What To Include In A WordPress Website Contract For Clients

A solid WordPress website contract protects you, clarifies expectations, and keeps projects moving. It’s not just paperwork: it’s your playbook for scope, timelines, payments, and who owns what when you’re done. Whether you’re a freelancer, agency, or a small business hiring a designer, the terms you agree to can make the difference between a smooth launch and a budget-burning headache. Below, you’ll find a practical, up-to-date (2025) checklist of what to include in your WordPress website contract, complete with examples, pro tips, and recommended tools, so you can start projects confidently and finish them profitably.

Project Scope And Deliverables

Goals And Success Metrics

Tie the project to measurable business outcomes. This reduces ambiguity and gives you a clear definition of “done.”

• Example goals: “Increase qualified leads by 25% within 90 days,” “Reduce checkout abandonment by 10%,” “Launch a mobile-friendly site that passes Core Web Vitals.”
• Success metrics to include: form submissions, conversion rate, LCP/INP/CLS thresholds, organic traffic growth, accessibility audit score (e.g., WCAG 2.2 AA conformance), and error-free crawl status in Google Search Console.

Write it in plain language. “Designer will deliver a WordPress site optimized for INP < 200ms, LCP < 2.5s, CLS < 0.1 on the primary templates under typical 4G conditions.”

Features, Pages, And Integrations

List everything you plan to build.

• Page templates: Home, Services, About, Contact, Blog archive, Single post, Landing page, 404, Search, Shop (if applicable). Specify quantities of unique templates vs. simple content pages.
• Features: forms (e.g., Gravity Forms), newsletter signup (Mailchimp/ConvertKit), booking (Amelia/Calendly), eCommerce (WooCommerce), payment gateways (Stripe/PayPal), memberships (Paid Memberships Pro/MemberPress), LMS (LearnDash/TutorLMS), multilingual (WPML/Polylang), SEO (Rank Math/Yoast), schema, and caching (WP Rocket/LiteSpeed Cache).
• Integrations: GA4, Google Tag Manager, Google Search Console, CRM (HubSpot/Pipedrive), email marketing, reCAPTCHA v3/hCaptcha, social sharing, live chat (Tidio/HubSpot), CDN (Cloudflare).
• Design system: color palette, typography, components, and reusable blocks. Note if you’ll use a block theme, child theme, or a builder (Elementor/Beaver Builder).

Pro tip: include a site map and a feature matrix in an appendix so changes are easy to track.

Out-Of-Scope Items And Assumptions

Scope creep sinks margins. Spell out what’s not included and the assumptions you’re making.

• Out of scope: branding/logo creation (unless specified), copywriting, original photography/video, custom plugin development, advanced animations, custom API builds, CRM automation, ongoing SEO/content strategy, multilingual translation, and post-launch marketing.
• Assumptions: Client will provide all copy within X days: client’s hosting meets PHP 8.2+ (or 8.3) and MySQL/MariaDB requirements: client will procure premium plugin licenses unless otherwise stated: third-party availability and API limits apply.
• Nice-to-have wording: “Any features not explicitly listed are excluded and will require a change request.”

Dependencies And Client Inputs

List exactly what you need to start and keep moving.

• Assets: brand guidelines, copy, images/video, legal policies (privacy/cookie), product data (for WooCommerce), shipping/tax rules, DNS access, hosting credentials, Google accounts (Analytics, Search Console, Tag Manager).
• Timely feedback: “Client will review and approve deliverables within 3 business days unless otherwise agreed.”
• Single source of truth: identify one decision-maker to avoid conflicting feedback.

Timeline, Milestones, And Process

Project Phases And Key Dates

Publish a simple, realistic plan:

• Discovery and strategy: site map, content plan, technical approach.
• UX/UI design: wireframes, high-fidelity mockups, design system.
• Build: theme setup, block patterns, templates, integrations.
• Content load and on-page SEO: copy placement, internal links, schema basics, redirects.
• QA and accessibility: cross-browser/device testing, performance tuning, A11y checks.
• Launch: migration, DNS cutover, verification.

