What a maintenance clause has to answer
Four questions: what is included, how often, who decides, and what ends the agreement.
This is scope language, not legal advice. Have a professional review the version you put in front of a client.
A filled outline
1. sites covered
cedarandslate.example, one site. Added sites are quoted per site.
Archived sites stop counting, and their history stays readable.
2. included work
a refresh every 14 days, read and triaged by Northline Studio
up to two shipped changes each cycle
feedback triage, one search reading, one written update a month
3. excluded work
new pages, sections or templates
redesigns and brand work
paid media and campaign management
work caused by a change we did not make
third-party licence and hosting costs
4. access and cooperation
the client provides Search Console and Analytics access, read-only
missing access pauses the affected work, and it is named in the update
a provider outage pauses that provider's work only
5. reporting
one update a month, by the 5th, with the source on every number
no claim that a change caused a movement
6. term and ending
30 days notice, either side
on ending: accounts, credentials and the last reading are handed over
form responses stay with the client's account
nothing is deleted before the handover is confirmed
Why the excluded list protects both sides
A client who reads it will not expect a redesign inside a maintenance retainer. A freelancer who writes it will not resent the request.
Acceptance: the contract is usable when
- the cadence is written in days
- the included work carries a number
- at least four items are excluded
- the access the client must provide is named
- the ending describes what is handed over and what is kept
- a lawyer has read it for your jurisdiction
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| The client asks for a redesign | It was not excluded | Add the exclusion, and quote the work |
| Nobody can approve a change | No approver was named | Add the owner to clause 5 |
| Access arrives two months late | No consequence was written | Add the pause rule to clause 4 |
| The client leaves suddenly | No notice period | Add 30 days, and a handover list |
| A dispute about scope | The included list has no number | Count the changes, and agree the cap |
Limits
This is a structure, not a signed agreement, and it is not legal advice.
Jurisdiction, liability and data terms belong to a lawyer who knows your market. The value here is scope, not enforceability.