Website Maintenance Agreement
Customized Agreements
Website Maintenance Agreement
Define recurring website updates, monitoring, backups, scans, content changes, analytics configuration, performance checks, support, request priorities, approvals, testing, deployment, included time, overages, hosting and security boundaries, incidents, restoration limits, credential return, documentation, and operational handoff through six substantive schedules.
Also called: website care plan contract, web maintenance retainer agreement, cms maintenance agreement.
What you walk away with
A clean multi-page PDF and DOCX after you finish — not a web-form dump. Preview the document before you pay.
- PDF export
- DOCX export
- E-sign included
- No subscription
Automatic renewal, taxes, electronic contracting, privacy, security, accessibility, content, warranties, indemnity, liability, suspension, credential handling, retention, and deletion duties vary by governing law, parties, websites, data, services, and locations.
Jurisdiction details
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Choose the state where the document will be used. The state page shows the maintained coverage level, local-rule limits, and a builder link with the canonical state code already selected.
When this fits
Use this document when…
- Agency or freelancer recurring website-care retainers
- CMS, plugin, theme, runtime, or dependency update plans
- Maintenance plans combining monitoring, backups, security scans, content edits, analytics, or support
- Existing sites needing clear request, deployment, incident, and termination-handoff procedures
Before you start
Information you will need
- Provider, customer, websites, platform stack, hosting arrangement, opening baseline, jurisdiction, term, contacts, and approvers
- Selected updates, monitoring, backups, security scans, content edits, analytics, performance checks, support, cadence, quantities, included time, and exclusions
- Request channels, priorities, estimates, approvals, testing, deployment, windows, rollback, emergencies, and evidence
- Retainer or recurring fees, included hours or task units, overages, emergency rates, expenses, licenses, taxes, credits, invoices, and unused time
- Hosting, DNS, platform, code, content, credentials, staging, licenses, backups, restoration, security, accessibility, incidents, third parties, handoff, and signatures
What you receive
- One customized Website Maintenance Agreement
- Schedule A recurring maintenance service catalog
- Schedule B requests, priorities, approvals, testing, deployment, and rollback
- Schedule C fees, included time, overages, expenses, and unused time
- Schedule D hosting, maintenance, security, content, accessibility, and third-party responsibility matrix
- Schedule E incident, containment, restoration, and risk plan
- Schedule F termination, credential return, documentation, and handoff checklist
- PDF and DOCX export with electronic signature capability
Document questions
Questions about this document
What is a Website Maintenance Agreement?
Define recurring website updates, monitoring, backups, scans, content changes, analytics configuration, performance checks, support, request priorities, approvals, testing, deployment, included time, overages, hosting and security boundaries, incidents, restoration limits, credential return, documentation, and operational handoff through six substantive schedules.
How do I create a Website Maintenance Agreement?
Agency or freelancer recurring website-care retainers; CMS, plugin, theme, runtime, or dependency update plans; Maintenance plans combining monitoring, backups, security scans, content edits, analytics, or support
What should a Website Maintenance Agreement include?
Provider, customer, websites, platform stack, hosting arrangement, opening baseline, jurisdiction, term, contacts, and approvers; Selected updates, monitoring, backups, security scans, content edits, analytics, performance checks, support, cadence, quantities, included time, and exclusions; Request channels, priorities, estimates, approvals, testing, deployment, windows, rollback, emergencies, and evidence; Retainer or recurring fees, included hours or task units, overages, emergency rates, expenses, licenses, taxes, credits, invoices, and unused time; Hosting, DNS, platform, code, content, credentials, staging, licenses, backups, restoration, security, accessibility, incidents, third parties, handoff, and signatures
Special situations
- Hosting, maintenance, security, development, content, accessibility, and third-party duties remain separate unless the responsibility matrix assigns them.
- Approval-required changes cannot be deployed without the selected approval record, except within expressly authorized emergency actions.
- Backups and restoration apply only when selected and cannot exceed actual retained artifacts and supported capabilities.
- Termination requires an asset-level handoff of accounts, repositories, code, configurations, credentials, keys, licenses, backups, logs, documentation, and access removal.
Frequently asked questions
How is this different from hosting?
Hosting supplies infrastructure and availability. Maintenance performs selected recurring site tasks; the responsibility matrix prevents overlap and gaps.
Are updates automatically deployed?
Only under the selected authority, after the stated compatibility review, testing, approval, window, validation, rollback preparation, and evidence.
What does included time cover?
The commercial schedule defines eligible services, hours or task units, measurement, rounding, exhaustion notice, overages, and unused-time treatment.
Are emergency recovery and forensics included?
Only if expressly selected. Larger recovery, investigation, redesign, or development work may require a separate quote.
What is delivered at termination?
The handoff checklist covers accounts, repositories, code, configurations, credentials, keys, licenses, backups, logs, documentation, open work, and access removal.
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Not legal advice
Locke Direct helps structure documents and workflows. It does not replace a qualified lawyer for complex, unusual, or high-risk situations.
Last reviewed August 2, 2026.