Add calendar dates or week numbers. Include buffer time for review cycles.

Client Feedback Windows And Approvals

Time kills projects when decisions stall. In your contract:

• Set review windows (e.g., 3–5 business days per round).
• Limit rounds (e.g., “Two rounds of design revisions included.”).
• Define “silence as approval” if appropriate: “If no feedback is received within the review window, the deliverable is deemed approved.”

Change Requests And Scope Creep Control

Create a simple change request (CR) system.

• Intake: written request via your project tool or ticketing.
• Impact analysis: you provide options with costs/time.
• Approval: changes must be approved in writing before work starts.
• Rate: specify your hourly rate or change order minimum.

Example clause: “Material changes to approved designs, features, or content volumes will be billed at $X/hr with a 2-hour minimum.”

Project Management Tools And Communication Cadence

State how you’ll collaborate.

• Tools: Asana/ClickUp/Trello for tasks, Slack/Teams for messaging, Zoom/Meet for calls, Figma for design, Notion/Google Drive for docs.
• Cadence: weekly standups or biweekly checkpoints: monthly status summaries for longer builds.
• Single channel policy: “All scope and approval decisions will be recorded in Asana to avoid miscommunication.”

Pricing, Payment Terms, And Expenses

Fixed Fee Vs. Time-And-Materials

Both can work: pick what fits the project.

• Fixed fee pros: predictable costs, easy budgeting, aligned incentives. Cons: requires precise scope: higher buffer for unknowns.
• Time-and-materials pros: flexibility for evolving needs. Cons: variable cost: requires disciplined time tracking.

Hybrid approach: fixed fee for core scope + hourly for out-of-scope or R&D.

Milestone Payments, Deposits, And Late Fees

Cash flow matters.

• Typical structure: 40% deposit to reserve time, 40% at design approval or beta, 20% at launch/acceptance. For larger builds, break into more milestones.
• Non-refundable deposit: protects your schedule and discovery time.
• Late fees: specify interest (e.g., 1.5% per month) or a flat admin fee after X days. Include a right to pause work on overdue invoices.
• Retainers: if ongoing support is expected, set a monthly retainer with a defined scope.

Third-Party Costs, Taxes, And Currency

Avoid absorbing surprise expenses.

• Third-party: hosting (Kinsta, WP Engine, SiteGround, Cloudways), premium themes (Kadence, GeneratePress), builders (Elementor), plugins (Gravity Forms, WP Rocket, Rank Math Pro, MemberPress), fonts (e.g., commercial font licenses), CDN (Cloudflare), stock assets (Envato, Adobe Stock).
• Who pays: clarify whether you purchase and rebill, or the client buys directly. Note renewal responsibilities.
• Taxes: specify if your prices exclude VAT/GST/sales tax.
• Currency: state currency and exchange rate handling for international clients.

Pause, Rescheduling, And Restart Fees

Projects stall. Plan for it.

• Pause: if client deliverables are late by more than X days, you may pause and reallocate time.
• Rescheduling: next available slot may be weeks out: include a rescheduling fee.
• Restart: define a restart fee to re-onboard, refresh environments, and re-sync teams.

Content, Licenses, And Compliance

Client-Provided Copy, Media, And Deadlines

Content is often the bottleneck. In your contract:

• Client responsibilities: supply final copy and media by agreed dates: certify ownership or proper licenses.
• Formatting: specify acceptable formats (Google Docs, CSV for products, alt text included, captions provided).
• Placeholder policy: if content is late, you may use placeholders and proceed: final tweaks are billed as changes.

Stock Assets, Fonts, And Plugin Licenses

Clarity prevents disputes.

• Stock: identify sources (e.g., Envato Elements, Adobe Stock) and license types: store license files in the project folder.
• Fonts: webfont licensing is the client’s responsibility unless otherwise stated. Include usage limits.
• Plugins: who owns licenses after launch? Many premium plugins require ongoing renewals for updates/security.

Accessibility, Privacy, And Regulatory Compliance

Bake compliance into the plan.

