Real-world examples of NDAs for freelance writers (and how to use them)

1. Quick-start example of a basic NDA for a blog ghostwriter

Let’s start with the kind of NDA most freelance writers see first: a short agreement from a small business that just wants to keep drafts and strategy private.

In this basic example of an NDA for a freelance blog writer, the key features usually look like this:

• The client defines “Confidential Information” as anything not publicly available that you learn while working: drafts, content calendars, keyword lists, login details, and sales data.
• You agree not to share or publish that information, except to complete the work.
• The NDA term is limited, often 1–2 years after the project ends.
• There’s a clear carve-out for information that’s already public or that you knew before the project.

Real-world scenario:

You’re writing SEO blog posts for a local marketing agency. They share their content strategy, internal style guide, and client list. Their NDA says you can’t share those materials or use the names of their end clients in your portfolio without written permission. That’s a reasonable, writer-friendly example of an NDA that protects their business while still letting you work.

This is one of the best examples of NDAs for freelance writers who handle routine content but still touch sensitive business information like pricing, campaigns, or software access.

2. Examples of NDAs for freelance writers working with tech startups

Tech startups tend to send heavier NDAs, especially if you’re writing about unreleased products, investor decks, or internal tools.

A typical example of a startup NDA for freelance writers might include:

• A broader definition of confidential information: product roadmaps, source code descriptions, UX wireframes, investor presentations, and internal Slack screenshots.
• A longer duration, sometimes 3–5 years, or even “until the information becomes public.”
• Non-solicitation language, saying you won’t poach their employees or contractors.

Real example:

You’re hired to write a series of case studies for a SaaS platform that hasn’t fully launched. The NDA says you can’t share any product screenshots, client names, or internal metrics until the company makes them public. It also says you can’t use the case studies in your portfolio without written approval.

In this case, you might negotiate:

• A clause that allows you to state you “worked with a B2B SaaS company in the marketing automation space” without naming them.
• Permission to show redacted samples privately to prospective clients.

This is where real examples of NDAs for freelance writers matter: you see how far startups often push, and where other writers reasonably push back.

3. Healthcare and medical writing: tighter examples of NDAs for freelance writers

Healthcare, pharma, and medical device clients are more sensitive because they’re operating under privacy laws and regulatory pressure. Even though NDAs are not the same as HIPAA Business Associate Agreements, the mindset is similar: protect patient information and proprietary research.

What these NDAs often include:

• Strict bans on sharing any patient-identifiable information.
• Limits on storing data on personal devices or cloud services.
• Requirements to follow the client’s data security policies.

Real example:

You’re writing patient education materials for a telehealth company. The NDA states:

• You will never store or copy any patient data.
• You will only access content through the client’s secure portal.
• You must notify them immediately if your laptop is lost or hacked.

Clients in this space are often guided by resources from organizations like the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (hhs.gov) and similar regulators in other countries. While your NDA isn’t a law, it’s shaped by that regulatory environment.

For freelance medical writers, the best examples of NDAs show a balance: strong privacy rules, but still allowing you to describe your role in general terms (e.g., “wrote patient education content for a U.S. telehealth provider”).

4. Agency subcontractor NDA: examples include multi-client confidentiality

If you write for marketing agencies or content studios, you’ll often sign an NDA as a subcontractor. This is one of the most common real examples of NDAs for freelance writers in 2024–2025.

Typical features in an agency-focused NDA:

• You agree to keep the agency’s own processes, pricing, and client list confidential.
• You may be barred from working directly with the agency’s clients for a set period (often 6–24 months) without going through the agency.
• You acknowledge that the agency can share your work with their clients without naming you.

Real example:

An agency hires you to ghostwrite thought leadership articles for several enterprise clients. Their NDA says:

• You can’t contact those enterprise clients directly to pitch your services.
• You can’t reveal that you ghostwrote for their named executives.

This is where you want to read the non-solicitation and non-circumvention sections carefully. A reasonable example of an agency NDA will:

• Limit the non-solicitation period.
• Apply only to clients you actually worked with.
• Not prevent you from working with similar companies in the same industry.

When you compare multiple real examples of NDAs for freelance writers working with agencies, you’ll notice that the more aggressive versions try to block you from entire industries, while the more balanced ones simply protect specific relationships.

5. Product launch and PR writing: time-limited examples of NDAs

If you’re writing launch copy, press releases, or embargoed articles, your NDA will often be tightly tied to a specific date.

Key traits of a time-limited NDA example:

• The NDA protects information only until a launch date or public announcement.
• After that date, you can usually talk about the project, subject to any portfolio rules.
• There’s often language about “embargoed” information and penalties for early leaks.

Real example:

You’re hired to write a press release for a consumer tech gadget launching at a major conference. The NDA says you can’t:

• Share product specs, pricing, or images before the official announcement.
• Hint about the launch on social media.

