June 27, 2026 · 5 min read

Freelancer Contract Guide: What to Include + Free Template

You landed a freelance client. They seem great. Two months later, they're asking for "just one more revision" for the fifth time — and they haven't paid your last invoice. A contract prevents this. Here's what to put in it.

1. Scope of Work (The Most Important Section)

Be painfully specific. "Design a website" is scope creep waiting to happen. "Design 5 pages (Home, About, Services, Portfolio, Contact) with responsive layout, 2 rounds of revisions" is a contract. The more specific you are, the easier it is to say "that's out of scope — I'd be happy to quote that separately."

2. Payment Terms

Never work without a deposit. Standard is 50% upfront, 50% on delivery — or 30% upfront, 30% at milestone, 40% on completion. Include your rate, payment schedule, late fees, and what happens if they don't pay.

3. Intellectual Property Rights

Who owns the work? Usually the client gets full IP rights upon full payment. But you should retain the right to use the work in your portfolio. Spell this out — many disputes start here.

4. Timeline and Deadlines

Include project start date, milestone dates, final delivery date, and what happens if the client delays (e.g., missing feedback deadlines pushes the timeline back).

5. Revision Policy

How many rounds of revisions are included? What counts as a revision vs new work? Without this, "just one small change" becomes 47 small changes.