Client service agreements for agencies, from the chat where the brief was agreed.
Creative, marketing and web agencies spend a lot of time agreeing what a project includes — and then agreeing it again when the client asks for another round of changes. Those conversations happen in email, WhatsApp and Slack-style threads. OfClause helps you capture the agreed scope and revision terms in a record the client signs before work begins.
Where agency projects tend to drift
A typical small-agency project starts with a quote, then a back-and-forth about what is included: how many page templates, how many logo concepts, whether copywriting is part of the job. Revisions are often described loosely — "a couple of rounds" — and the client's idea of a round may differ from yours.
Retainers add another layer: the monthly fee may be clear, but the number of hours or deliverables it covers, and whether unused hours roll over, often is not.
Terms agencies often leave unwritten
- Exact deliverables and anything explicitly excluded.
- The number of revision rounds, and what counts as a round.
- Deposit, stage payments and when final payment is due.
- What happens to the timeline if the client is late with feedback or content.
- When ownership of the final work passes to the client, and whether you can show it in your portfolio.
- How either side can end a retainer, and the notice period.
How OfClause handles an agency brief
Paste the thread where the project was agreed. OfClause separates different projects or phases if the conversation covers more than one, then lists each term with its status and the message it came from.
If the client wrote "let's do three rounds" and you replied "two is our standard" and the conversation moved on, OfClause marks the revisions term as unclear rather than picking a number. If the scope depends on a brief or mood board that was sent as an attachment, drafting is blocked until you paste the relevant text or confirm that term yourself.
Once the terms are confirmed, OfClause builds a plain service agreement record from them, which the client can sign through a guest link. If the client changes their mind about scope afterwards, you can update the confirmed terms; the earlier draft is discarded so an out-of-date version is not sent by mistake.
Working with clients in OfClause Messenger
For new clients, you can run the brief conversation itself in OfClause Messenger and invite the client as a guest. The negotiation and the agreement then sit in one place, and edits to earlier messages are kept on record.
Frequently asked questions
- Can OfClause track revision rounds as the project runs?
- No. OfClause records the agreed number of revisions in the agreement; it is not a project management tool.
- Our brief is in a PDF. Can OfClause read it?
- No. Attachments are not read. Paste the parts of the brief that define the scope, or confirm those terms yourself.
- Can I use it for retainers?
- Yes, if the retainer fee, what it covers and the notice terms were agreed in the conversation you paste.
Ready to try it?
OfClause is in private beta. Request early access or walk through the guided demo.