.
8. Confidentiality

Client confidentiality. Apicus treats all client information — practice data, financials, competitive intelligence, onboarding materials, and audit results — as confidential. This information is used solely to deliver the service and is not shared with third parties except as required by law or described in the Privacy Policy.

Apicus confidentiality. The methodology, Query Panel structure, ARI formula, source scoring models, and proprietary processes Apicus uses are confidential business information. Clients may not reverse engineer, reproduce, or share these materials with competitors or any third party without written consent.

Mutual non-disparagement. Neither party will make materially false or misleading statements about the other during or after the engagement.

Confidentiality obligations survive termination of the engagement for a period of two years.

9. Intellectual Property

Apicus's IP. The ARI methodology, Query Panel framework, Referral Stack architecture, all proprietary scoring models, and all content published on apicus.ai are owned by Apicus, LLC. Nothing in a service engagement transfers ownership of these assets to the client.

Deliverables. Reports, audit documents, and written recommendations delivered to a client become the client's property for their internal use upon full payment of applicable fees. They may not be published, distributed publicly, or provided to competitors without Apicus's written consent.

Client IP. Practice content, credentials, brand materials, and any information provided by the client remain the property of the client. Apicus uses this information only to deliver the service.

Third-party platforms. Apicus does not claim any rights over content published on third-party platforms as part of citation buildout. Clients retain all rights to their own listings, profiles, and citations.

10. Prohibited Uses of the Site

You may not use apicus.ai or any of its content to:

Scrape, copy, or reproduce proprietary methodology or framework content without written permission
Submit false or misleading information through any form
Attempt to reverse engineer the ARI methodology or Query Panel structure through repeated audit requests
Impersonate a qualified prospect to obtain audit data for competitive intelligence purposes
Engage in any activity that interferes with site operation or other users’ access
Violate any applicable law or regulation
11. No Professional Advice

Nothing on apicus.ai or in any Apicus deliverable constitutes legal, medical, financial, or professional marketing advice. Audit results, ARI scores, and strategic recommendations are informational outputs based on a specific measurement methodology. They are not guarantees of outcome and should be evaluated alongside your own professional judgment and advisors.

12. Third-Party Services and Links

Apicus may reference or link to third-party tools, platforms, publications, and services. These references are for informational purposes. Apicus does not endorse, control, or accept responsibility for the content, practices, or availability of any third-party service.

Apicus uses third-party tools to operate its own business — analytics, email delivery, and secure credential sharing among them. These tools operate under their own terms and privacy policies.

13. Disclaimer of Warranties

Apicus provides its services and this website on an “as is” and “as available” basis. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, Apicus makes no warranties, express or implied, including but not limited to:

Warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose
Warranties that the site will be uninterrupted, error-free, or free of harmful components
Warranties that any specific ARI outcome will be achieved beyond the guarantee described in Section 4
Warranties regarding the behavior, algorithms, or outputs of any third-party AI engine

AI engine behavior is determined by those engines’ own systems, which Apicus does not control. Apicus measures and influences citation signals. It cannot guarantee how any specific engine will process or present those signals at any given time.

14. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law:

Apicus’s total liability for any claim arising out of or related to these Terms or any service engagement shall not exceed the total fees paid by the client in the three months preceding the claim.

Apicus shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages — including lost revenue, lost patients, lost referrals, or reputational harm — regardless of whether Apicus was advised of the possibility of such damages.

These limitations apply to claims arising under contract, tort, statute, or any other legal theory.

15. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Apicus, LLC and its principals, contractors, and representatives from any claims, damages, losses, or expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising from:

Your use of the site or the service
Your violation of these Terms
False or inaccurate information you provided during onboarding or in any form submission
Any claim by a third party related to content or materials you provided to Apicus
16. Termination

By the client. After the initial 120-day term, clients may terminate the engagement with 30 days’ written notice. Fees for the current billing period are non-refundable. Any work product delivered prior to termination belongs to the client.

By Apicus. Apicus may terminate an engagement with 30 days’ written notice for any reason, or immediately if the client is in material breach of these Terms or the Service Agreement, if the client engages in conduct that is harmful to Apicus’s reputation, or if the client is involved in fraudulent or illegal activity.

Effect of termination. Upon termination, Apicus will deliver any final reporting due and relinquish all platform access. Outstanding fees remain due. Confidentiality obligations survive.

17. Governing Law and Disputes

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Florida, without regard to conflict of law principles.

Any dispute arising out of these Terms or any service engagement that cannot be resolved by direct discussion between the parties shall be submitted to binding arbitration in Sarasota County, Florida, under the rules of the American Arbitration Association. Each party bears its own attorneys’ fees unless the arbitrator finds a claim was brought in bad faith.

Nothing in this section prevents either party from seeking emergency injunctive relief in a court of competent jurisdiction to protect confidential information or intellectual property.

18. Changes to These Terms

Apicus may update these Terms periodically. Material changes will be noted by updating the effective date at the top of this page. Active clients will be notified of material changes by email. Continued use of the site or service after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

19. Entire Agreement

For website visitors, these Terms constitute the entire agreement between you and Apicus regarding use of the site. For service clients, these Terms together with the executed Service Agreement constitute the entire agreement and supersede all prior discussions, representations, and understandings.

If any provision of these Terms is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions continue in full force.

20. Contact

Questions about these Terms:

Apicus, LLC
1680 Fruitville Rd
Sarasota, FL 34236
hello@apicus.ai
Monday through Friday, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM Eastern

These terms are written to be understood, not to obscure. If something here is unclear or you have a question before entering an engagement, email us.