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Sample Sla Template
1. Statement of Work / Scope of Deliverables
1.1 Governing SOW. The specific deliverables, features, technology stack, platforms, integrations, and milestones for this engagement are set forth in the Statement of Work attached hereto as Exhibit A (the "SOW"), which is incorporated by reference and made a part of this Agreement. In the event of a conflict between the body of this Agreement and any SOW, the SOW shall control solely with respect to the subject matter addressed therein.
1.2 Completeness of Deliverables. Provider shall deliver only those features, pages, screens, integrations, and functionalities expressly described in the SOW. Any feature, function, content element, third-party integration, platform, or deliverable not listed in the SOW is out of scope and shall not be provided under this Agreement without a fully executed Change Order as provided in Section 2.
1.3 Explicit Exclusions. Without limiting Section 1.2, the following are expressly excluded from the scope of this Agreement unless separately specified in the SOW or a Change Order: (a) SEO optimization, copywriting, or content creation beyond placeholder or seed content identified in the SOW; (b) third-party service fees, API subscription costs, domain registration, SSL certificates, or hosting fees; (c) training, documentation, or post-launch support beyond any maintenance period defined in the SOW; (d) data migration from legacy systems unless expressly itemized; (e) accessibility remediation beyond the WCAG compliance level specified in the SOW; and (f) compatibility with browsers, operating systems, or devices not identified in the SOW.
1.4 Technology Stack. Provider shall use the technology stack identified in the SOW. Material deviations from the specified stack require Client's prior written consent, which shall not be unreasonably withheld.
1.5 SOW Amendments. The SOW may only be amended through a signed Change Order executed by both parties. No verbal instruction, email direction, or other informal communication shall expand, modify, or supersede the SOW.
1.6 Client Responsibilities. Client shall furnish all materials, assets, credentials, and approvals identified as Client-supplied in the SOW by the dates specified therein. Provider's timeline obligations are tolled day-for-day for each day Client is in default of any material supply or approval obligation.
2. Change Order / Scope Change Control
2.1 Scope Lock. The SOW constitutes the complete and exclusive description of the work to be performed under this Agreement. No addition, deletion, or modification of scope takes effect unless documented in a Change Order signed by authorized representatives of both parties.
2.2 Change Order Process. Either party may propose a scope change by delivering a written change request to the other party's project contact. Within 3 business days of receipt, Provider shall deliver a written Change Order proposal specifying: (a) a description of the requested change; (b) any additions to or deletions from the deliverable list; (c) the additional or reduced fee, calculated at the rates set forth in the SOW or, if not specified, at per hour; (d) the revised milestone or delivery schedule; and (e) any impacts on dependencies, third-party integrations, or previously accepted work. The Change Order is not binding until signed by both parties.
2.3 No Work Until Signed. Provider shall not commence out-of-scope work until a Change Order is signed by both parties. Client shall not direct Provider to perform out-of-scope work orally or by informal communication, and any such direction does not create an obligation for Provider to perform or Client to pay. This Section constitutes a no-oral-modification clause within the meaning of applicable contract law.
2.4 Revision vs. New Work. A "Revision" is a modification to content or design within the scope of an already-approved deliverable that does not add functionality, pages, screens, integrations, or platform targets. "New Work" is any addition, substitution, or expansion that falls outside the approved deliverable list or requires material additional development effort. The SOW specifies the number of Revision rounds included at no additional charge for each deliverable. Additional Revision rounds beyond the included number are billed at the rate in Section 2.2(c) above.
2.5 Effect on Timeline. Each executed Change Order may extend affected milestone dates by the number of days necessary to accommodate the change, as specified in the Change Order. Changes that are additive to scope do not accelerate remaining milestone dates.
2.6 Pending Change Orders. While a Change Order is pending and unsigned, Provider may, at its election: (a) continue in-scope work unaffected by the proposed change; or (b) pause work on deliverables that depend on resolution of the pending change, without being deemed in breach, provided Provider notifies Client of the pause in writing within one business day.
3. Independent Contractor Status & Misclassification Risk
3.1 Relationship of the Parties. Provider is an independent contractor of Client. Nothing in this Agreement creates or shall be construed to create an employment, partnership, joint venture, franchise, agency, or fiduciary relationship between the parties. Neither party is authorized to bind the other to any obligation, contract, or liability without the other's prior written consent.
3.2 No Employment Benefits or Withholding. Client shall not withhold or pay any federal, state, or local income taxes, Social Security taxes, unemployment taxes, disability insurance premiums, or other payroll taxes on behalf of Provider or any of Provider's personnel. Provider is solely responsible for all such obligations with respect to Provider and Provider's personnel. Client shall not provide Provider with any employment benefits, including without limitation health insurance, retirement benefits, vacation pay, sick pay, workers' compensation coverage, or stock options.
3.3 Provider's Personnel. Provider may engage subcontractors or employees to assist in performing the services, subject to any limitations in the SOW. Provider is solely responsible for the compensation, withholding, benefits, and classification of its own personnel and subcontractors. Provider warrants that it has properly classified all individuals performing services under this Agreement in compliance with applicable law.