• Accessibility: aim for WCAG 2.2 AA. Include semantic HTML, focus states, ARIA where needed, color contrast, form labels, skip links, media captions. Note that compliance is a shared responsibility (content, PDFs, third-party widgets).
• Privacy: GDPR/UK-GDPR, CCPA/CPRA, ePrivacy cookie consent, and regional laws. Include a cookie banner and consent management (CookieYes/Complianz) if required. Configure GA4 with IP anonymization options and data retention settings as applicable.
• Policies: client to provide privacy policy, terms, and cookie policy: you can carry out provided content.

Copyright Warranties And Usage Rights

Protect both parties.

• Client warrants they own or have rights to all provided content and indemnifies you for infringement claims.
• You warrant originality of custom work and grant the client a license or ownership as defined in the IP section.
• Third-party assets remain under their original licenses: you don’t sub-license beyond allowed terms.

Technical Standards For WordPress Builds

Theme And Plugin Strategy (Custom, Child Theme, Builder)

Explain your approach so expectations are set.

• Block theme with Site Editor: modern, fast, and future-proof for WordPress 6.6+. Great for reusable patterns and design tokens.
• Child theme on a reputable parent (Kadence, GeneratePress): balanced performance and flexibility.
• Page builders (Elementor, Beaver Builder): faster visual layout: trade-offs in performance if misused. Agree on where builders are allowed (landing pages vs. core templates).
• Custom theme: best for performance and unique logic: higher upfront cost.

State plugin discipline: prefer fewer, well-supported plugins: avoid duplicates: vet by update history, support, and code quality.

Recommended stack (pick what fits):

• Performance: WP Rocket or LiteSpeed Cache (if on LiteSpeed), Cloudflare CDN.
• Security: Solid Security (formerly iThemes), Wordfence, or Sucuri firewall.
• Backup: BlogVault or UpdraftPlus: for agencies, ManageWP or MainWP to centralize.
• Forms: Gravity Forms or Fluent Forms.
• SEO: Rank Math or SEOPress: enable schema and XML sitemaps.

Coding Standards, Performance Targets, And Security Baselines

Put non-negotiables in writing.

• Coding: follow WordPress PHP coding standards, modern PHP 8.2/8.3 compatibility, minimal overrides, sanitized/escaped inputs, nonces for forms.
• Performance targets: LCP < 2.5s, INP < 200ms, CLS < 0.1 on key templates: images served in AVIF/WebP: lazy-load media: preconnect/preload critical assets: database queries optimized.
• Security baselines: strong admin passwords and 2FA, least-privilege roles, automatic core updates (minor), vetted plugins only, disallow file editing in wp-admin, regular malware scanning, security headers (HSTS, X-Frame-Options, CSP where practical).

Hosting, SSL, Backups, And Monitoring Expectations

Hosting can make or break performance.

• Hosting: specify who provides it and minimum specs (PHP 8.2+, HTTP/2 or HTTP/3, object caching if possible). Recommended managed hosts: Kinsta, WP Engine, Flywheel, or Cloudways for VPS flexibility.
• SSL: required. Use Let’s Encrypt or managed SSL. Redirect HTTP→HTTPS.
• Backups: daily automated backups retained for 14–30 days: include pre-launch and pre-update snapshots. Off-site storage recommended.
• Monitoring: uptime (UptimeRobot/Better Uptime), application logs, and basic alerting.

Browser/Device Support And SEO Requirements

Set clear boundaries.

• Devices: current iOS and Android major versions: modern desktop browsers (Chrome, Safari, Edge, Firefox) two latest versions. Legacy browsers excluded unless negotiated.
• SEO baseline: proper heading hierarchy, metadata, OG/Twitter tags, robots.txt, XML sitemaps, canonical tags, 301 redirects for legacy URLs, schema for Organization, Breadcrumb, Article/Product where relevant. Ensure crawlability and indexability checks in Search Console.
• Analytics: GA4 installed via GTM: consent mode configuration if required.

