Social Media Management contract. Terms in writing.
An editable social media management contract covering content approval, account access, payment and termination. A starting point to adapt with your lawyer.
Not legal advice — have a lawyer review it. Word, Google Docs and PDF.
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CONTRACTTemplate preview · Example
01
Services
Monthly content calendar; scheduled posts and short-form videos.
02
Fees and payment
Deposit before work starts, invoices due within 14 days, expenses at cost with approval.
03
Content approval
The client approves the monthly calendar before publishing. Posts not commented on within three working days are treated as approved.
04
Termination
Either party can end the agreement with written notice; work done to date is paid.
What a social media management contract should cover
A social media management contract sets out what you’ll deliver, what the client must do, how you’re paid and what happens if things change. For social media managers, the clauses that matter most are usually content approval, platform changes, account access.
Clause
Why it matters
Services and exclusions
Defines the work and stops scope creep before it starts.
Client responsibilities
Makes dependencies explicit and ties your dates to them.
Fees and payment
Deposit, payment terms, expenses and late payment.
Content approval
The client approves the monthly calendar before publishing. Posts not commented on within three working days are treated as approved.
Platform changes
Social platforms change features and algorithms without notice. The manager is not responsible for changes in reach caused by platform decisions.
Account access
Accounts remain the client’s property. Access is granted through each platform’s partner or business tools rather than shared passwords.
Termination
How either side can end it and what’s owed.
The template
Parties
Service provider: [Business name, address, email] (“the manager”)
The provider will deliver the social media marketing services described below, or in a statement of work signed by both parties.
[Monthly content calendar]
[Scheduled posts and short-form videos]
[Community management on weekdays]
[Monthly performance report]
2. Not included
[Paid social ad spend]
[Influencer fees]
[Photography shoots beyond agreed content days]
[Guaranteed follower or engagement numbers]
3. Client responsibilities
[Admin access to accounts through the platform’s partner tools]
[Product photos and key dates]
[Approval of the content calendar by the agreed day]
If the Client’s inputs are late, delivery dates move by the same amount of time.
4. Fees and payment
Fee: [Amount and basis — fixed, hourly, day rate or monthly]
Deposit: [e.g. 30% before work starts]
Payment terms: [e.g. invoices due within 14 days]
Expenses: [Charged at cost with prior approval / included]
Late payment: [Interest or right to pause work, as allowed by law]
5. Changes to the scope
Either party can request changes in writing. The provider will confirm the effect on fees and timeline before starting any change.
6. Content approval
The client approves the monthly calendar before publishing. Posts not commented on within three working days are treated as approved.
7. Platform changes
Social platforms change features and algorithms without notice. The manager is not responsible for changes in reach caused by platform decisions.
8. Account access
Accounts remain the client’s property. Access is granted through each platform’s partner or business tools rather than shared passwords.
9. Confidentiality
Each party keeps the other’s confidential information private and uses it only to perform this agreement, during the agreement and for [2] years after it ends.
10. Liability
[Limit each party’s total liability, e.g. to the fees paid under this agreement in the previous 12 months, and exclude indirect losses, to the extent the law allows. Have a lawyer draft this clause for your jurisdiction.]
11. Term and termination
This agreement starts on the effective date and continues until the services are complete, unless ended earlier.
Either party may end it with [14] days’ written notice.
Either party may end it immediately if the other materially breaches it and doesn’t fix the breach within [10] days of notice.
On termination, the Client pays for work done up to the termination date.
12. Independent contractor
The provider is an independent business, not an employee, and is responsible for their own taxes and insurance.
General
Entire agreement: this agreement (and any statements of work under it) is the whole agreement between the parties on its subject.
Changes: changes to this agreement must be in writing and signed by both parties.
Notices: notices are sent to the email addresses above, or as updated in writing.
Governing law: this agreement is governed by the laws of [jurisdiction], and the courts of [jurisdiction] have jurisdiction.
Signatures
[Party A]
[Party B]
Name
Title
Signature
Date
How to fill it in
Fill in both parties’ legal names and addresses, and the effective date.
Describe the services and deliverables, or reference a signed statement of work.
List exclusions and the client’s responsibilities, with dates where they affect yours.
Set the fee, deposit, payment terms, expenses and late payment terms.
Review the social media marketing-specific clauses, such as content approval, and adapt them to the project.
Have a lawyer review the template for your jurisdiction, then sign it before work starts.
Use it in Word, Google Docs or PDF
Microsoft Word
Download the Word (.docx) file and open it. If Word opens it in Protected View, select Enable Editing.
Use Find (Ctrl+F or Cmd+F) and search for “[” to jump between the placeholders you need to replace.
Save a clean copy as a Word template (File → Save As → Word Template) so every new document starts from it.
Google Docs
Upload the .docx file to Google Drive.
Right-click it and choose Open with → Google Docs, then File → Save as Google Docs to keep an editable copy.
Use File → Make a copy for each new client so your master stays clean.
PDF
Use Print or save as PDF in the template section above to print just the template, or fill it in Word or Google Docs first and export it (File → Save As → PDF in Word, File → Download → PDF document in Google Docs).
Example: key terms for Fieldnote Social and Oakmere Bakery
How the main clauses read once filled in for a monthly Instagram and TikTok management. Both companies are fictional.
Parties and dates
Provider: Fieldnote Social
Client: Oakmere Bakery
Effective date: 1 March
Services
Monthly content calendar
Scheduled posts and short-form videos
Community management on weekdays
Monthly performance report
Not included
Paid social ad spend
Influencer fees
Photography shoots beyond agreed content days
Guaranteed follower or engagement numbers
Fees and payment
Fee: $2,300.00 excluding tax, as itemised in the proposal
Deposit: $690.00 (30%) before work starts
Payment terms: Invoices due within 14 days
Notice: 14 days’ written notice by either party
Content approval
The client approves the monthly calendar before publishing. Posts not commented on within three working days are treated as approved.
Platform changes
Social platforms change features and algorithms without notice. The manager is not responsible for changes in reach caused by platform decisions.
Account access
Accounts remain the client’s property. Access is granted through each platform’s partner or business tools rather than shared passwords.
Common mistakes
Starting work before it’s signed. Most disputes start on projects where the terms were “agreed on a call”.
A scope described in one line. Reference a detailed scope or statement of work.
No change process. Without one, every extra request becomes a negotiation.
Copying clauses you don’t understand. If you can’t explain a clause to the client, ask a lawyer about it.
Angelwood’s proposal software builds proposals and agreements from your own templates, shows when the client has opened them and collects e-signatures, with a countersignature to execute the agreement.
Should a client give me their social media passwords?+
No. Ask to be added through each platform’s business or partner tools, such as Meta Business Suite. It keeps the client in control and avoids shared passwords.
Is a contract template legally binding?+
A template becomes binding once the parties agree and sign it, if it meets the legal requirements where you are. Whether it protects you depends on what it says, so have a lawyer review it for your jurisdiction.
Can contracts be signed electronically?+
In most countries, yes: electronic signatures are generally valid for business contracts like this one, with some exceptions for specific document types. Check the rules that apply to you.
Can I edit this template in Word or Google Docs?+
Yes. Download the Word (.docx) file and open it in Microsoft Word, or upload it to Google Drive and choose Open with → Google Docs. There’s also a Markdown version for any text editor. No account or email address is needed.
How do I save it as a PDF?+
Fill it in, then export it: File → Save As → PDF in Word, or File → Download → PDF document in Google Docs. On this page you can also print just the template or save it as a PDF from your browser’s print dialog.