3.4 Method and Means. Provider retains sole discretion over the method, manner, and means by which the services are performed, subject to Client's right to specify deliverable requirements, acceptance criteria, and project milestones. Client shall not direct Provider's work schedule, working hours, or working location except to the extent necessary to meet mutually agreed deadlines or to conduct required meetings.
3.5 Right to Perform Other Work. Provider retains the right to perform services for other clients during the term of this Agreement, provided such services do not violate any confidentiality or intellectual-property obligations under this Agreement.
4. Payment Schedule, Milestones & Late-Payment Rights
4.1 Fee. Client shall pay Provider the total fee set forth in the SOW (the "Project Fee") in accordance with the milestone schedule in Section 4.2. All amounts are in and are exclusive of applicable taxes.
4.2 Milestone Payment Schedule. Unless the SOW specifies a different schedule, the Project Fee is due as follows:
(a) Deposit: % of the Project Fee is due upon execution of this Agreement. The deposit is non-refundable once Provider commences work and represents compensation for reserving Provider's capacity.
(b) [Remaining milestones as specified in SOW.]
4.3 Late Payment. Invoices not paid within 30 days of invoice date will accrue interest at 1.5% per month (or the maximum rate permitted by applicable law, whichever is less) from the due date until paid in full. Provider may also suspend Services upon 5 business days' written notice if any invoice remains unpaid for more than 10 days after the due date.
4.4 Price Changes During Contract Term. Provider may not unilaterally increase fees for work covered by a signed SOW. For any renewal, extension, or new SOW entered into after the initial SOW term, Provider shall provide written notice of any fee change at least 30 days before the proposed effective date. If Client does not accept the new fees in writing and the parties do not agree on pricing within 15 days of notice, either party may decline to enter into a new SOW without penalty.
4.5 Price Cap for Maintenance and Retainer Engagements. For ongoing maintenance or retainer engagements that auto-renew under Section : (a) the monthly fee for any Renewal Term shall not exceed the current-term fee by more than % without Client's prior written consent; (b) if Provider's proposed renewal fee exceeds this cap, Client may terminate the maintenance engagement with 30 days' written notice without a kill fee, effective at the end of the current term; and (c) the CPI-based adjustment index used, if any, shall be the US CPI-U as published for the most recent 12-month period ending June of the renewal year.
4.6 Disputed Invoices. Client may withhold payment of a genuinely disputed invoice item by providing Provider with written notice of the dispute within 10 days of the invoice date, identifying the disputed amount and the basis for the dispute. Undisputed amounts must be paid by the original due date. The parties shall attempt to resolve the dispute within 14 days of the dispute notice.
5. Confidentiality / Non-Disclosure Obligation
CONFIDENTIALITY
(a) Definition. "Confidential Information" means all non-public information disclosed by one party ("Discloser") to the other ("Recipient") in connection with this Agreement that is designated as confidential at the time of disclosure, or that a reasonable person would understand to be confidential given the nature of the information and circumstances of disclosure. Without limiting the foregoing, Confidential Information includes: business plans, financial data, pricing, fee structures, customer and prospect lists, proprietary methodologies, software, technical specifications, and personnel information.
(b) Exclusions. Confidential Information does not include information that: (i) is or becomes publicly available through no fault of Recipient; (ii) Recipient already knew before receiving it from Discloser, as shown by written records; (iii) Recipient independently develops without use of or reference to the Confidential Information; or (iv) Recipient rightfully receives from a third party without restriction.
(c) Obligations. Recipient will: (i) use Discloser's Confidential Information solely to perform or receive the Services under this Agreement; (ii) disclose it only to its employees, contractors, and advisors who have a need to know and who are bound by confidentiality obligations no less protective than this clause; and (iii) protect it with at least the same degree of care it uses for its own confidential information of similar sensitivity, but in no event less than reasonable care.
(d) Compelled Disclosure. Recipient may disclose Confidential Information if required by law, court order, or regulatory authority, provided that Recipient: (i) gives Discloser prompt prior written notice to the extent legally permitted; (ii) cooperates with Discloser in seeking a protective order or other appropriate relief; and (iii) discloses only what is legally required.
(e) Trade Secrets. Obligations with respect to information that constitutes a trade secret under applicable law (including the Defend Trade Secrets Act, 18 U.S.C. § 1836) will continue for as long as such information remains a trade secret, notwithstanding any shorter survival period stated below.
(f) Subcontractors. may share 's Confidential Information with approved subcontractors solely to the extent necessary for them to perform work under this Agreement, provided each subcontractor is bound by written confidentiality obligations at least as protective as this clause.
(g) Return or Destruction. Upon termination or expiration of this Agreement, or upon Discloser's written request, Recipient will promptly return or securely destroy all of Discloser's Confidential Information (including copies) and certify such return or destruction in writing, except as required by law or for legal-hold purposes.
(h) Survival. This Section survives termination or expiration of this Agreement for a period of 3 years, except as provided in Section (e).
