Creating Your First Agreement

Setting up your first agreement is straightforward. Within minutes, you’ll have a professional contract ready to send to clients for electronic signature.

Before You Start

What you’ll need:

A client to link the agreement to (create the client first if needed)
Agreement content (your terms and conditions)
Optional: A project to link the agreement to

Tip: Have your agreement text ready. You can draft it in a word processor, then copy-paste into the editor.

Creating a New Agreement

Navigate to Agreements in the main menu
Click New Agreement or Create Agreement
The agreement creation form appears

Fill in Agreement Details

Agreement Name* (required):
Give your agreement a descriptive name. This is for your internal reference—clients see the agreement content, not this name.

Examples:

“General Service Agreement”
“Photography Contract - Spring 2026”
“NDA - Project Phoenix”
“Consulting Agreement - Acme Corp”

Client* (required):
Select the client this agreement is for. Required fields are marked with an asterisk.

Can’t find the client?
Click Quick Create Client (if available) to add a new client without leaving the agreement form.

Project (optional):
If this agreement relates to a specific project, select it from the dropdown.

The project dropdown shows only projects for the selected client. Leave blank if the agreement isn’t project-specific.

Template (optional):
If you’ve created agreement templates, select one to pre-fill content and sections.

Leave blank to start with an empty agreement. See
Using Templates to Speed Up Agreement Creation for details.

Save the Agreement

Once you’ve filled in required fields marked with *, click Create Agreement or Save.

The new agreement opens in the document editor, ready for you to add content.

Building Your Agreement Content

Now you’ll add the actual agreement text and sections.

Add Your First Section

Click Add Section or the + button
Choose a section type:
- Text – For written content (terms, clauses, paragraphs)
- Image – For logos, diagrams, or visuals
- Signature – For client signature block

Start with a Text section to add your agreement introduction or first clause.

Write Your Agreement Text

The text editor provides formatting tools:

Bold, italic, underline
Headings and lists
Links and alignment

Type or paste your agreement content. Format as needed.

Example structure:

Introduction/preamble (“This agreement is made between…”)
Definitions
Scope of services
Payment terms
Intellectual property
Cancellation policy
Liability and warranties
General terms
Signatures

Add More Sections

Continue adding sections as you build your agreement:

Text sections for each major clause or topic
Image sections for your logo or visual elements (optional)
Signature section at the end (required for client signing)

Add the Signature Section

Every agreement needs at least one signature section:

Click Add Section
Select Signature
The signature block is added

When clients view the agreement, this section becomes the signature interface where they sign electronically.

Reorder Sections

Drag sections up or down to arrange them in the correct order. Signature sections typically go last.

Preview Your Agreement

Click Preview to see how clients will see the agreement:

Formatted text
Images
Signature section

Switch back to Edit mode to make changes.

Agreement Settings

While building content, you’ll work in Draft status. The agreement isn’t visible to clients yet.

Status: Draft
Client: [Selected client]
Project: [Selected project or none]

You can change these details later if needed.

Saving Your Work

Agreements auto-save as you work. Changes are saved automatically after a brief pause in editing.

You can also manually save by clicking Save if available.

Next Steps: Sending Your Agreement

Once your agreement content is complete:

Preview to ensure everything looks professional
Finalize or Send via Email to share with your client

The agreement status changes from Draft to Pending, and the client receives a link to view and sign.

See Sending Agreements to Clients via Email for details.

Creating from Client or Project Pages

You can also create agreements directly from:

Client detail page → Agreements tab → New Agreement
Project detail page → Agreements tab → New Agreement

Client (and project, if applicable) are pre-selected, saving you a step.

Using Templates

If you selected a template when creating the agreement:

Sections are pre-filled with template content
You customize the text for this specific client
Saves time compared to building from scratch

Templates are especially useful for agreements you send frequently.

Common Agreement Types

Service Agreement:
General terms for your services—scope, payment, cancellation, liability.

Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA):
Confidentiality terms for sensitive projects or discussions.

Photography Contract:
Usage rights, session details, delivery, editing policies.

Consulting Agreement:
Scope of consulting, hours, deliverables, confidentiality.

Retainer Agreement:
Ongoing monthly services, hours included, rollover policies.

Each type has different clauses and structure, but the creation process is the same.

Best Practices

✅ Name clearly: Use descriptive names that help you find agreements later (“NDA - Client Name” vs. “Agreement 1”).

✅ Link to client: Always link agreements to a client for proper organization and tracking.

✅ Use templates for common agreements: Create once, reuse forever.

✅ Preview before sending: Catch formatting issues or typos while in Draft mode.

✅ Keep it readable: Use headings, short paragraphs, and bullet points. Clear structure helps clients understand terms.

✅ Include a signature section: Without it, clients can’t sign.

✅ Save copies of your agreement text: Keep a backup in case you need to reference or modify it later.

Common Questions

Do I have to create the client first?
Yes, agreements must be linked to a client. If quick-create is available, you can add clients on the fly.

Can I link one agreement to multiple clients?
No. Each agreement is for one client. Duplicate the agreement if multiple clients need the same terms.

Can I change the client after creating the agreement?
Yes, while in Draft status. Edit the agreement details and select a different client.

What if I don’t have my agreement text ready?
You can create the agreement and save it as a Draft. Complete the content later when ready.

How long should my agreement be?
As long as necessary. Most service agreements are 2-10 pages. Focus on covering your important terms clearly.

Do I need a lawyer to create agreements?
It’s wise to have agreements reviewed by legal counsel, especially initially. A lawyer ensures your terms are enforceable and protect your interests.

Can I use someone else’s agreement as a starting point?
Be careful. Don’t copy agreements verbatim—they may not fit your situation or jurisdiction. Use them for ideas, then customize or have a lawyer draft yours.

What happens if I don’t add a signature section?
Clients won’t be able to sign the agreement. At least one signature section is required.