In this article · 12 sections
Most small business websites in India are agreed on WhatsApp: a price, a "done", and an advance payment. That works until something goes wrong: the project drags on, the designer disappears, or you find out you don't own your own domain. A short written agreement prevents almost all of these problems.
This is general guidance, not legal advice. For large projects, have a lawyer review the agreement.
1. Scope of work
The agreement should list the pages, features and integrations being built. "A business website" is not a scope; "Home, About, 4 service pages, Contact with WhatsApp form, gallery, blog with admin" is. Anything not listed is extra, and that's fair, as long as both sides know it in advance.
2. Deliverables and acceptance
What counts as "done"? Typically: the site is live on your domain, works on mobile, forms deliver to your email/WhatsApp, and you've approved the final version. Agree how long you have to test (say 7 days) before the final payment is due.
3. Payment milestones
A common, fair split for small projects: - 40–50% advance to start - 30% after design approval - Balance at launch
For very small projects, 50/50 is normal. Avoid paying 100% upfront for anything substantial.
4. Revisions
Design is subjective, so put a number on it. For example: "Two rounds of design revisions included; further rounds charged at ₹___ per hour." This stops endless back-and-forth and keeps the timeline realistic.
5. Timeline and dependencies
The agreement should give a timeline and say what it depends on. If the designer needs your logo, photos and text by a certain date, write that down. Most delays come from missing content, not slow developers.
6. Ownership of domain, code and content
This is the most important clause. You should own: - The domain name, registered in your name or your company's name - The website content (text, photos you supplied) - The final website files, once paid in full
Some agencies keep rights to their reusable framework or themes. That's normal, but you should still have the right to keep running and editing your site. Read more in who should own your domain, hosting and website.
7. Logins and handover
List what you'll receive at the end: domain registrar login, hosting/cPanel login, admin panel login, database backup, email accounts. See our website handover checklist.
8. Hosting and renewals
If the agency provides hosting, state the annual cost from year two, what's included (SSL, backups, email), and how many days' notice you'll get before renewal. Also state what happens if you want to move hosts: will they give you a full backup?
9. Support and warranty
A reasonable warranty is 30–90 days of free bug fixes after launch for things that were part of the original scope. After that, changes are either covered by an annual maintenance contract or billed separately. Write which applies.
10. Termination
What if either side wants to stop halfway? A fair clause says: work done is paid for at the milestone rate, and the client receives the files for the work completed. This protects you if a freelancer goes quiet, and protects them if a project is cancelled after weeks of work.
Optional extras
- Confidentiality, if you're sharing business data or customer lists.
- Third-party costs (paid plugins, SMS credits, stock images, payment gateway fees) and who pays them.
- Credit link, e.g. "Designed by …" in the footer, and whether you can remove it.
- Data protection, if the site collects personal data. See DPDP Act checklist.
Keep it short
You don't need twenty pages. A two-page document, or even a detailed email that both sides reply "agreed" to, is far better than nothing. The point is that both of you know what's being built, what it costs, and who owns what at the end.
At Joboo Web, every project starts with a written scope, milestone payments and a clear ownership clause: the domain is registered in your name. Talk to us about your project.