Freelance Contract Template
Also searched as: Freelancer Agreement Template · Independent Contractor Agreement · Freelance Contract Format
A freelance contract sets the terms between an independent professional and their client — scope, revisions, payment, ownership, and what happens if the project is cancelled. It is the difference between getting paid for cancelled work and absorbing the loss.
A downloadable template is written for a hypothetical deal, and usually protects whoever wrote it. The clause structure below is genuinely universal — but the terms that matter (what’s excluded, who owns what, what the cap is) depend entirely on your situation. This page gives you the structure and the decisions; the guided draft turns your answers into a document built for your deal.
What a freelance contract must contain
These are the sections our drafting engine includes in every freelance contract it produces. A document missing any of them has a gap worth closing before signature.
The guided draft is currently configured for India-law contracts. For an agreement governed by another jurisdiction, a lawyer can draft it for your governing law.
Decisions you need to make first
- 1How many revision rounds are included?
Two is common. Unlimited revisions is rarely in your interest — and the contract should define what counts as a revision versus a new request that triggers extra payment.
- 2What is the payment schedule?
Never 100% on delivery for a new client. An upfront deposit or milestone structure means you are not financing the client’s project out of your own cash flow.
- 3Who owns the work — and can you show it?
A blanket assignment of "all rights" can inadvertently remove your right to display the work in a portfolio. Portfolio rights should be carved out expressly.
- 4Is there a kill fee?
If a client cancels mid-project you have already committed capacity you usually cannot backfill. Without a kill fee, that cost is entirely yours.
- 5What happens if the client simply goes quiet?
The most common real-world cancellation is not a formal notice — it is silence. The contract should say when prolonged inactivity counts as cancellation.
Mistakes we see most often
- No kill fee, so a mid-project cancellation is absorbed entirely by the freelancer
- Scope described loosely, turning every additional request into an awkward negotiation
- Assigning all IP without carving out portfolio and showcase rights
- No late-payment interest or right to pause work
- Not addressing what happens when a client stops responding — the most common failure mode
Clauses worth understanding first
Build it around your deal, not someone else’s.
Answer a short set of questions and get a document written for your terms — then have a lawyer review it before you sign.
Guided draft is free to start · Lawyer-drafted, plan or one-off from ₹4,999
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Other contract guides
This guide is general information about contract structure, not legal advice. What your agreement should say depends on your specific circumstances and the law that governs it.
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