Testing, Acceptance, And Launch

Staging Environment And QA Procedures

No one likes live-site surprises.

• Staging: build and test on a secure staging URL with password protection and no indexing.
• QA plan: functional testing (forms, search, checkout), cross-browser/device tests, performance runs (PageSpeed Insights, WebPageTest), accessibility checks (axe DevTools, WAVE), and link checking. Document outcomes.

Acceptance Criteria, Bug Severity, And Sign-Off

Define “done” objectively.

• Acceptance criteria: list per template/feature. Example: “Contact form submits to CRM and email, shows success message, logs events in GA4.”
• Bug severity:
• Critical (blocks checkout or major flows), fix before launch.
• Major (impacts core UX), scheduled ASAP.
• Minor (cosmetic), backlog or post-launch.
• Sign-off: client approval triggers the launch sequence and final invoice per your payment schedule.

Migration, DNS, And Launch Checklist

Spell out the big day.

• Pre-launch: final backups, plugin/theme updates, database cleanup, search/replace for URLs, minification, CDN rules, security headers, sitemap submission plan, robots switch to index.
• DNS: coordinate TTL reduction 24–48 hours before go-live: schedule the cutover during low-traffic hours. Confirm A/AAAA/CNAME records.
• Post-launch verification: SSL lock, 200/301 responses, no 404 spikes, form deliveries, web vitals re-test, Search Console and GA4 data flowing.

Post-Launch Grace Period And Support Window

Offer a short window to fix launch issues.

• Typical: 10–30 days of bug fixes for work you built (not new features or third-party outages).
• Exclusions: content changes, strategy shifts, or client edits that break the site.
• Transition: after the window, move into a paid care plan.

Maintenance, Support, And Training

Warranty Period And What It Covers

Keep it tight and specific.

• Covers: defects in your code against agreed specs.
• Doesn’t cover: plugin conflicts from new installs, hosting failures, content edits by others, or changes to third-party APIs.
• Remedy: fix or replace affected components within a reasonable timeframe.

Care Plans: Updates, Security, And Backups

Offer ongoing options (recommended for all WordPress sites).

• Typical plan includes: weekly core/plugin/theme updates, uptime/security monitoring, daily backups with off-site storage, performance tuning, and monthly reports.
• Optional add-ons: content hours, A/B testing, SEO audits, minor feature requests.
• Tools that make this easy (recommended): ManageWP or MainWP for multi-site management: BlogVault for safe updates: Sucuri or Cloudflare for WAF: WP Rocket/LiteSpeed for speed.

Pros: stability, fewer emergencies, predictable budgeting. Cons: monthly cost, explain the value by tying it to risk reduction and speed.

Support SLAs, Response Times, And Ticketing

Set expectations so there’s no guesswork.

• Channels: support portal or email: emergency phone for critical incidents.
• Response targets: critical within 2 hours, major within 1 business day, minor within 2–3 business days.
• Hours: list your support hours and holidays: define escalation path.
• Billing: clarify what’s included vs. billable: time is tracked in 15–30 min increments.

Training Sessions, Docs, And Admin Access

Empower the client without compromising security.

• Training: 1–2 live sessions recorded on Zoom: cover editing pages with blocks, media, menus, forms, and product management if WooCommerce.
• Docs: short Loom videos and a quick-start guide with screenshots.
• Access: provision least-privilege roles. Admin access for one designated client admin: editors/authors for others. Enable 2FA for all.

Ownership, IP, And Legal Protections

Ownership Transfer Upon Final Payment

Be crystal clear.

• On full payment, client owns the final website’s unique visual design, content, and any custom code created specifically for the project (unless otherwise licensed).
• You retain rights to pre-existing tools, libraries, and methodologies.

Licensing For Reusable Code And Frameworks

Protect your ability to reuse building blocks.

• Grant client a perpetual, non-exclusive license to your frameworks, starter themes, or block libraries used in their project.
• GPL compliance: most WordPress themes/plugins are GPL: clarify that GPL-covered parts remain GPL.

