Web design contracts, mockup approvals and launch sign-offs
Web projects run late for two reasons: content that never arrives and approvals nobody gave. Neither is a design problem, but both land on the designer. SignMaster puts the contract, the content deadline, each design approval and the launch sign-off in writing, so the project moves when the client said it would.
Updated November 5, 2026 · 3 min read
On this page
What belongs in a web design contract
- Scope: the pages, templates and features, the platform you're building on, and what counts as a new page.
- Content: who writes the copy and supplies the photos, and the date it's due. Say what happens to the timeline when it's late.
- Revisions: how many rounds per stage, and the rate after that.
- Payments: the deposit, milestones and the final payment before launch. SignMaster doesn't collect them; your invoices do.
- Ownership: the client owns the domain and accounts; the site's design and code transfer when the final invoice is paid; you keep the right to show it in your portfolio.
- Third-party costs: themes, plugins, fonts and hosting the client pays for directly.
- Care plan: updates, backups and small edits each month after launch, as its own agreement.
The web design contract in the template library covers these, and Use this template opens it in SignMaster with your blanks marked. Larger builds can add a statement of work per phase.
Approvals that keep the project moving
- 1
Contract
Send the contract by link after the discovery call. The client fills in their business details and signs on any phone or computer, and you countersign last.
- 2
Mockup approval
Export the homepage and inner page designs as a PDF and send it with an Approve field. One tap says the design is approved and development can start. See approve instead of sign.
- 3
Change requests
When the client wants a members area halfway through, send a short change request with the price and the new launch date, and start only once it's signed.
- 4
Launch sign-off
Before the DNS switch, send a launch checklist the client approves. Afterward, the site is live on a record both of you signed.
Two decision-makers?
When a business has two owners who both want a say, add both to the approval. Choose whether they approve one after the other or at the same time, and nobody can claim later that they never saw the design.
Care plans and white-label work
Turn your monthly care plan into a public signing link and put it on your site, or send it at launch. Each client who signs gets their own envelope. When your plan price changes, bulk send the update from a CSV of care plan clients, with each client's new rate printed in a labeled text box.
Building sites for agencies under their name? They'll send you an NDA and a subcontractor agreement, or you can send yours. See how marketing agencies set up their side.
What it costs a designer
A freelance designer is covered by Solo: $15 a month, unlimited envelopes and unlimited templates for every contract, approval and change request. A studio with a project manager and developers who send documents shares Crew, $49 a month for 5 people, with your studio's logo on signing pages. Free includes 3 envelopes a month to try it. New workspaces get 14 days of Crew free. See plans.
What SignMaster doesn't do
- It doesn't send invoices or take deposits.
- It isn't a proofing tool for comments pinned to a design. Use it for the yes.
- It doesn't write your contract wording; the template is a start, and a lawyer can tune it.
- It emails signing links; you can copy one and send it in Slack or a text.
Questions? Answers.
How do I get a client to approve a website design?
Send the mockups as a PDF with an Approve field. The client taps approve, or declines with a reason, and you keep a sealed record of the decision.
What should a web design contract include?
Scope, content responsibilities and due dates, revision rounds, payment milestones, ownership of the domain and the finished site, third-party costs, and how either side can end the project.
Can clients sign up for a website care plan online?
Yes. A public signing link turns the care plan into a page they fill in and sign, each in their own envelope. Put the link on your site or in your launch email.
Do clients need a SignMaster account to sign?
No. They sign from a link on any phone or computer. Only you and your team need accounts.