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
(a) Mutual Representations. Each party represents and warrants to the other, as of the Effective Date and throughout the term of this Agreement, that:
(i) Authority. It has the full legal right, power, and authority to enter into this Agreement and to perform its obligations hereunder;
(ii) No Conflicts. Its execution, delivery, and performance of this Agreement do not and will not: (A) violate any applicable law, regulation, or court order; or (B) conflict with or result in a breach of any agreement to which it is a party;
(iii) Binding Obligation. This Agreement constitutes its legal, valid, and binding obligation, enforceable against it in accordance with its terms;
(iv) No Litigation. As of the Effective Date, there is no pending or, to its knowledge, threatened legal proceeding that would materially impair its ability to perform its obligations under this Agreement; and
(v) Compliance with Law. It will comply with all applicable laws and regulations in performing its obligations or exercising its rights under this Agreement.
(b) Agency Representations. additionally represents and warrants that:
(i) Professional Standards. It will perform the Services in a professional and workmanlike manner consistent with industry standards;
(ii) Non-Infringement. The materials, methodologies, and content created by (excluding Client-supplied content) will not, to 's knowledge, infringe or misappropriate any third party's copyright, trademark, patent, trade secret, or other intellectual property right;
(iii) Qualifications. It has the skills, experience, and qualifications necessary to perform the Services; and
(iv) No Deceptive Practices. It will not engage in deceptive, unfair, or fraudulent practices in connection with the Services, including practices that violate the FTC Act or any analogous consumer-protection law.
(c) Client Representations. additionally represents and warrants that:
(i) Content Accuracy. All product descriptions, claims, pricing information, testimonials, and other materials supplied by to for publication or promotion are, to 's knowledge, truthful, accurate, and not misleading, and are substantiated by competent and reliable evidence where required by applicable law;
(ii) Ownership and Licenses. owns or has obtained all necessary rights, licenses, and permissions for all content, assets, images, trademarks, and data that provides to for use in the Services, and 's provision of such materials to does not violate any third party's intellectual property rights;
(iii) Regulatory Compliance. 's products, services, and business practices comply with all applicable laws and regulations, and is not aware of any pending or threatened regulatory investigation or enforcement action that would affect the permissibility of the Services;
(iv) Account Authority. has or will obtain all necessary rights, consents, and authorities to grant access to 's systems, accounts, and platforms required to perform the Services; and
(v) No Restricted Industry Violations. 's products and services do not violate the applicable policies of the platforms on which the Services will be performed.
(d) Disclaimer. EXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY STATED IN THIS SECTION, NEITHER PARTY MAKES ANY OTHER WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT. DOES NOT WARRANT SPECIFIC BUSINESS OUTCOMES, REVENUE RESULTS, OR OTHER SPECIFIC RESULTS OR OUTCOMES FROM THE SERVICES.
7. Subcontractor / Approved Vendor Flow-Down
SUBCONTRACTORS
(a) Right to Subcontract. may engage subcontractors and independent contractors ("Subcontractors") to assist in performing the Services, provided that remains responsible for the quality and timely delivery of all work performed by its Subcontractors and for any breach of this Agreement caused by a Subcontractor.
(b) Approval for Platform Access. will not permit any Subcontractor to access 's software platforms, systems, accounts, or other third-party platform credentials without 's prior written approval (which may be given by email and will not be unreasonably withheld or delayed).
(c) Flow-Down Obligations. will, by written agreement with each Subcontractor, impose obligations on the Subcontractor that are at least as protective as those set forth in this Agreement with respect to:
(i) Confidentiality — protecting 's Confidential Information to the same standard as required of ;
(ii) Intellectual property — assigning to (for flow-through assignment to ) all work product and intellectual property created by the Subcontractor as part of the Services;
(iii) Data protection — handling personal data in accordance with applicable privacy laws and the data-protection obligations in this Agreement, to the extent the Subcontractor processes personal data;
(iv) Non-disclosure — prohibiting the Subcontractor from using 's Confidential Information or work product for any purpose other than performing the Services under this Agreement; and
(v) Return of materials — returning or destroying 's Confidential Information and credentials upon completion of the subcontracted work or upon request.
(d) No Additional Cost. Unless otherwise agreed, 's use of Subcontractors does not entitle it to charge additional fees beyond those stated in this Agreement.
(e) Client Veto. If reasonably objects in writing to a specific Subcontractor (for example, due to a documented conflict of interest or security concern), will use commercially reasonable efforts to replace that Subcontractor within 15 business days without disrupting the Services.
(f) Agency Liability. is liable to for the acts and omissions of its Subcontractors to the same extent as if had performed the relevant work itself.
8. Limitation of Liability & Consequential Damages Exclusion
LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
(a) Exclusion of Consequential Damages. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, neither party will be liable to the other for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, punitive, or exemplary damages — including lost profits, lost revenue, loss of business opportunity, loss of data, or harm to reputation — arising out of or related to this Agreement, even if the party has been advised of the possibility of such damages and even if a limited remedy fails of its essential purpose.