Credit, Case Studies, And Portfolio Rights

Marketing matters: ask for reasonable credit.

• Footer credit: optional and removable by client (agree on terms).
• Portfolio: you may showcase screenshots and describe outcomes after launch, excluding confidential data. Offer an opt-out for sensitive projects.

Confidentiality, Liability Limits, And Indemnification

Cover the fundamentals.

• Confidentiality: mutual NDA-style clause protecting business info, credentials, and data.
• Limitation of liability: cap at the amount paid under the project: exclude consequential damages to the extent allowed by law.
• Indemnification: each party defends the other against third-party claims arising from their own materials or misuse.

Termination, Dispute Resolution, And Governing Law

Plan for worst-case scenarios.

• Termination for convenience or cause with X days’ notice: client pays for work completed to date.
• Cure period for breaches (e.g., 10 days to remedy late payment before suspension).
• Dispute resolution: good-faith negotiation, then mediation/arbitration: specify venue and governing law.
• Force majeure: neither party liable for events beyond reasonable control.

Conclusion

A well-defined WordPress website contract keeps scope tight, timelines predictable, and ownership clear, so you can focus on results. Set measurable goals, list features and exclusions, require timely feedback, and lock in your change request process. Commit to technical standards (PHP 8.2/8.3, WCAG 2.2 AA, Core Web Vitals), document your QA and launch plan, and package ongoing support with clear SLAs.

If you’re building your own contract template, start with the sections above and tailor them to your services and risk tolerance. Then pick tools that reinforce your workflow: for speed, WP Rocket or LiteSpeed: for security, Solid Security or Wordfence: for backups and staging, BlogVault or ManageWP: for SEO, Rank Math or SEOPress. These recommended tools and care plans often pay for themselves in time saved and emergencies avoided.

Ready to put this into practice? Download or create your contract checklist, choose your stack, and explore our curated list of best plugins, top themes, and recommended hosting for 2025 to launch faster, with fewer surprises and better outcomes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should be included in a WordPress website contract for clients?

Include scoped deliverables and success metrics, page templates and integrations, out-of-scope items and assumptions, dependencies and client inputs, timeline with milestones and review windows, a change request process, pricing and payment terms, third‑party costs, compliance (accessibility/privacy), technical standards, testing and acceptance, post‑launch support, IP ownership, confidentiality, termination, and dispute resolution.

How do I define scope and control scope creep in a WordPress website contract?

List every feature, template, and integration, and attach a site map and feature matrix. State exclusions and assumptions clearly. Limit revision rounds and set review windows. Require written change requests, provide impact/cost analysis, and bill approved changes at a stated hourly rate or minimum before work begins.

What payment terms work best for a WordPress website contract?

Use milestones to protect cash flow—common is 40% deposit, 40% at design approval or beta, and 20% at launch. Make the deposit non‑refundable, define late fees and a right to pause on overdue invoices, clarify third‑party expenses and taxes, and specify currency and renewals for premium tools.

Who owns the website, code, and plugin licenses after project completion?

Upon full payment, clients typically own the final site’s unique design, content, and custom code. Developers retain rights to pre‑existing frameworks, licensed back to the client. WordPress GPL components remain GPL. Clarify who purchases and renews premium plugin/theme licenses and that third‑party assets keep their original licenses.

Are e‑signatures valid for a WordPress website contract?

Yes. In the U.S., the ESIGN Act and UETA recognize e‑signatures; in the EU, eIDAS applies. Use a reputable e‑signature tool, capture signer identity, intent to sign, timestamps, and IP, and store a tamper‑evident PDF. Include a clause accepting electronic notices and signatures as equivalent to wet ink.

What’s the difference between a website contract and a Statement of Work (SOW) for WordPress projects?

The contract (or MSA) sets legal terms—payments, IP, liability, confidentiality, and dispute resolution. The SOW details project‑specific scope, deliverables, dates, acceptance criteria, and pricing. Reference the contract in the SOW, and use a change‑control process so revisions update the SOW without renegotiating core legal terms.