Free PPC Retainer Agreement Template [Docs / DOCX]

A retainer agreement is an easy way to protect your business interests while working with a client. “Business interest” in the sense that your work as a freelancer or an agency is a business activity and it needs to be protected as such. 

And this isn’t about relying on what clients say; it’s about providing a written document to which you and the client will consent by appending your signatures. In this short article, we will cover what a PPC retainer agreement means, why you need it, and the clauses you should keep in mind while designing your contract.

What is a PPC Retainer Agreement? 

A PPC retainer agreement is a contract between a PPC service provider (freelancer or agency) and a client. It clarifies the terms of your working relationship with a client. You provide PPC services — ad campaign strategy & planning, keyword research, ad copywriting, landing page optimization, A/B testing —whatever it is, for a monthly or quarterly pay. Or any other payment structure that works for you. 

Unlike project-based work, the agreement provides the terms of your relationship down to the scope of services, mode and frequency of payments, and indemnity clauses. 

Why Do You Need a PPC Retainer Agreement? 

Pay-per-click campaigns are integral aspects of digital marketing, and it’ll be hard to see any result if your client pulls out of the campaign because it’s not working as fast as they want. You know PPC ads don’t convert on the same day: you need to experiment with different headlines, use an A/B strategy to see which landing page converts more, and use different keyword variations (phrase keyword, exact keyword) to hone in on the type of keywords that increase clicks and conversion rates. 

But aside from ensuring your campaign is successful with a contract stating how long each ad has to run for, you also need to be sure you’ll be paid for your work. Other reasons are: 

• To align your client’s expectations with the exact services you will offer. Clients usually have big ideas on how PPC ads will go in terms of length, ad spend, and conversion. 

You need to explain what you will do and how your work will achieve results. And while you may have done this verbally during your discovery call, they may forget. So, to avoid misunderstanding, write the scope of services, the deliverables, the timelines for each deliverable, and how you will go from A → B → C. 

• It ensures you're available for regular tasks with the client. This is more important if they want you to manage their campaign from beginning to end, and this isn't a short-term activity. You need that retainer agreement as evidence of your working relationship with them over a definite period. 
• It helps you communicate payment terms from the get-go. 
• By communicating the specific services you will offer, the agreement helps you avoid scope creep. 

Disadvantages of Not Using an PPC Retainer Agreement

Some of the things we've seen with agency owners or freelancers without a retainer agreement include: 

• Clients have unclear expectations about what services will be provided and when each deliverable will be submitted. 
• Clients delay payments because they don’t understand their agency or freelancer’s preferred date to receive payments. 
• Scope creep, especially when clients cramp additional work into the preexisting arrangement without additional pay. 
• Lack of legal protection, especially when resolving conflicts regarding deliverables, performance metrics, or payment terms. 
• No guarantee of continued work. The client can decide to terminate a contract without any notice (which will affect the agency or freelancer’s financial stability). 

Key Components of Your PPC Retainer Agreement

Now, before you start writing your retainer agreement, here are some clauses you must include: 

1. The parties involved: Write your name, the client's name, and other relevant information. This can include addresses, contact information, or a secondary point of contact from the client. 
2. Scope of the services: Give specific details of your scope of work based on your previous communication with the client. For example, “the service provider will monitor the ad campaign to ensure: 

• The cost per click doesn't exceed the maximum bid, 
• To monitor the ad position and ensure ads are placed in competitive spots without overspending 
• Monitoring the ad campaign to ensure ad spend is still within budget 
• Track conversions that drive valuable actions (specifically, email sign-ups and purchases).” 

This is more expressive than any vague description of your work. 

3. Services not included: This covers all other services you won't offer. For example, if designing the landing page copy isn't one of the services they're hiring you for, write that you won't be responsible for the landing page. Also, if they're not hiring you to use a remarketing strategy to restore lost leads, include that your ad monitoring activity won't include that. 
4. Write your payment terms: Indicate how you want to be paid (bank transfer, online payment platforms) and when you want to be paid (monthly, quarterly). To motivate clients to pay before the deadline, you can also include a penalty for late payments. 

