If you’ve been copywriting for more than five minutes, there’s a good chance you’ve experienced that project.
The one where a “simple” deliverable turned into endless revisions. The client who kept adding “just one more thing.” The late-night messages, the moving deadlines, the blurred lines between collaboration and overwhelm.
The frustrating part about these scenarios is that most of the time the client isn't doing this because they’re actually difficult to work with. It’s just that most often clear boundaries weren’t set from the beginning.
Boundaries are one of the most overlooked (yet most important) parts of running a sustainable copywriting business. They protect your time, your creativity, and your income, and they help clients understand how to work with you in a way that actually leads to better results.
In this blog post, we’re breaking down the most important boundaries copywriters should be setting with their clients before scope creep sets in and why they matter.
Then, we’ll dive into how those boundaries get reinforced and protected inside your copywriting contract, so you’re not relying on awkward conversations alone to do all the heavy lifting.
5 Boundaries to Set With Your Copywriting Clients (and Why They Matter)
Before we even talk contracts, clauses, or legal protection, let’s talk about the real-life boundaries that keep copywriting projects from quietly spiraling into frustration, burnout, and unpaid labor.
These aren’t “being difficult” boundaries. They’re simply expectations that help your clients know how to work with you successfully!
Communication
As a copywriter you’re probably quick to use language like “I’m here anytime!” but what you might not realize is that there are people out there who really will take that to heart.
While it might be true that you are there to answer questions for your clients, we both know you aren’t available around the clock and you probably don’t want questions coming in from a thousand different mediums.
If you want to avoid late night Slack messages, “quick questions” in your Instagram DMs, voice notes sent at random hours, or emails being marked as “urgent” (even though they aren’t), then setting communication boundaries right away with your copywriting clients is KEY!
When setting communication boundaries with your clients, be sure to include where communication should happen (email, project management tool, Slack, etc.) and when you’ll respond in order to protect your time and keep projects organized.
It also trains clients to respect your workflow instead of treating you like an on-call employee!
Revision Requests
This is the classic scope creep trap for copywriters. You deliver the copy and then start getting messages like…
“Can we tweak just one line?”
“Actually, can we try a totally different angle?”
“What if we rewrote the whole thing but kept the same price?”
Without proper boundaries, revisions turn into never-ending rewrites.
Setting expectations around how many revisions are included, what qualifies as a revision vs. a new request, and how feedback should be delivered saves you from resenting projects you were excited about when they started.
Project Scope
Something to understand as a service provider is that clients don’t always realize when they’re asking for more. Oftentimes they truly do mean well and they just see it as a part of the project.
As a copywriter, this often looks like:
- Asking for extra pages “since you’re already in there”
- Adding email sequences after the contract is signed
- Expanding the project timeline without adjusting deliverables
This is where as the professional you have to set the boundary from the very beginning about what’s included and what is NOT.
Doing so will keep you from doing additional work for free and helps clients understand the value of what they’re actually purchasing!
Timeline and Turnaround Expectations
Something unique to copywriting projects is that you often rely on the client for a few key things throughout the duration of the project in order for it to move forward.
If one side is constantly delayed, then the entire project often gets delayed, and unfortunately that delay often falls on you as the copywriter (even if it truly wasn’t your fault).
This is where setting boundaries around when client materials are due, how long they have to provide feedback, and what happens if deadlines are missed keep projects from dragging on for months longer than planned.
This also helps you avoid having old projects lingering in the background while you’re trying to take on new work!
Decision-Making Authority
Lastly, this one is something that can easily be overlooked, but is huge and goes hand-in-hand with the timeline and turnaround for your copywriting projects.
Nothing slows down a copywriting project like too many cooks in the kitchen.
If feedback is coming from a business partner, marketing team, VA, or even a friend who “used to work in marketing,” you can end up rewriting the same copy over and over to please everyone.
Operating like this with clients will get you absolutely nowhere and can 100% cause resentment towards the project itself.
Setting boundaries around who has final approval keeps the project moving and protects your creative process!
Key Clauses To Include in Your Copywriting Contract to Protect Your Boundaries
Now that you’re clear on the most important boundaries to set with your copywriting clients, let’s dive into how this translates into an actual legal contract with the key clauses to include.
You'll notice some of these map directly to the boundaries we just talked about (like revisions and timelines), while others, like payment terms and intellectual property, are boundaries that can really only be enforced through your contract. And for things like communication preferences and decision-making authority? Those can absolutely be written into your Scope of Work or included as their own standalone clauses!
Scope of Work
A scope of work (SOW) in a copywriting contract defines exactly what you are (and are not) responsible for delivering to your client and should include:
- The type of copy (sales page, emails, website pages, blog posts, etc.)
- The number of deliverables
- Word counts or page limits (if applicable)
- Any strategy or research included—or excluded
A strong SOW answers the 3 W’s:
➡️ WHO is responsible for what
➡️ WHAT is being delivered
➡️ WHEN it will be delivered
Tackling this head on can help avoid any confusion or misunderstandings and make sure everyone is on the same page from the very beginning.
Payment Terms
Next up is your payment terms and this is where you outline how and when you get paid (and what happens if payment is late).
