Web Design Contract Template: Clauses and Example Wording
A web design contract template, clause by clause, with example wording for scope, payments, revisions, ownership, and termination. Not legal advice.
Most scope fights, late payments, and "who owns this site?" arguments trace back to a contract that was vague or never signed. In the 2025 Admin Bar WordPress Professionals Survey, only 44.1% of respondents said they always require a signed contract. Another 45.7% said it depends on the project, and 10.2% never do.
This guide gives you a usable outline you can paste into your own document, plus the reasoning behind each clause so you can adjust it for a Webflow build, a WordPress site, a Shopify store, or a custom Next.js project on Vercel.
What a Web Design Contract Template Needs to Cover
A good contract answers six questions before work starts: what you are building, when, for how much, how many rounds of feedback, who owns it, and what happens if things go wrong. Everything else is detail.
| Clause | The problem it prevents |
|---|---|
| Scope of work | "I thought that was included" |
| Timeline | Projects that drift for months because content never arrives |
| Fees and deposit | Building the whole site before anyone has paid |
| Revisions | Endless rounds of feedback |
| Ownership | A client or studio claiming files they should not |
| Termination | A messy exit when a client disappears or changes direction |
If you want the pricing side first, read how much to charge for a website. If you want the document that comes before the contract, see our web design proposal template.
The 13 Clauses, With Example Wording
The example wording below uses brackets for the parts you fill in. Adjust the numbers to your own practice. They are examples, not recommendations.
1. Parties and Effective Date
Name both legal entities, not just first names. Use the client's registered business name, because that is who you will invoice and, if it comes to it, who you would pursue.
Example wording: This Agreement is between [Your Studio LLC] ("Studio") and [Client Company Inc.] ("Client"), effective on the date of the last signature below.
2. Scope of Work
This is the clause that matters most. List deliverables, not vibes. Name the platform, the number of page templates, integrations, and anything you are explicitly not doing.
Example wording: Studio will design and build a [12]-page marketing website on [WordPress / Webflow / Shopify / Next.js] as described in Exhibit A. The following are not included: copywriting, photography, logo design, ongoing SEO, and migration of more than [25] existing blog posts.
An "exclusions" sentence does more work than a page of inclusions. Attach the signed proposal or estimate as Exhibit A so scope lives in one place.
3. Timeline and Milestones
Give dates for your work and for the client's. A timeline that only binds you is a deadline the client can blow past for free.
Example wording: Studio will deliver the first design round within [10] business days of receiving the deposit and the Client Materials listed in Section 6. If Client feedback or materials are more than [10] business days late, the schedule pauses and the launch date moves by the same number of days.
4. Fees, Deposit, and Payment Schedule
State the total, the schedule, the due dates, and what happens when payment is late. A common structure is a deposit up front, a milestone payment, and a final payment before launch. Our invoice template guide covers the mechanics of each.
Example wording: The total fee is [$6,000]. Client will pay [50%] ($3,000) before work begins, [25%] ($1,500) on approval of the design, and [25%] ($1,500) before the site goes live. The deposit is non-refundable once work begins. Invoices are due in [15] days. Overdue balances may incur a late fee of [1.5%] per month, where the law allows.
5. Revisions
Define a round, define how many are included, and say what an extra round costs.
Example wording: The fee includes [two] rounds of revisions on the design and [one] round after the site is built. A round is one consolidated set of feedback from a single point of contact. Additional rounds are billed at [$110] an hour.
"One consolidated set of feedback" is the phrase that saves you from five stakeholders sending five conflicting emails.
6. Client Responsibilities and Content
Websites stall on content. Spell out what the client provides and by when.
Example wording: Client will provide all text, images, logos, and login access ("Client Materials") by [date]. Client confirms it has the right to use all Client Materials and will not hold Studio responsible for infringement in content Client supplies.
That last sentence matters more than it looks. If a client hands you a stock photo they did not license, you want the problem to sit with them.
7. Change Requests
Anything outside Exhibit A is a change. Say how changes get approved and priced.
Example wording: Work outside the scope in Exhibit A requires a written change order signed by both parties, stating the added fee and any schedule impact, before Studio begins that work.
8. Ownership and Licensing
Decide who owns what, and when ownership transfers. Most studios transfer final deliverables on full payment and keep their own tools.
Example wording: On receipt of full payment, Studio assigns to Client its rights in the final custom design and code delivered under this Agreement. Studio keeps ownership of its pre-existing tools, frameworks, and reusable code, and grants Client a non-exclusive license to use them as part of the site. Third-party items (themes, plugins, fonts, stock media) remain under their own licenses. Studio may show the finished site in its portfolio.