For example, you can charge $25 weekly for late payments or a percentage of the invoice amount (1% to 5% per month of delay). 

If an invoice of $1,000 is unpaid for a month, a 2% penalty would add $20 to the total owed. Depending on how you want to phrase your terms, you can also have a 5-10-day grace period before penalties are applied. 

📌 Tip: Here is what you can do to get paid faster and what to do when a client doesn’t pay. 

5. Deliverables and timelines: Be specific about the deadline for each of your deliverables. For example, “the service provider will send an ad performance report on the 14^th of every month” rather than “the service provider will present a monthly ad analysis report”. 

The latter isn't specific on the timeline, which may be an issue, especially if the client expects such a report at the beginning of the month. 

6. Duration and termination clause: This is where you state the duration of the contract and the terms for renewing or terminating it. For example, indicate your preferred notice periods (30 days) before a client can terminate your contract. If you wish, you can add a clause to terminate the contract before the end date. 
7. Responsibilities of the Client: Include what your client is responsible for to help you do your work better. If they don’t play their part, it could be considered a breach of contract, which could affect the integrity of your work. 
8. Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure: Your client's data is private; provide a clause that protects it. 
9. Dispute resolution: Specify how you'll settle disputes. Say missed deadlines, the target results weren't achieved, or other issues. The common dispute resolution channel is mediation. 

Side note: This is why it's best not to overpromise. It's better to under-promise and over-deliver. 

10. Signatures and Date: This is the final part of your retainer agreement that shows that your client agrees to your terms. Create space for you and your client to sign and write the date, too—this formalizes the contract and makes it legally binding. 

Tips and Best Practices for Creating a PPC Retainer Agreement 

Here are some best practices to make your contract solid: 

• Be specific about the deliverables. “The service provider will start and monitor five ad campaigns in the first month of contract over 3 months" is a great way to present what you're offering. The more precise your services, the better. 
• Set clear payment terms. Avoid ambiguity. Write the exact payment structure (50% upfront and 50% after the work is done, net zero) as eCommerce & SaaS writer Kaleigh Moore does. 

Also, explain the payment frequency (monthly, quarterly, 50% at the start and 50% at the end of a project, especially if it’ll take months). You can add any penalties for late payments to ensure the client is incentivized to pay early. 

• Write provisions for changes in the scope of services to ensure you have a process to handle such events. This can be an addendum to the agreement or through our add-on service feature, which allows additional services to be billed separately. Specify how extra work will be billed and avoid verbal agreements that could lead to misunderstandings. 

• The contract should include your preferred communication channels and response times. This will let clients know how often they'll be updated about the progress of their ad campaign and how you'll reach out to them. 

For Kaleigh Moore, it’s every three days: 

For some agencies, it is more regular. 

Many agencies and freelancers use a custom client portal to manage communications and projects on a single platform. This alternative helps you avoid switching between multiple apps to chat with clients, receive their tasks, assign them to your team members, and manage invoices and payments. 

You can read more about how ManyRequests can help you centralize client communications and improve project management. You can also sign up for a free 14-day trial to see how it works firsthand. 

• Review your retainer agreement regularly to update your services and prices and tighten any loopholes that may have emerged since you started using the contract. 
• If you want a professional opinion, consult a legal professional to ensure your agreement is sound. 

How to Use Our Free PPC Retainer Agreement Template

Our free retainer agreement template is designed to save you time while ensuring you have a clear, legally binding document to protect your relationship with clients. Here's how to use and customize it: 

• Edit the text to include your name, address, and other details you should fill in. 
• Add your brand elements (name & logo) and format the font and colors. 
• Add the specific services you’ll offer to clients, as I have explained. 
• Review it thoroughly before sending it to a client. 

Wrap up 

Now that you have your retainer agreement template, you can use our custom client portal to manage communications and projects with your clients. You can onboard clients on your custom portal, receive their requests, send updates, or assign specific parts of the task to someone in your team. Sign up for a 14-day free trial today to explore how we can help improve your operations. 

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