What Should a Contractor Agreement Include?
Updated · 2 min read
Remote contracts are often accepted with a checkbox during onboarding. That makes them easy to skim, and it is worth not skimming. A few clauses decide how you are paid, what you can do with your own work and how a disagreement ends.
Pay and hours
Look for the rate, the currency, how time is recorded and approved, how often you are paid and how quickly after approval. If hours can be rejected for quality, the agreement should say how that is decided and whether you can respond.
Ownership of work
Most contracts assign everything you produce for the client to the client. That is normal. Watch for clauses that reach further — for example, claiming work you do for others, or anything you create during the contract period whether or not it relates to the project.
Confidentiality
Expect a confidentiality clause, especially in AI training work where project details and data are sensitive. It usually means you cannot discuss the project publicly, share screenshots or use the material elsewhere. Take it seriously; breaches are a common reason for contracts to end immediately.
Independence and exclusivity
As an independent contractor you normally decide when and how you work and can have other clients. A clause forbidding all other work, or dictating fixed hours, is more typical of employment. If you see both 'independent contractor' and tight control, ask about it.
Ending the contract
- How much notice either side must give, if any.
- Whether hours already worked are paid if the contract ends suddenly.
- What happens to your account and access.
Disputes and governing law
The agreement will name a governing law and often an arbitration process. You cannot usually change these, but it is worth knowing where a dispute would be handled before one arises.
Questions to answer before you accept
- What exactly is my rate, and in what currency?
- How are my hours approved, and can they be rejected?
- How long after approval am I paid?
- Can I work for other clients, including in the same field?
- Who owns what I create, and does that reach beyond this project?
- What can I say publicly about the work?
- How can either side end the agreement, and what happens to unpaid hours?
If you can answer all seven from the document itself, the agreement is clear. If several answers are missing, ask the platform or client to clarify in writing before you start.
Common questions
Can I negotiate a platform's standard contractor agreement?
Rarely. Standard agreements apply to everyone on a platform. Individual contracts with smaller clients are more flexible.
Is a contract I accepted with a checkbox binding?
Generally yes. Clickwrap agreements are enforceable in most places, which is why reading them matters.
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