Website design contract checklist for Singapore businesses

Most website disputes are not about bad intentions. They come from two people who each assumed something different and never wrote it down. A good quote or agreement removes those assumptions. This checklist covers what to look for before you sign, whether the document is a one-page quote or a full contract.

If you are still gathering quotes, start with a clear website brief so every provider is pricing the same thing. Then use the points below to compare what each one commits to in writing.

1. Parties and scope

• ☐Both parties are named properly: your registered business name (and UEN, if you have one) and the provider's legal entity, not just a brand name.
• ☐Pages are listed by name, or a clear page count with the page types stated.
• ☐Features are listed: contact forms, WhatsApp button, bookings, payments, blog, multi-language, search and so on.
• ☐Integrations are named: payment gateway, CRM, email tool, booking system, analytics.
• ☐Exclusions are written down. Typical ones: copywriting, photography, logo design, product uploads, ongoing SEO, translations.
• ☐Platform or technology is stated (for example WordPress, Shopify, custom build), so you know what you are getting.

2. Deliverables and acceptance

• ☐The deliverables are listed: the live website, design files, admin logins, any training or handover session.
• ☐There is a clear definition of “done”, such as working on current mainstream browsers and on mobile, forms delivering to your inbox, and pages matching the approved designs.
• ☐You get a testing window on a staging or preview site before launch, and a stated way to report issues.
• ☐It says what happens if you do not respond within the review period (some contracts treat silence as approval).

3. Timeline and what each side provides

• ☐Milestones have target dates: design, build, review, launch.
• ☐Your responsibilities are listed: text, images, logo, logins, feedback and approvals, each with a deadline.
• ☐It explains what happens to the timeline if content or feedback arrives late. Delays on your side usually move the whole schedule.
• ☐It also says what happens if the provider is late.

4. Payment schedule

• ☐Payments are tied to milestones, for example a deposit to start, a payment at design approval and a final payment at launch.
• ☐The final payment is due on launch or handover, not before you have seen the finished site.
• ☐The document says whether amounts include or exclude GST.
• ☐Late-payment terms and any deposit refund terms are stated.
• ☐Any recurring fees (hosting, maintenance, licences) are listed separately, with what they cover and when they renew.

For a sense of what the different line items are, see the website cost guide.

5. Revisions and change requests

• ☐The number of design revision rounds is stated, and what counts as one round (one consolidated set of feedback, not a trickle of single comments).
• ☐The difference between a revision (changing something already in scope) and a new request (adding something that was not in scope) is explained.
• ☐A change-request process exists: you describe the change, the provider confirms the impact on cost and timeline, and you approve it in writing before work starts.
• ☐It says how extra work is charged, for example by an agreed rate or a fixed quote per change.

6. Content, images and rights

• ☐You confirm you have the right to use the text, logos and photos you supply. The provider confirms the same for anything they supply.
• ☐Stock photos, icons and fonts are covered by a licence that allows commercial use on your site, and the document says who pays for them.
• ☐If the provider writes the copy, it says who owns it once paid for.
• ☐Check whether the provider may show your site in their portfolio. If you do not want that, say so.

7. Ownership: design files, code and the website

• ☐It states that ownership of the finished website passes to you once you have paid in full.
• ☐Design files (for example Figma or Photoshop files) are either handed over or clearly excluded. Ask which.
• ☐For custom code, it says whether you receive the source code and whether you may modify it or hire someone else to.
• ☐Anything the provider reuses across clients (their own frameworks or tools) is described, along with the licence you get to use it.

8. Domain, hosting and accounts

• ☐Your domain is registered in your name, with you as the registrant and owner. This matters more than almost anything else on this list.
• ☐You hold, or have full admin access to, the hosting account, DNS, Google Analytics, Search Console, Google Business Profile and any e-commerce platform account.
• ☐If the provider hosts the site, the document says how you can move it elsewhere and what help they will give.
• ☐Renewal dates for the domain and hosting are listed, with who pays and who gets the reminder.

9. Third-party licences

• ☐Themes, plugins, page builders, fonts and any paid tools are listed.
• ☐It says whether each licence is in your name or the provider's, and who pays the annual renewal.
• ☐You know what happens to the site if a licence lapses or the provider stops paying for it.

10. After launch: hosting, maintenance and support

• ☐It says whether hosting, backups, security updates and software updates are included, and for how long.
• ☐Support is defined: how to contact them, expected response times, and which hours apply.
• ☐There is a warranty or bug-fix period after launch, and it explains what is covered (faults in the delivered work) and what is not (new features, problems caused by edits you or others make).
• ☐Any optional maintenance plan is described separately, with notice terms for cancelling it.

11. SEO and redirects (for redesigns)

• ☐If you already have a site, the document says who maps old URLs to new ones and sets up redirects.
• ☐Titles, descriptions and headings on existing pages are preserved or reviewed, not overwritten without checking.
• ☐Whoever sets up the sitemap, analytics and Search Console on the new site is named.
• ☐It states whether ongoing SEO is included. Be wary of vague promises about rankings; nobody can guarantee a position.

The SEO guide explains what a sensible handover looks like.

12. Data protection (PDPA)

• ☐It is clear who is responsible for personal data collected through your website forms. In many cases that is your business, with the provider acting for you.
• ☐Forms, cookies and analytics are set up with a consent or notice approach you have agreed on.
• ☐The provider commits to keeping any personal data they access during the project confidential and secure.
• ☐It says where form submissions and databases are stored.
• ☐You have checked the current PDPC guidance for your own obligations. Rules and guidance change, so rely on the PDPC's own site rather than a summary.

13. Confidentiality

• ☐Both sides agree to keep business information, logins and unreleased material confidential.
• ☐Logins are shared securely and removed or changed at the end of the project.

14. Termination and what you get if the project stops

• ☐Either side can end the agreement, with notice terms stated.
• ☐It explains what you pay for if the project stops midway: work completed to date, not the full price.
• ☐It says what you receive on termination: work done so far, files, and access to your accounts.
• ☐Deposit treatment on cancellation is spelled out.

15. Liability and dispute resolution

• ☐Read the limit of liability clause. Many providers cap their liability at the fees paid; understand what that means for you.
• ☐It states which law governs the agreement and how disputes are handled: talks first, then mediation or a court, for example.
• ☐Notices and contact details for formal communication are included.

Red flags

• No written scope, or a scope that says only “website design”.
• The domain or hosting is registered in the provider's name with no clear route to transfer it.
• Full payment demanded upfront, or most of it before you have seen any design.
• No mention of who owns the website after payment.
• Promises of guaranteed rankings or guaranteed enquiries.
• Vague “unlimited revisions” with no process around them.
• Unwillingness to put anything you were told verbally into the document.
• Pressure to sign today without time to read it.

When to get a lawyer to look at it

A simple brochure site with a clear quote may not need legal review. Consider asking a lawyer to read the agreement if the project is large, if it involves custom software or a system that holds customer or patient data, if payments are taken through the site, if you are handing over sensitive business information, if the contract is long and one-sided, or if something in it worries you and the provider will not explain it. A short review before signing is usually far cheaper than a dispute afterwards. Again, this is general information and not legal advice.

Next steps

Ask every provider you consider for a written scope. Prefer not to manage this yourself? See what Website.sg includes or talk to us.