(b) Aggregate Cap. Each party's total aggregate liability to the other arising out of or related to this Agreement — whether in contract, tort (including negligence), strict liability, or otherwise — will not exceed the total fees actually paid or payable by to during the -month period immediately preceding the event giving rise to the claim, or , whichever is greater.
(c) Exceptions. The limitations in Sections (a) and (b) do not apply to: (i) a party's obligation to indemnify the other for third-party claims of intellectual property infringement under the Mutual Indemnification clause; (ii) liability arising from a party's gross negligence or willful misconduct; (iii) a party's obligations under the Data Protection and Confidentiality clauses with respect to a data breach caused by that party's failure to maintain reasonable security; or (iv) a party's obligation to pay amounts owed under this Agreement.
(d) Basis of the Bargain. Each party acknowledges that the limitations in this Section reflect a reasonable allocation of risk, are an essential element of the basis of the bargain between the parties, and that would not have entered into this Agreement without these limitations.
9. Mutual Indemnification
MUTUAL INDEMNIFICATION
(a) Agency Indemnification. will defend, indemnify, and hold harmless and its officers, directors, employees, and agents ("Client Indemnitees") from and against any third-party claims, suits, proceedings, losses, damages, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) ("Losses") arising out of or related to: (i) any material breach by of its representations, warranties, or obligations under this Agreement; (ii) 's infringement of a third party's intellectual property rights through materials created solely by and not based on Client-supplied content; (iii) 's violation of applicable law in performing the Services; or (iv) 's gross negligence or willful misconduct.
(b) Client Indemnification. will defend, indemnify, and hold harmless and its officers, directors, employees, subcontractors, and agents ("Agency Indemnitees") from and against any Losses arising out of or related to: (i) any material breach by of its representations, warranties, or obligations under this Agreement; (ii) Client-supplied materials, content, product claims, pricing information, images, or data that infringe a third party's intellectual property rights or constitute false, misleading, or unsubstantiated claims under applicable law; (iii) 's violation of applicable law; or (iv) 's gross negligence or willful misconduct.
(c) Indemnification Procedure. The indemnified party will: (i) promptly notify the indemnifying party in writing of any claim for which indemnification is sought (provided that delay in notice reduces the indemnification obligation only to the extent the indemnifying party is materially prejudiced by the delay); (ii) give the indemnifying party sole control of the defense and settlement of the claim, provided that no settlement that imposes any obligation, restriction, or liability on the indemnified party may be entered without the indemnified party's prior written consent, not to be unreasonably withheld; and (iii) provide reasonable cooperation and assistance at the indemnifying party's expense.
(d) Interaction with Liability Cap. The indemnification obligations in this Section are subject to the aggregate liability cap set forth in the Limitation of Liability clause, except for claims arising from a party's gross negligence or willful misconduct, which are not subject to that cap.
10. Governing Law, Jurisdiction & Venue
GOVERNING LAW; JURISDICTION; VENUE
(a) Governing Law. This Agreement and any dispute arising out of or related to it — including its formation, interpretation, performance, breach, or termination — will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of , without regard to its conflict-of-law provisions.
(b) Consent to Jurisdiction. Each party irrevocably submits to the exclusive personal jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in County, for any action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement that is not subject to arbitration under the Dispute Resolution clause (if any).
(c) Venue. Each party waives any objection to the laying of venue in the courts identified in Section (b), and waives any claim that such courts are an inconvenient forum.
(d) Service of Process. Service of process in any such action may be made by any method authorized by the applicable court rules or by mailing a copy of the summons and complaint by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, to the party's address set forth in this Agreement.
(e) Prevailing Party. In any dispute arising under this Agreement, the prevailing party is entitled to recover its reasonable attorneys' fees and costs from the non-prevailing party, unless the parties have agreed to a different allocation in the Dispute Resolution clause.
DISPUTE RESOLUTION
(a) Good-Faith Negotiation. Before initiating any formal dispute proceeding, the parties will attempt to resolve any dispute, controversy, or claim arising out of or relating to this Agreement ("Dispute") through good-faith negotiation. Either party may initiate this step by delivering written notice to the other describing the Dispute in reasonable detail ("Dispute Notice"). Senior representatives of each party with authority to resolve the Dispute will meet (in person, by phone, or by videoconference) within 10 business days of the Dispute Notice and attempt to resolve the matter in good faith for a period of 30 business days from the date of the Dispute Notice (or longer, if agreed in writing).
(b) Mediation. If the Dispute is not resolved through negotiation within the timeframe in Section (a), either party may submit it to non-binding mediation administered by (or, if the parties cannot agree on a provider, by the American Arbitration Association under its Commercial Mediation Procedures). The mediation will take place in , . The parties will share mediator fees equally. Each party will bear its own legal fees for the mediation.
(c) Binding Arbitration. If the Dispute is not resolved through mediation within 60 days after the appointment of the mediator, either party may demand binding arbitration. Arbitration will be administered by under its then-current , before a single arbitrator. The arbitration will take place in , . The arbitrator's decision will be final and binding and may be entered as a judgment in any court of competent jurisdiction. The parties agree that the arbitration — including its existence, proceedings, and any award — is confidential.
