For digital marketing agencies managing paid campaigns, strategy, and performance reporting.
When to use this template
Use this template for ongoing digital marketing engagements covering paid media, strategy, and campaign management. Marketing projects are especially prone to scope creep because results-focused clients often add channels, requests, and ad hoc tasks. This template draws hard lines.
Sets the context, parties, and purpose. This is the first thing a client reads and the last thing they remember.
This Statement of Work governs a digital marketing engagement between [Agency Name] ("Agency") and [Client Name] ("Client"). The Agency will manage paid digital advertising campaigns across the agreed channels, provide monthly performance reporting, and execute the strategy defined herein for a minimum engagement of [X] months. All activity is limited to the channels and deliverables described below. Requests for work outside this scope require a signed Change Order.
The complete list of what you will deliver. If it is not listed here, you are not obligated to do it.
Equally important as scope. Explicitly naming exclusions kills the "I thought that was included" conversation.
Commitments on both sides. Milestones keep projects moving and give you a paper trail when clients cause delays.
The most violated clause in any SOW. Define exactly what a revision is, how many are included, and what extra costs.
Monthly reports and strategy documents are provided once. One round of feedback is included per deliverable. Ad copy revisions are included within the agreed ad set count. Requests for additional reports, custom dashboards, or revised strategies outside the monthly cycle are Change Orders.
Protect your cash flow. Late payment clauses and upfront deposits are non-negotiable for sustainable agencies.
Monthly retainer fee: $[Amount]/month, billed on the 1st of each month. Payment is due within ten (10) business days of invoice. The engagement has a minimum term of [X] months. Early termination requires thirty (30) days' written notice and payment of any outstanding fees. Ad spend is billed separately and directly to the Client's payment method held on file with the ad platform. Overdue invoices accrue interest at 1.5% per month.
The scope creep firewall. Every out-of-scope request routes through here — no exceptions.
Any request for additional channels, campaign types, reporting cadence, ad creative production, or other work not listed in this SOW requires a written Change Order. The Agency will respond with a written estimate within three (3) business days. Verbal approvals are not binding. The Agency will not begin out-of-scope work until a Change Order is signed.
Shift responsibility for inputs to the client. If they don't deliver, the timeline moves.
Define "done" before you start. Silence-equals-acceptance clauses prevent endless feedback loops.
Monthly deliverables (reports, strategy documents) are accepted when delivered and not disputed within five (5) business days. The engagement as a whole is considered complete upon expiry of the agreed term or written mutual agreement to conclude. All campaign assets, ad account work product, and reports created during the engagement remain accessible to the Client in their own ad accounts.
No. Ad spend should always be billed directly to the client's payment method. Mixing ad spend and agency fees creates confusion and liability. This template keeps them separate.
List only the specific channels you will actively manage: e.g. "Google Search Ads, Google Display, and Meta Ads." Do not list channels you might add later — those are change orders.
Do not make performance guarantees in the SOW. The assumptions section includes language clarifying that results depend on factors outside your control.
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