eSign Your Website Development Agreement with Aadhaar
Launch faster with a clean web contract covering scope, milestones, and source code handover. ₹15 per signature.
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What is Website Development Agreement?
A website development agreement is the contract between a web developer or agency and a client who is commissioning a new website or web application. It turns a vague brief into a defined, priced, time bound project with clear ownership over what gets built. In India, thousands of small and mid sized businesses commission websites every month from freelance developers and boutique agencies, and the most common cause of failed projects is not technical, it is contractual: fuzzy scope, endless revisions, missing IP terms, and no plan for what happens after launch.
A good website development agreement should define the scope in concrete terms. How many pages, what templates, which integrations, what content management system, what admin roles, what forms, what third party services, and what is explicitly out of scope. It should define the milestones: design approval, development, content integration, QA, and launch. It should define the payment schedule tied to those milestones rather than time spent. It should define the hosting arrangement clearly, because hosting is where a lot of client confusion lives. Some projects include one year of hosting, some do not. Some hand over hosting credentials to the client immediately, some maintain hosting on the developer's account. Whichever way you work, the contract should say so.
Source code handover is another critical clause. For most custom websites, the client expects to receive the full source code at the end of the project. The contract should define what handover includes: the code repository, deployment instructions, environment configuration, database schema, and any credentials needed to run and maintain the site. The warranty period after launch is usually thirty to ninety days and should cover bug fixes related to the original scope, not new features. IP assignment should make clear that the final delivered code and design belong to the client, while any pre existing libraries, frameworks, or developer's own components remain with the developer under a licence.
Website development agreements are governed by the Indian Contract Act, 1872 and are fully eligible for Aadhaar eSign under Section 3A of the IT Act, 2000.
Sign your website development agreement in 3 simple steps
No printing. No scanning. Just drop your PDF and sign.
Draft the website development agreement
Include scope, milestones, payment schedule, IP assignment, and handover terms. Save as a PDF.
Upload and add both parties as signers
Drop the PDF into SignSetu. Add the developer or agency and the client as signers.
Both sides sign with Aadhaar OTP
The developer and the client each sign independently via Aadhaar OTP. The signed agreement is delivered to both inboxes.
Who uses SignSetu for website development agreements?
Real scenarios where Aadhaar eSign saves days of coordination.
Freelance web developers
Protect your scope, your payment schedule, and your IP on every client project before any code gets written.
Web and digital agencies
Standardise how new website projects are scoped and signed so onboarding is fast and consistent.
SMB and startup clients
Get a clear, written scope and milestone plan so your website project actually launches on time and on budget.
Product teams commissioning microsites
Engage outside agencies for campaign sites and microsites with a clean source code and handover path.
Essential clauses in a website development agreement
Make sure your website development agreement includes these clauses before you sign.
- Parties with full legal names, addresses, and GSTINs if applicable
- Project scope with page count, features, integrations, and out of scope items
- Technology stack, CMS, and hosting environment
- Project timeline with milestones and target dates
- Acceptance criteria and testing process at each milestone
- Total fee and milestone linked payment schedule
- Number of design and development revision rounds included
- Source code, repository, and credentials handover on final payment
- IP assignment on delivered work with carve out for pre existing components
- Warranty period for bug fixes post launch and what is covered
- Hosting, domain, and third party service responsibilities
- Change request process for scope adjustments
- Confidentiality, data protection, and governing law
Common mistakes to avoid
Legal validity of an eSigned website development agreement
A website development agreement is a commercial contract enforceable under the Indian Contract Act, 1872, and is fully eligible for Aadhaar eSign under Section 3A of the Information Technology Act, 2000. It does not require stamp paper, notarisation, or registration. The typical engagement is between a developer or agency and a business client, with both sides being competent parties capable of entering into a contract. The most important legal layer beyond contract law is copyright. A website consists of code, designs, images, and content, all of which are protected by the Copyright Act, 1957. By default, the author or creator is the first owner of the copyright, which means that without an express written assignment, the developer may retain copyright in the code and designs they write. For a clean client relationship, the agreement should contain a clear IP assignment clause that transfers ownership of the final delivered code, designs, and content to the client on full payment of the agreed fees. Section 19 of the Copyright Act, 1957 requires assignments of copyright to be in writing and signed by the assignor. An Aadhaar eSign on a properly drafted assignment clause meets this requirement. Many developers carve out exceptions to the blanket assignment: pre existing frameworks, libraries, and the developer's own generic components are licensed to the client rather than assigned, so the developer can reuse them on future projects. Third party open source dependencies are governed by their own licences and should be disclosed. Where the developer is GST registered, invoices raised at each milestone must comply with the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017. For data protection, if the website collects personal data, the client is responsible for compliance with applicable Indian data protection law, and the contract should allocate that responsibility clearly.
Reference: Indian Contract Act 1872 + Section 3A, IT Act 2000
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Every signature is processed via eMudhra, a CCA-licensed eSign Service Provider (ESP) authorized under the IT Act, 2000.
Important note
This is general information and not legal advice. For large web projects involving e commerce, user data, or regulated industries, have a lawyer review the agreement before signing. GST obligations under the CGST Act, 2017 apply to each milestone invoice.
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Developer + client = ₹30
See full pricing detailsFrequently asked questions
Everything about eSigning your website development agreement in India.
Who owns the website code after the project is delivered?
Should the developer hand over the source code?
What is a reasonable warranty period after launch?
Who pays for hosting and domain?
How should payment milestones be structured?
Does this agreement need stamp paper?
Related document guides
Other documents you can eSign with Aadhaar on SignSetu.
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