(d) Exceptions to Arbitration. Either party may seek emergency injunctive or other equitable relief from a court of competent jurisdiction without first completing the negotiation or mediation steps, to prevent irreparable harm — including to protect Confidential Information or intellectual property — pending the outcome of arbitration.
(e) Small Claims. Either party may bring a Dispute in small claims court if the amount in controversy falls within that court's jurisdictional limit.
(f) Class Action Waiver. Each party waives any right to bring or participate in any class action, class arbitration, or representative proceeding relating to this Agreement.
(g) Governing Law for Arbitration. The arbitration will be governed by the Federal Arbitration Act (9 U.S.C. §§ 1–16) and, where not preempted, by the laws of .
12. Force Majeure
FORCE MAJEURE
(a) Definition. A "Force Majeure Event" means any event beyond a party's reasonable control that prevents or materially impairs that party's ability to perform its obligations under this Agreement, including: acts of God; natural disasters; fire; flood; earthquake; epidemic or pandemic; war; terrorism; riots or civil unrest; actions or inactions of governmental authorities (including government-mandated service restrictions or platform-access bans); internet or telecommunications infrastructure failures (including widespread outages of major technology or infrastructure platforms affecting substantially all users); power outages; and cyber-attacks on the party's systems not caused by the party's own negligence (each, individually a "Force Majeure Event"). Economic downturns, changes in market conditions, and changes in third-party platform features or algorithms do not constitute Force Majeure Events.
(b) Effect. The party affected by a Force Majeure Event ("Affected Party") will be excused from performance of the affected obligations during the continuance of the Force Majeure Event, provided that the Affected Party complies with the notice and mitigation obligations below.
(c) Notice. The Affected Party will give the other party written notice of the Force Majeure Event as soon as reasonably practicable after the event begins, describing the nature of the event, the expected duration, and the obligations affected.
(d) Mitigation. The Affected Party will use commercially reasonable efforts to mitigate the impact of and to overcome the Force Majeure Event, and will resume performance as soon as reasonably practicable after the event ends.
(e) Suspension and Termination. If a Force Majeure Event prevents a party's material performance for more than 30 consecutive days, either party may terminate this Agreement on written notice without further liability, except for: (i) amounts already earned and owing; and (ii) obligations that survived the term of the Agreement (including confidentiality and IP assignments).
(f) No Payment Excuse. A Force Majeure Event does not excuse from paying for Services already performed before the event or for Services is able to perform notwithstanding the event.
13. Assignment
13.1 General Restriction. Neither Party may assign, delegate, or transfer any of its rights or obligations under this Agreement, in whole or in part, without the other Party's prior written consent, which will not be unreasonably withheld or delayed.
13.2 M&A Exception. Notwithstanding Section 13.1, either Party may assign this Agreement without consent in connection with a merger, acquisition, change of control, or sale of all or substantially all of the assets to which this Agreement relates, provided that: (a) the assignee assumes all obligations of the assigning Party under this Agreement; and (b) the assigning Party provides the other Party written notice within thirty (30) days of the assignment.
13.3 Void Assignment. Any purported assignment in violation of this Section is void.
13.4 Binding Effect. This Agreement is binding upon and inures to the benefit of the Parties and their permitted successors and assigns.
14. Notices
14.1 Form. All notices, requests, demands, consents, and other communications required or permitted under this Agreement ("Notices") must be in writing.
14.2 Delivery Methods. Notices may be delivered by: (a) personal delivery; (b) nationally recognized overnight courier (e.g., FedEx, UPS); (c) certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid; or (d) email to the address specified below, provided that the sender retains proof of transmission and does not receive an automated bounce or delivery-failure notification within twenty-four (24) hours.
14.3 Effectiveness. Notices are effective: (a) upon personal delivery; (b) one (1) business day after deposit with overnight courier; (c) three (3) business days after deposit in the mail; or (d) on the day of email transmission if sent by 5:00 PM recipient's local time on a business day, or on the next business day if sent after 5:00 PM or on a non-business day.
14.4 Addresses.
To Provider: , , Email:
To Customer: , , Email:
Either Party may change its notice address by providing written notice to the other in accordance with this Section.
15. Severability
If any provision of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable under applicable law, that provision will be: (a) modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it valid, legal, and enforceable while preserving the Parties' original intent; or (b) if modification is not possible, severed from this Agreement. The validity, legality, and enforceability of the remaining provisions will not in any way be affected or impaired. The Parties agree to negotiate in good faith a replacement provision that, to the greatest extent possible, achieves the intended commercial purpose of the severed provision.
16. Entire Agreement (Integration)
16.1 Integration. This Agreement, together with all SOWs, Change Orders, and exhibits executed hereunder, constitutes the entire agreement between the Parties with respect to its subject matter and supersedes all prior and contemporaneous agreements, negotiations, representations, warranties, and understandings, whether written or oral, relating to the same subject matter.
