THE RIGHT DOCUMENT FOR THE JOB
When to use a web design contract
Use it for a new marketing site, redesign, landing page, ecommerce front end, or design-only engagement with a business or organization.
BEFORE YOU START
What to have ready
- Client and designer contacts, site purpose, audience, platform, and target launch
- Page or template scope, responsive behavior, integrations, content, and exclusions
- Milestones, fee, deposits, hosting or third-party costs, and change rates
- Client responsibilities for copy, images, credentials, approvals, and testing
- Accessibility, privacy, security, analytics, maintenance, warranty boundaries, and rights
Define the site boundary
List page types, templates, features, supported browsers, content migration, and integrations. Identify what is not included, such as copywriting, ongoing SEO, custom application logic, hosting administration, or post-launch edits.
Make launch a shared process
Set content and approval deadlines, staging review, device testing, redirects, analytics choices, and handoff credentials. State who owns domain and hosting accounts and who can publish. Keep credentials out of the contract itself.
Handle ongoing responsibility
Separate launch support from maintenance, updates, monitoring, and third-party service fees. Accessibility, privacy, consumer disclosures, security, and data protection duties vary by project and location; qualified specialists should review higher-risk sites.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Calling a site complete without defining content, browser, device, or approval criteria
- Putting domains, hosting, analytics, and credentials under the wrong party’s control
- Promising ongoing security or accessibility outcomes without a maintenance scope
A FEW THINGS WORTH KNOWING
Web Design Contract questions, answered
Who supplies website content?
Name the person responsible for copy, images, product data, translations, and approvals. If the designer supplies any of these, define review rounds and source requirements.
Should hosting be included?
Only if the provider will actually manage it. Identify account ownership, recurring charges, backups, support boundaries, and the handoff process separately from design fees.
How should launch changes be priced?
Set a change-rate or small support block and define what counts as a new feature. Approve schedule and price before work outside the agreed launch scope.
A draft is the beginning—not the final review.
Check names, figures, dates, and every obligation before you use or sign your document. For legal, employment, property, or financial matters, consult a qualified local professional when needed. This is an AI drafting tool, not an official government form or a guarantee of legal validity.