This section in your copywriting contract should address:
- Total project cost
- Payment structure (paid in full vs. payment plan)
- Due dates
- Late fees
- Whether work pauses if payment isn’t made
One quick note on late fees: make sure they're set at a reasonable, flat amount or percentage. If a late fee seems excessive or punitive, it may not actually be enforceable. Think of it as a motivator to keep payments on track, not a punishment!
Without clear payment terms, you’re relying on goodwill instead of enforceable expectations and unfortunately that doesn't always work out in the business world.
Timeline and Client Responsibilities
When it comes to copywriting projects, timelines are often dependent on the client providing information, feedback, or approvals.
Because of this, it’s important that your copywriting contract clearly states:
- Project start and end dates
- Turnaround times for drafts and revisions
- How delays caused by the client impact the timeline
This protects you from being blamed for delays that aren’t within your control and helps keep projects moving forward smoothly.
Revisions and Feedback
One of the biggest pain points for copywriters is unlimited revisions that were never actually agreed to. That’s when your projects become something that you don’t even enjoy and you’re stuck resenting your clients altogether.
To help avoid this, your contract should specify:
- How many rounds of revisions are included
- What qualifies as a revision vs. a new request
- How feedback should be delivered
- The cost of additional revisions if requested
This clause preserves your time and ensures your creative process is respected.
Intellectual Property and Usage Rights
Lastly, because intellectual property and usage rights are so huge for copywriters, this clause is non-negotiable.
Here's the thing most copywriters don't realize: under copyright law, you as the creator actually own the rights to your work by default. That means even if a client pays you in full, they don't automatically own the copy unless your contract says otherwise.
That's why your contract needs a clear intellectual property clause that spells out who owns the copy and when (or if) that ownership transfers. Most commonly, ownership is assigned to the client upon receipt of full payment, but this has to be explicitly stated in writing for it to hold up.
Your IP clause should also address:
Whether you retain the right to use the work in your portfolio Whether the client can modify or reuse the copy Any restrictions on resale or redistribution
As a copywriter, your words are assets, so treat them as such by making sure the right protections are in place from the start.
A Few More Clauses Worth Having in Your Copywriting Contract
While the clauses above cover the big stuff, there are a few more that are just as worth including:
Termination and Kill Fees Sometimes projects get canceled. Maybe the client's business pivots, their budget changes, or the project just isn't moving forward. Without a termination clause, you could end up losing time AND income with nothing to show for it.
Your contract should outline how either party can end the project, how much notice is required, and whether a kill fee applies for work already completed or time already blocked off. This way, if a project gets pulled out from under you mid-way through, you're not left scrambling.
Limitation of Liability This one is a big deal and often gets overlooked. A limitation of liability clause puts a cap on how much you could owe if something goes wrong. For example, if a client claims the copy you wrote didn't generate the results they expected and tries to hold you responsible, this clause limits your financial exposure.
A common approach is to cap your liability at the total amount the client paid you for the project. Without it, you could technically be on the hook for far more than what you were ever paid, and that's a risk no copywriter should take!
Confidentiality During a copywriting project, your client is likely going to share behind-the-scenes details about their business, including things like launch strategies, revenue numbers, customer data, and proprietary frameworks. A confidentiality clause protects that information and makes it clear that you won't share it with anyone.
It also works both ways! If you share your proprietary process or strategy with a client, this clause can protect your methods too.
Customizable Contract Template for Copywriters
At the end of the day, setting boundaries with your copywriting clients isn’t about being rigid or difficult – it’s about creating a working relationship that’s clear, respectful, and sustainable for both sides.
When expectations are clear from the start, you spend less time managing misunderstandings and more time doing the work you were actually hired to do. And while conversations can help set those boundaries, the real protection comes from having them clearly documented in writing.
And that’s where your Copywriting Services Agreement comes into play!
A well-written copywriting contract doesn’t just protect you if something goes wrong – it sets the tone for the entire client experience. It outlines how you work, what’s included, what’s not, and what happens if boundaries are crossed, so you’re not constantly renegotiating your role mid-project.
While you could DIY this yourself, if you want a contract that’s specifically designed for copywriters and addresses the key clauses discussed above (PLUS SOME!), this Copywriting Contract Template was created for you!
Every contract from The Boutique Lawyer includes:
✅ Attorney Walkthrough Video
✅ Word and Google Doc Versions
✅ Customization Guide
✅ Future Updates Included
➡️CLICK HERE to grab your Copywriting Services Agreement so you can trust that your copywriting business is properly protected and your boundaries are upheld!
P.S. In addition to a Copywriting Services Agreement, every copywriter also needs 3 major legal agreements in their business – click here to learn more about each of those.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR, AMBER GILORMO – ATTORNEY AND FOUNDER OF THE BOUTIQUE LAWYER
Amber Gilormo is the cool lawyer behind The Boutique Lawyer – a one-stop contract template shop for creative entrepreneurs, online business owners, coaches, and service providers.
From client agreements to digital product terms and everything in between, our lawyer-drafted templates take the guesswork out of staying legally protected online (no legal jargon required).
Here’s how you can stay connected:
🖋️ Let’s be pen pals! Subscribe to my email list to receive all of my best biz tips and behind the scenes goodies to keep your business bringing in sales (legally of course).
📄Binge the blog to get all of the legal information you need about running a business in a way that actually makes sense to your non-legal brain.
👋 Come hang with me on the ‘gram! I often do AMA’s on stories, so you can submit your specific questions when they come up.