16.2 No Oral Modifications. No oral statement, prior course of dealing, trade usage, or conduct will be used to supplement, interpret, or contradict the written terms of this Agreement.
16.3 Purchase Orders. Any terms set forth in Customer's purchase orders, vendor registration forms, or similar documents are of no force or effect and do not modify this Agreement unless expressly incorporated into a signed SOW or Change Order.
16.4 Results Representations. Customer acknowledges that no employee, agent, or representative of Provider has authority to guarantee specific results or outcomes, and that any such representation made outside this Agreement is not binding on Provider.
17. Amendments & Waiver
17.1 Amendments. This Agreement may not be amended, modified, or supplemented except by a written instrument signed by authorized representatives of both Parties.
17.2 No Waiver. No failure or delay by either Party in exercising any right, remedy, power, or privilege under this Agreement operates as a waiver thereof. No single or partial exercise of any right, remedy, power, or privilege precludes any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, remedy, power, or privilege.
17.3 Written Waivers Only. Any waiver of a provision of this Agreement must be in writing and signed by the waiving Party to be effective. A written waiver of any particular breach or right is effective only for the specific instance and purpose for which it was given.
18. Electronic Signature & Counterparts
18.1 Electronic Signatures. This Agreement and any SOW or amendment may be signed by electronic signature, including signatures created through or any other electronic signature service compliant with the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (E-SIGN Act), 15 U.S.C. § 7001 et seq., and the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA) as enacted in the applicable jurisdiction. Electronic signatures have the same legal effect as original handwritten signatures.
18.2 Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which will be deemed an original, and all of which together will constitute one and the same instrument. Delivery of an executed counterpart by electronic transmission (including PDF or electronic signature platform delivery) is equally effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart.
19. Maintenance & Support: Scope, SLA, Uptime & Service Credits
MAINTENANCE AND SUPPORT SLA
1. Applicability. This clause governs any ongoing Maintenance and Support Services provided by Developer to Client after Delivery of the Deliverables identified on the Cover Page. If no Maintenance and Support term is specified on the Cover Page, this clause does not apply.
2. Definitions. [Existing definitions preserved — Business Hours, Covered System, Supported Stack, etc.]
3. SLA Tiers and Response Times. [Existing tier table preserved.]
4. Service Credits. [Existing service credit regime preserved.]
5. Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery (BCDR).
19.1 BCDR Plan Obligation. Developer shall maintain a written Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Plan ("BCDR Plan") covering the Covered System. The BCDR Plan shall be provided to Client within 10 business days of the commencement of Maintenance and Support Services and shall be updated at least annually per year or following any material change to the infrastructure or team.
19.2 Recovery Objectives. The BCDR Plan shall document and Developer shall commit to the following recovery objectives for the Covered System:
(a) Recovery Time Objective (RTO): The Covered System will be restored to a functional state within 4 hours of a Qualifying Outage (defined below);
(b) Recovery Point Objective (RPO): In the event of data loss, the maximum data loss will not exceed 4 hours of production data.
These RTO/RPO commitments apply to Qualifying Outages and supplement (not replace) the data-backup RPO/RTO commitments in the data-backup clause at Section 22.
19.3 Qualifying Outage. A "Qualifying Outage" means any unplanned interruption to the Covered System that prevents normal use, including outages caused by: (a) key-person unavailability (Developer's lead engineer or sole administrator); (b) Developer facility or infrastructure failure; (c) cybersecurity incident affecting Developer's systems; (d) third-party hosting provider outage to the extent Developer has contractual SLAs with that provider. Outages caused solely by Client actions, third-party platform outages beyond Developer's control, or force majeure events are excluded.
19.4 Key-Person Continuity. Developer shall maintain documented runbooks sufficient for a qualified replacement engineer to assume system administration of the Covered System within hours. Developer shall provide Client with an updated runbook within 5 days of any material infrastructure change.
19.5 BCDR Test. Developer shall conduct a BCDR test (tabletop or live failover) at least once per and provide Client with a written test summary within 5 days of the test.
19.6 BCDR Breach Remedy. If Developer fails to meet the RTO commitment for a Qualifying Outage, Client's remedy is a service credit equal to 1% of the monthly maintenance fee for each full hour the Covered System remains unavailable beyond the RTO commitment, up to 10% of the monthly fee.
20. Scheduled Maintenance Windows & Change Blackout Periods
Scheduled Maintenance Windows.
(a) Scheduled Maintenance Window. Provider may take the ("Supported System") offline for routine maintenance, patching, upgrades, or configuration changes ("Scheduled Maintenance") only during the Scheduled Maintenance Window defined in the table below:
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Maintenance Day | Sunday (e.g., Sunday) |
| Maintenance Start Time | 02:00 (e.g., 02:00) |
| Maintenance End Time | 06:00 (e.g., 06:00) |
| Time Zone | UTC |
| Maximum Duration per Event | 2 hours |
| Maximum Events per Calendar Month | 2 |
(b) Advance Notice. Provider must give Client not less than 72 hours advance written notice before each Scheduled Maintenance event. Notice must state: (i) the planned start time and estimated end time; (ii) the scope of systems affected; and (iii) a brief description of the work to be performed. Emergency maintenance required to remediate an active Critical or High-severity security vulnerability is exempt from the advance-notice requirement but Provider must notify Client as soon as reasonably practicable before or concurrent with commencement.
