Website Development Agreement

Website Development Agreement: Create a Verified Agreement

A verified website development agreement is the contract between a business and the developer or agency that designs and builds its website. It records the services, the specification, the timetable, the price, how the website is tested and accepted, and who owns the code and content. Robot Lawyer drafts the agreement from your answers, for the law of the country or state you choose. On the Verified plan, a legal professional checks it before you sign.

CONTENTS

What Is a Website Development Agreement?

It is a services contract tailored to web projects. It turns a quote or proposal into clear obligations, so both sides know what will be delivered, what the client must provide and what happens if the project changes or runs late. It also deals with issues that general service contracts often miss, such as source files, hosting, domain names and third-party software.

When Do You Need One?

• Commissioning a new website
  You are hiring a developer, freelancer or agency to build a site or online shop.
• Redesigns and new features
  An existing site is being rebuilt or extended.
• Developers and agencies
  You build websites and want consistent terms for your clients.
• Ongoing maintenance
  You want support, updates and fixes after launch on agreed terms.

What's Included in Your Agreement?

• Services and specification
  The pages, features and functions to be built, set out in a schedule.
• Timetable and payment
  Milestones, launch date, the price and when it is paid.
• Acceptance testing
  How the client tests the website and how defects are fixed before it is accepted.
• Change control
  How changes to the scope are agreed and priced.
• Intellectual property
  Who owns the website, code and designs, and the licence for any third-party or open-source software.
• IP indemnity
  The developer covers the client if a third party claims the website infringes its rights, excluding content the client supplies.
• Warranties and liability
  The developer's quality promises and sensible limits on liability.
• Disputes
  Discussion first, then mediation, before going to court. UK only: mediation through CEDR, the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution.
• Optional terms
  Confidentiality, maintenance and support, source files, hosting and subcontracting, as you choose.

Who Owns the Website?

Unless the contract says otherwise, the developer may own the copyright in the code and designs it creates, even though the client paid for them. Your agreement deals with this expressly: the client owns its own content, and ownership of the bespoke work passes to the client on payment. Third-party and open-source components stay with their owners and are licensed under their own terms.

How It Works on Robot Lawyer

1. Answer the questions
   Tell us about the client, the developer, the services, the timetable and the payment terms.
2. Generate your agreement
   We draft a complete agreement with schedules for the specification, timetable and charges.
3. Get it verified
   On the Verified plan, a qualified legal professional checks the agreement within 24 hours and makes amendments where needed. See how our documents are verified.
4. Sign and start the project
   Both parties sign before work begins.

Website Development Agreement FAQs

Do I need a contract for website development?

Yes. Without one, disputes about scope, delays, payment and ownership are much harder to resolve. A written agreement sets clear expectations from the start.

What happens if the project runs late?

The agreement sets target dates and milestones, and says what happens if a delay is caused by either side, for example if the client doesn't supply content on time.

Can the developer reuse my website's code?

The developer can keep using its own general tools and know-how, but the bespoke work belongs to the client once paid for. Your agreement makes this clear.

What if a third party says my website copies their work?

The developer indemnifies the client against those claims, unless the claim relates to content or materials the client supplied.

Create a Verified Website Development Agreement

Start your web project on clear terms. Related documents: Software Development Agreement, Service Level Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookies Policy.