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Contracts

FlowLance includes a contract system with reusable templates, automatic variable substitution, dual-party digital signing, and amendments. Contracts are linked to projects and can automatically sync scope changes.

Contract Templates

Templates are reusable contract structures that you fill in for each engagement.

Creating a Template

Navigate to your contract templates and click New Template. A template consists of:

  • Template name — A descriptive name (e.g., "Standard Freelance Agreement", "Retainer Contract")
  • Sections — Multiple content sections making up the contract body
  • Variable placeholders — Dynamic fields that auto-fill when you use the template

Template Variables

Use double-brace syntax ({{variable}}) in your template. These are automatically replaced with real values when you create a contract:

Business variables: | Variable | Description | |----------|-------------| | {{businessName}} | Your business/trading name | | {{businessAddress}} | Your registered business address | | {{businessEmail}} | Your business contact email | | {{businessPhone}} | Your business phone number | | {{taxId}} | Your UTR or company number | | {{bankName}} | Your bank name | | {{accountName}} | Bank account holder name | | {{accountNumber}} | Bank account number | | {{sortCode}} | Bank sort code |

Client variables: | Variable | Description | |----------|-------------| | {{clientName}} | Client's name | | {{clientEmail}} | Client's email address | | {{clientCompany}} | Client's company name | | {{clientPhone}} | Client's phone number |

Contract variables: | Variable | Description | |----------|-------------| | {{projectName}} | The project name | | {{startDate}} | Project start date (formatted as "1 January 2026") | | {{endDate}} | Project end date | | {{value}} | Contract value (formatted with thousand separators) | | {{value_half}} | Half the contract value (auto-calculated) | | {{currency}} | Currency code (e.g., GBP) | | {{contractNumber}} | Auto-generated contract reference |

Bank details are stored encrypted and decrypted automatically when rendering contracts.

Creating a Contract

From a project's Contracts tab:

  1. Click New Contract
  2. Select a template (or start blank)
  3. Variables are automatically filled in from the project, client, and your business settings
  4. Review the contract preview
  5. Edit any sections as needed
  6. Save as draft

Dual-Party Signing

FlowLance supports a two-step signing process:

Step 1: Client Signs

  1. Share the signing link with your client
  2. The client opens the link and sees the full contract
  3. They enter their full name, draw their signature on the signature pad, and tick the agreement checkbox: "I have read and agree to the terms..."
  4. They click Sign
  5. The contract status changes to Client Signed
  6. You receive an email notification that the client has signed

Step 2: Freelancer Countersigns

  1. On the contract detail page, an orange banner appears: "Client has signed — countersign to complete"
  2. Click Countersign to open the countersign dialog
  3. Draw your signature and confirm
  4. The contract status changes to Signed (fully executed)
  5. Both parties receive an email with the co-signed PDF attached

Signing Security

  • The client's IP address is recorded when they sign
  • Timestamps are recorded for both signatures
  • The contract cannot be modified after either party has signed
  • The signed PDF includes both signatures side by side

Contract Statuses

Status Meaning
Draft Contract is being prepared, can be edited
Sent Contract has been shared with the client for review
Client Signed Client has signed, awaiting your countersignature
Signed Both parties have signed — fully executed

Contract Amendments

After a contract is signed, you may need to change scope, rates, or dates. Amendments let you modify a signed contract without creating a new one.

Creating an Amendment

From the contract detail page:

  1. Click Create Amendment
  2. Write the amendment scope description (supports markdown)
  3. Set any new values (updated contract value, new dates)
  4. Save the amendment

Amendment Workflow

  1. Create — Draft the amendment
  2. Send — Share with the client for review
  3. Confirm — Both parties agree to the changes
  4. Apply — Sync changes to the project

Project Sync

When an amendment is confirmed, a banner appears on both the contract detail page and the project page prompting you to Apply Amendment. Applying syncs:

  • Updated contract value to the project budget
  • New start/end dates to the project
  • The amendment is marked with an appliedAt timestamp

Contract Detail Page

The detail page shows:

  • Contract title and status
  • Full contract content with variables resolved
  • Signature cards showing who has signed and when
  • Timeline of contract events
  • List of amendments (if any)
  • Action buttons based on current status

Public Contract View

When a client opens a contract link, they see:

  • The full contract text
  • Status indicators:
  • If client signed but not countersigned: an orange "Awaiting countersignature" card with their signature
  • If fully signed: a green card showing both signatures side by side
  • The signing interface (if the contract hasn't been signed yet)

If the client has already signed, the sign page shows a message preventing re-signing.