(c) Uptime Calculation Exclusion. Downtime occurring within the Scheduled Maintenance Window and within the Maximum Duration per Event set out in Section (a) is excluded from the Monthly Uptime Percentage calculation under the Service Level Agreement. Any downtime that begins within the Scheduled Maintenance Window but extends beyond the Maximum Duration per Event ("Maintenance Overrun") is counted as an Outage from the moment of overrun and is included in the Monthly Uptime Percentage calculation for the relevant calendar month.
(d) Client Rescheduling Right. Client may, within 24 hours of receiving notice of a Scheduled Maintenance event, request in writing that Provider reschedule the event to an alternative time. Provider will use commercially reasonable efforts to accommodate such request but is not obligated to reschedule where operational or security circumstances make rescheduling impracticable. Where Provider declines to reschedule, Provider will provide a written explanation to Client.
(e) Blackout Periods. The parties agree that no Scheduled Maintenance may commence during any Blackout Period specified in Schedule ("Blackout Period Schedule"), except to remediate an active Critical or High-severity security vulnerability. The Blackout Period Schedule may be updated by written agreement of both parties no less than 10 days before the start of any new Blackout Period. Provider must give Client immediate written notice if emergency maintenance during a Blackout Period is required, including the nature of the security vulnerability triggering the exception.
(f) Records. Provider will maintain a log of all Scheduled Maintenance events, including actual start and end times, systems affected, and whether any Maintenance Overrun occurred. Provider will make this log available to Client within 5 business days of any written request.
21. Incident Post-Mortem & Root Cause Analysis
Incident Post-Mortem and Root Cause Analysis.
(a) Obligation to Produce Post-Incident Reports. Following the resolution of any Incident classified at the Urgent or High severity levels (as defined in the Incident Severity Table), Provider must prepare and deliver to Client a written Post-Incident Report ("PIR") in accordance with this clause.
(b) Automatic Trigger — Urgent Incidents. For every Incident classified as Urgent ("P1") severity, Provider must deliver a full PIR to Client within 5 business days of the Incident being marked as resolved.
(c) Conditional Trigger — High Incidents. For every Incident classified as High ("P2") severity that causes cumulative downtime exceeding 4 hours in a calendar month, Provider must deliver a PIR to Client within 5 business days of the Incident being marked as resolved.
(d) Contents of the Post-Incident Report. Each PIR must contain, at minimum:
(i) Incident Summary — date, time, and duration of the Incident, severity classification, and systems affected;
(ii) Timeline of Events — a chronological account of detection, escalation, mitigation, and resolution steps;
(iii) Root Cause Analysis — a technically accurate identification of the primary root cause and all identified contributing factors;
(iv) Remediation Steps Taken — actions implemented to resolve the Incident and restore service;
(v) Preventive Measures — specific, actionable steps Provider will implement to prevent recurrence, each with a named owner and target completion date; and
(vi) SLA Impact Statement — a calculation of the actual downtime attributed to the Incident and its effect on the Monthly Uptime Percentage for the relevant period.
(e) Confidentiality. PIRs are Confidential Information of Provider. Client may use PIRs solely for internal governance, risk management, audit, and infrastructure planning purposes. Client must not disclose PIRs to third parties without Provider's prior written consent, except where disclosure is required by applicable law or a regulatory authority.
(f) Failure to Deliver PIR — SLA Breach. Provider's failure to deliver a required PIR within the period specified in Sections (b) or (c) constitutes an independent SLA breach. For each calendar week (or part thereof) that a required PIR remains undelivered after its due date, Client is entitled to a fixed credit of 2.5% of the monthly fees for the affected , up to a maximum of 10% of such monthly fees in any single calendar month. This credit is in addition to any service credit that may be due under the Service Level Agreement for the underlying Incident.
(g) Monthly Incident Summary. For all Incidents classified as Normal or Low severity, Provider will include an aggregated incident summary in the monthly SLA report, documenting the number of incidents, mean time to resolution, and any systemic patterns identified. Individual PIRs are not required for Normal or Low severity incidents.
22. Data Backup, RPO & RTO Commitments
Data Backup, Recovery Point Objective (RPO), and Recovery Time Objective (RTO) ().
(a) Provider shall take a full backup of all data no less frequently than daily, and incremental or transaction-log backups no less frequently than every 4 hours.
(b) Backups shall be retained for a minimum of 30 days for daily backups and for weekly backups.
(c) Provider shall store at least one current backup copy in a geographic region or availability zone that is physically separated from the primary production environment ("Offsite Backup Copy").
(d) The Recovery Point Objective (RPO) for shall be no greater than (meaning Provider commits to limiting data loss to, at most, of data at the time of a declared disaster event).