A note on "work for hire." Under US copyright law, a commissioned work is only work made for hire if it falls into specific categories and both parties agree in a signed writing, as the US Copyright Office explains. A custom website does not obviously fit those categories, which is why many studios use an assignment on payment instead. Ask your lawyer which fits you.
9. Third-Party Costs, Hosting, and Domains
Say who pays for premium plugins, themes, fonts, stock photos, hosting, and domains, and in whose name accounts are registered.
Example wording: Third-party costs are billed to Client at cost. Domain and hosting accounts will be registered in Client's name. Studio is not responsible for outages at third-party providers.
10. Launch, Acceptance, and Bug Period
Define "done." Without it, a project can stay open forever.
Example wording: The site is accepted when Client approves it in writing or [10] business days after launch with no written objections, whichever comes first. Studio will fix defects from the agreed scope for [30] days after launch at no charge. New requests after that are billed under Section 5.
11. Maintenance and Care
Keep ongoing work out of the build contract. Say that support ends after the bug period, then point to a separate agreement.
Example wording: This Agreement covers the build only. Updates, backups, security monitoring, and support after the bug period are available under a separate care plan.
We cover how to price and package that in WordPress care plans, and the idea applies to any platform you maintain.
12. Termination
Cover both directions: the client cancels, and the client goes silent.
Example wording: Either party may end this Agreement with [14] days' written notice. Client will pay for all work completed through the termination date, and the deposit is not refunded. If Client is unresponsive for [30] days, Studio may treat the project as abandoned, invoice completed work, and close the project.
13. Liability, Confidentiality, Governing Law, and Signatures
This is the part most worth a lawyer's eyes. Typical items:
- A cap on your liability, often limited to the fees paid
- Mutual confidentiality
- No guarantee of specific search rankings, traffic, or sales
- Which state's law governs, and where disputes are handled
- Signature lines with dates for both parties
How to Use This Web Design Contract Template
Do these steps in order and you will end up with a document you can reuse on every project.
- Copy the clauses into a document and replace every bracket with your own numbers.
- Cut anything that does not match how you work. A one-page-site freelancer does not need the same exhibits as a ten-person studio.
- Send the draft to a local lawyer for a one-time review.
- Save the reviewed version as your master. Change only the scope, price, and dates per client.
- Have the client sign before you start any work, including "quick mockups."
Mistakes That Make a Contract Useless
- Starting work on a handshake or a text message
- Listing "website design" as the whole scope with no pages, platform, or exclusions
- Leaving out the client's deadlines and content duties
- Promising "unlimited revisions" because it felt friendly
- Never saying who owns the files, domain, and hosting accounts
- Copying a template from a different industry without reading it
- Using a contract that was never reviewed by a lawyer
A contract is not for the clients who will behave. It is for the one in twenty who will not.
Where StackOS Fits
Frequently Asked Questions
What should a web design contract template include?
A web design contract template should include the parties, scope of work, timeline, fees and payment schedule, revisions, client responsibilities, change requests, ownership and licensing, third-party costs, launch and acceptance, maintenance, termination, and legal terms such as liability and governing law. Scope and payment terms do the most daily work.
Do I need a contract for a small website project?
Yes. A small project is where a vague agreement hurts most, because the margin for unpaid extra work is thin. A short, plain contract and a deposit protect a $1,500 site as much as a $15,000 one. Keep it to a few pages if the project is simple.
Who owns a website after it is built?
It depends on what the contract says. Many studios assign rights in the final custom work to the client once the final invoice is paid, and keep ownership of their own reusable tools and code. Without a written agreement, ownership can be unclear, so always state it.
Can I use a free web design contract template?
You can, as a starting point. Free templates are usually generic, so check scope, ownership, and payment terms against how you really work, and have a lawyer review the result once. A free web design contract template that nobody has adapted can leave real gaps.
How many revisions should a web design contract include?
Two rounds on the design and one after the build is a common starting point, but pick numbers that fit your pricing. Define a round as one consolidated set of feedback from one contact, and state the hourly rate for extra rounds so the limit is enforceable.
Is an e-signature legally valid for a web design contract?
In the United States, electronic signatures are generally valid for most business contracts under federal and state law. Some document types are excluded, and rules differ in other countries, so confirm with your lawyer. A signing tool that records who signed and when strengthens your position.
What is the difference between a proposal and a contract?
A proposal sells the project: the problem, the approach, the price. A contract is the binding legal agreement. Many studios combine them by having the client sign the proposal with the contract terms attached. Either way, the scope in both documents must match.