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Statement of Work
Ref: 2026-001 • Standard Business Template
Overview
This Professional Services Agreement (the 'Agreement') outlines the scope of Pay-Per-Click (PPC) management services provided to the Client. The Freelancer shall exercise professional diligence in managing the Client’s advertising budget, but the Client acknowledges that third-party platforms (such as Google Ads or Meta Ads) operate via independent algorithms and auction systems that the Freelancer cannot control. Consequently, the Freelancer provides no guarantee regarding specific conversion rates, lead volume, or Return on Ad Spend (ROAS). The Client remains solely responsible for all ad spend costs incurred through their accounts and must maintain a valid payment method on file with the respective platforms to prevent service interruptions.
Limitation of Liability: To the maximum extent permitted by law, the Freelancer shall not be held responsible for any loss of revenue, business interruption, or data loss resulting from campaign performance or platform downtime. The Client agrees that the Freelancer’s total liability for any claims arising out of this Agreement shall not exceed the total management fees paid by the Client during the three months preceding the claim. Intellectual property created during the term of this agreement, including campaign structures and ad copy, shall transfer to the Client only upon final payment of all outstanding invoices, ensuring the Freelancer is protected against non-payment for strategic work.
Ad Spend Liability
The risk of a client failing to pay the platform directly and the platform attempting to hold the managing agency or freelancer responsible for the outstanding balance.
Account Suspension and Policy Violations
The danger of being blamed for account bans caused by the client's landing page content or past policy violations that are outside of the manager's control.
Tracking and Attribution Failure
The risk that privacy changes like iOS 14 or GDPR compliance break conversion tracking, making it appear that your campaigns are underperforming when they are actually driving sales.
What is a PPC Management Contract contract?
A PPC Management Contract template is a formal agreement that defines the scope of advertising services, payment terms, and liability protections for digital marketers. it covers specific details like managed platforms, ad spend responsibility, data ownership, and reporting expectations to ensure both the freelancer and client have clear financial boundaries.
Built from real freelance projects
This template is based on real-world scenarios across freelance projects where unclear scope, missing payment terms, and revision creep led to lost revenue. It is designed to protect your time, define expectations, and ensure you get paid.
Why PPC Management Contracts need a clear contract
PPC management is fundamentally different from other creative services because you are managing a client's direct financial capital in real time. A contract is the only thing standing between a strategic partnership and a situation where you are blamed for a platform side algorithm shift or a sudden drop in ROAS. Without a written agreement, the line between your management fee and the client's ad spend budget often becomes blurred in the client's mind. You need to document exactly which platforms you are managing, who is responsible for creative assets, and who owns the data within the ad account. This prevents the client from ghosting you after you have optimized their account or holding your fee hostage because a third party tracking pixel stopped firing. It also establishes that you are being paid for your time and expertise, not guaranteeing a specific financial return that is subject to market volatility.
Real-world scenario
A freelancer agrees to manage a 10,000 dollar monthly Google Ads budget for a 1,500 dollar retainer without a formal contract. Mid-month, the client's web developer accidentally deletes the global site tag, causing all conversion tracking to flatline. The client sees zero sales in their dashboard and immediately pauses all campaigns, accusing the freelancer of incompetence. Because there is no contract, the client refuses to pay the 1,500 dollar management fee and demands the freelancer refund the 5,000 dollars spent during the tracking outage. The freelancer spends thirty unpaid hours proving the error was on the client's side, but without a liability clause regarding third party technical failures, the freelancer has no legal standing to collect their fee. They end up losing the client, the income, and dozens of hours of work simply because the technical boundaries were never put in writing.
🛡️ What this contract covers:
- ✓Initial account audit, conversion tracking implementation, and comprehensive keyword and audience research strategy.
- ✓Ongoing campaign optimization including A/B testing of ad copy, bid management, and negative keyword exclusions.
- ✓Detailed monthly performance reports summarizing key metrics like ROAS, CPC, and conversion volume with actionable insights.
Best practices for PPC Management Contracts
Define Account Ownership
Explicitly state that the client owns the ad account and the historical data, but you own the proprietary scripts or custom templates used to manage it.
Establish Lead Quality Standards
Clarify that while you are responsible for driving qualified traffic, the client is responsible for the sales process and closing the leads provided.
Set Clear Access Requirements
Require 'Admin' level access to the Ad Account, Merchant Center, and Tag Manager as a prerequisite for starting work to avoid launch delays.
Legal Disclaimer: MicroFreelanceHub is a software workflow tool, not a law firm. The templates and information provided on this website are for general informational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the cost of the ads included in the management fee?
No, the client is responsible for paying the advertising platforms (e.g., Google or Meta) directly using their own credit card; the management fee covers professional services only.
What happens if a platform suspends my account?
The freelancer is not liable for account suspensions caused by platform policy changes or the client's business practices, though they will assist in the appeal process where possible.