(e) The Recovery Time Objective (RTO) for shall be no greater than from the time Provider declares a disaster event in writing to Client (meaning Provider shall have the system substantially operational within of such declaration).
(f) Provider shall test the restoration of backups no less frequently than quarterly and shall deliver a written restoration-test report to Client within 5 business days of each test. The report shall confirm the date of test, backup set tested, data integrity verified, estimated restoration duration, and any anomalies identified.
(g) Backups shall be encrypted at rest using AES-256 or equivalent and in transit using TLS 1.2 or higher.
(h) Disaster Declaration. Either party may declare a disaster event in writing when a data-loss or system-unavailability incident has persisted beyond 1 hour or when Provider reasonably determines that data has been irreversibly lost or corrupted. Upon a disaster declaration, Provider shall acknowledge within 4 hours and commence restoration activity within 4 hours.
(i) Remedies for Failure to Meet RPO/RTO. If Provider fails to achieve the RPO or RTO set out in this clause for reasons within Provider's reasonable control, Provider shall issue Client a service credit equal to of the fees paid for the affected service for the calendar month in which the failure occurred. Such service credit shall be applied against the next invoice and constitutes Client's exclusive remedy for RPO/RTO failures, except where the failure is attributable to Provider's gross negligence or wilful misconduct, in which case Client's full remedies at law and equity remain available.
(j) The RPO and RTO targets in this clause do not apply to outages caused by: (i) Client's acts or omissions; (ii) Force Majeure events; (iii) third-party infrastructure failures outside Provider's reasonable control; or (iv) scheduled maintenance windows communicated to Client no less than 72 hours in advance.
(k) Audit Right. Client may, no more than once per calendar year and upon 14 days' written notice, request that Provider provide documentary evidence of the most recent restoration-test report and backup configuration records. Provider shall respond within 10 business days.
23. Suspension of Service (Non-Payment & Security)
Suspension of Service.(a) Non-Payment Suspension. If ("Client") has an undisputed outstanding balance that is 15 or more days past due, ("Provider") may suspend Client's access to the (the "Service") by providing written notice to Client. Suspension shall not take effect until 3 business days after such notice is delivered. If Client pays all overdue amounts in full before the end of the notice period, the suspension shall not take effect. If Client does not cure the overdue balance within the notice period, Provider may suspend access on or after the last day of that period. Provider shall restore Client's access within business day(s) after receipt of full payment of all overdue amounts.
(b) Security Suspension. Notwithstanding Section (a), Provider may suspend Client's access to the Service immediately and without prior notice if Provider reasonably determines, in good faith, that Client's use of the Service poses an imminent and material security risk to the Service, Provider's infrastructure, or other customers' data or systems (a "Security Event"). Provider shall notify Client of the suspension and the basis for it as soon as reasonably practicable, and in no event more than 24 hours after suspension. Provider shall restore Client's access within 4 hours after Provider determines, in its reasonable judgment, that the Security Event has been remediated to Provider's reasonable satisfaction. Provider and Client shall cooperate in good faith to investigate and remediate the Security Event.
(c) Acceptable Use Policy Suspension. If Provider reasonably determines that Client has materially violated the Acceptable Use Policy set forth in Exhibit (or as published at ) (the "AUP"), Provider may suspend Client's access to the Service upon 24 hours' prior written notice, which notice shall identify the alleged AUP violation in reasonable detail. Client may dispute a suspension under this Section (c) by delivering written notice of dispute to Provider within 10 business days after the suspension takes effect, setting forth the basis for Client's dispute. If Client disputes the suspension in a timely manner, the parties shall meet and confer within 5 business days to attempt to resolve the dispute. If Client does not dispute the suspension within the foregoing period, or if an undisputed or finally resolved violation is not cured within 10 days after the suspension date, Provider may, upon written notice, make the suspension permanent and elect to terminate this Agreement for cause pursuant to the Termination for Cause clause.
(d) Effect on SLA and Warranties. Any downtime or service unavailability resulting from a suspension carried out in accordance with this Section shall be excluded from the calculation of any service level or uptime commitment set forth in any Service Level Agreement or Maintenance and Support Schedule incorporated into this Agreement. Provider's exercise of its suspension rights under this Section shall not constitute a breach of any availability warranty, service level commitment, or other obligation of Provider under this Agreement.
(e) Limitations on Suspension. Provider shall not suspend the Service under Section (a) with respect to any amount that Client has disputed in good faith in a written notice delivered to Provider prior to the suspension notice. Provider shall use commercially reasonable efforts to limit any suspension to the specific accounts, environments, or features giving rise to the applicable trigger condition, where technically practicable, and shall not suspend Client's access beyond what is reasonably necessary to address the underlying condition.
Exhibit A — Services
Provider will deliver services subject to the service levels set out in this agreement, including defined uptime percentage, response-time tiers, service credits for SLA breach, a maintenance window schedule, and a root-cause analysis requirement for critical incidents. This SLA is designed to be attached as an exhibit to a master services agreement.
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A Service Agreement That Reflects How You Actually Deliver IT or Managed Services
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