Contracts
Web design contracts — what to check before you sign.
A good agreement protects both sides by making expectations explicit. Here's what a web design agreement should generally make clear, in plain language.
General information, not legal advice
This page sets out general business information to help you know what to look for in a web design agreement. It is not legal advice. Take proper legal advice for anything significant before you sign.
The checklist
What a good agreement should make clear.
| Clause | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Scope | A specific description of what's being built, not just 'a website'. |
| Deliverables | Exactly what you'll receive — pages, files, assets, accounts. |
| Price | A total figure, not just a starting estimate with undefined extras. |
| Payment schedule | When instalments are due and what triggers them. |
| Revisions | A stated number of rounds, or a clear process if open-ended. |
| Client responsibilities | What you're expected to supply and by when. |
| Content | Who writes copy and supplies images, and what happens if it's late. |
| Timeline | Realistic milestones, not just a launch date. |
| Delays | What happens if either side causes a delay. |
| Third-party costs | Licences, plugins or subscriptions billed separately from the build. |
| Intellectual property | Who owns the design and code once paid in full. |
| Domain | Who registers it and under whose details. |
| Hosting | Where the site is hosted and who controls that account. |
| Maintenance | Whether ongoing updates are included, optional, or excluded entirely. |
| SEO | Whether any SEO work is included, and what it actually covers. |
| Cancellation | Notice periods and any costs for stopping partway through. |
| Termination | What happens to work completed so far if either side ends the agreement. |
| Portfolio rights | Whether the designer can show the finished site as an example of their work. |
| Confidentiality | Protection for any sensitive business information shared during the project. |
| Liability | Reasonable limits on what each party is responsible for if something goes wrong. |
| Dispute / governing law | Which country's law applies and how disagreements are meant to be resolved. |
Watch the wording
Vague scope wording is worth pushing back on.
Phrases like "a modern website" or "full support" sound reassuring but define nothing. Ask for scope to be written specifically enough that you could hand it to a stranger and they'd understand what's included.
Revisions
Rounds versus open-ended revisions.
A stated number of revision rounds gives both sides a clear boundary. "Unlimited revisions" sounds generous but, without a process behind it, can leave a project running indefinitely with no clear finish line.
Ongoing fees
Understand what recurs, and what stopping payment means.
Hosting, maintenance and any SEO retainer typically continue after launch. Check what specifically happens if you stop paying — whether the site keeps running unsupported, is taken offline, or something in between.
Ending the relationship
What happens if the relationship ends.
Check what you're entitled to if you and the designer part ways — access to files, handover of accounts, and any notice period required on either side.
Our own terms are published in full at client project terms — feel free to compare them against anything else you're considering. For related reading, see who owns your website, questions to ask a web designer, and our pricing page.
Before you ask
Web design contracts, answered plainly.
Want to compare against our own terms? Read them here.
Next step
Want terms you can actually read?
Ours are published in full.
No hidden clauses, no guesswork. Compare our terms against anyone else's before you decide.