A freelance web developer contract in India should name the pages and features you will build, list what is excluded, split the fee into milestones, cap revisions, say who owns the source code and when, set a bug-fix period, and cover hosting, credentials and third-party code. It is valid when signed electronically, and the template below gives you every clause to adapt.
By Saiyam Kumar, Founder, Defellix · Last updated 2026-10-17
A freelance web developer contract is a services agreement between a developer and a client that fixes what will be built, the price and payment dates, who owns the code, and what happens after launch. In India it is governed by the Indian Contract Act, 1872, and an electronically signed version is valid under Section 5 of the Information Technology Act, 2000.
Web projects fail on the same few points: features that were never written down, launch dates that slip because the client is late with content, and arguments about code and credentials after the last payment. These clauses cover them.
| Clause | What to write | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Pages, features, integrations and supported browsers or devices | Stops “one more feature” being treated as included |
| Exclusions | Content, images, hosting fees, SEO, maintenance | Silence in a contract is read against the developer |
| Milestones | Design, development and launch, each with an amount and date | Limits unpaid work if the client disappears |
| Revisions | Rounds included per milestone, and the hourly rate after that | Prevents endless design changes |
| Source code and IP | Ownership passes to the client on full payment | Code belongs to the developer until assigned in writing |
| Hosting and credentials | Client owns hosting and domain; credentials handed over on final payment | Avoids lock-in disputes either way |
| Third-party code | Open-source libraries keep their own licences | You cannot assign rights you do not own |
| Bug-fix period | Free fixes for defects in scope for [number] days after launch | Separates warranty from new work |
Work through these steps before you write any code.
The freelancer, unless the copyright is assigned. Software is protected as a literary work under the Copyright Act, 1957, and Section 17 makes the author the first owner. The rule that hands ownership to an employer applies to employees, not independent freelancers.
Ownership moves to the client only through a written, signed assignment under Section 19. Tie it to full payment, and keep your own reusable code and tools, licensing them to the client as part of the deliverable. See who owns freelance work.
Take an advance before starting, usually 30% to 50%, then tie the rest to milestones the client can see: approved designs, a working staging site, and launch. Keep the final payment before you hand over credentials and the production deployment.
Add a right to pause if a milestone payment is more than seven days late. The advance payment guide has sample wording.
These are the gaps that turn into unpaid work or disputes most often.
On Defellix you can start from a ready-made web developer template: the scope, exclusions, revision limit, source-code ownership and hosting clauses are filled in, and you replace the bracketed details. Your client signs by email OTP, and every milestone, approval and payment is recorded with a timestamp. Your first contract is free.
Yes. Even a short agreement with the page list, price, payment dates and revision limit prevents most disputes, and it costs nothing to add.
Usually yes, but only after full payment, and the contract should say so. Until then the copyright in the code stays with you.
It depends on how the payment is classified. Fees for professional services generally attract 10% and fees for technical services 2%, once the annual threshold is crossed. Confirm with the client and a tax professional.
Point to the scope and exclusions, and quote each new feature as a change request before starting it. See the guide on scope creep for sample wording.