After the launch, the NDA’s confidentiality obligations narrow. You still can’t share internal strategy documents, but you can usually:

• Share links to your published press release.
• List the client and project in your public portfolio.

Among the best examples of NDAs for freelance writers, these are often the most straightforward: strict before launch, flexible after.

6. Long-term content partnerships: examples of NDAs for ongoing retainers

Retainer clients—especially in B2B, finance, or enterprise tech—often pair a master services agreement with a standing NDA that covers all future projects.

Common elements in these long-term NDAs:

• Mutual confidentiality: you also protect your own proprietary methods or pricing.
• Clear rules about how each side can refer to the other in marketing.
• Procedures for returning or destroying confidential information when the relationship ends.

Real example:

You sign a 12-month retainer with a fintech company to produce weekly articles and white papers. The NDA says:

• You can’t share internal research reports, investor decks, or unreleased product details.
• They can’t share your rates or internal communications with other freelancers.

This mutual structure is one of the better examples of NDAs for freelance writers because it recognizes that you also have confidential business information. It’s not just a one-way street.

For context on why financial and fintech companies care so much about confidentiality, look at guidance from regulators like the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (sec.gov) and consumer protection resources from agencies such as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (consumerfinance.gov). Again, those aren’t NDAs, but they shape company risk tolerance.

7. Ghostwriting books and thought leadership: portfolio-friendly examples

Ghostwriting is where NDAs can either be very reasonable or extremely restrictive.

Common patterns in ghostwriting NDAs:

• You agree not to claim authorship publicly.
• You may be allowed to say you “ghostwrote a business leadership book” without naming the client.
• Sometimes you’re allowed to be credited as an editor or researcher instead of a writer.

Real example:

You ghostwrite a leadership book for a corporate executive. The NDA says:

• You may not disclose the client’s name as your ghostwriting client.
• You may say, in general terms, that you ghostwrote a leadership book for a Fortune 500 executive.
• You may show short excerpts privately to potential clients as long as you remove names and identifying details.

The best examples of NDAs for freelance writers in ghostwriting allow some form of private portfolio use or anonymized description. Completely gagging you from ever mentioning the project can hurt your career; that’s something you can often negotiate.

8. Red-flag examples of NDAs freelance writers should question

Not all examples of NDAs for freelance writers are worth signing. Some are overreaching, vague, or simply out of step with industry norms.

Patterns that should make you pause:

• No end date at all. “Forever” NDAs are common, but they should at least carve out information that becomes public or is independently developed.
• Bans on working in an entire industry. An NDA that says you can’t write for any other SaaS company for five years is not standard.
• One-sided penalties. You’re liable for everything, but the client has no obligations if they breach your confidentiality.
• No definition of confidential information. If “confidential” isn’t defined, they can later claim almost anything is covered.

Real example:

A startup sends you a 12-page NDA that says:

• You may not work for any competitor in the same industry for three years.
• You may not use any knowledge gained in their industry for other clients.

This goes beyond a typical NDA and drifts toward a non-compete. In many U.S. states, non-competes are restricted or disfavored, especially for independent contractors. The Federal Trade Commission has even proposed rules limiting non-compete clauses for workers (ftc.gov). That’s a useful reference point when you’re deciding what you’re willing to accept.

This is where real examples of NDAs for freelance writers help: once you’ve seen balanced agreements, the extreme ones are easier to spot.

How to customize examples of NDAs for freelance writers to your own work

Seeing examples is helpful, but you still need language that fits your niche, risk tolerance, and marketing strategy.

Here’s how experienced freelancers adapt these examples of NDAs for freelance writers to real contracts:

• Clarify portfolio rights. Add a sentence stating whether you can:
  • Use published work in your portfolio.
  • Show samples privately to potential clients.
  • Mention the client’s name in a list of past clients.
• Narrow the definition of confidential information. Limit it to non-public business data, trade secrets, and internal documents—not everything you ever learn about their industry.
• Set a reasonable term. Many freelancers aim for 2–3 years, with automatic expiration for information that becomes public.
• Add mutual obligations. If you share your own templates, pricing, or processes, ask for mutual confidentiality.

For a deeper grounding in contract basics (not specific to NDAs, but useful context), universities like Harvard provide public resources on contract law and negotiation (hls.harvard.edu). Those can help you understand the logic behind clauses you’re asked to sign.

FAQ: examples of NDA questions freelance writers ask

Q1: Can you give an example of a fair NDA term length for freelance writers?
A fair example of an NDA term for many writing projects is 2–3 years after the end of the engagement, with exceptions for true trade secrets that remain confidential longer. Information that becomes public—like a published article or product launch—should no longer be treated as confidential.

Q2: Are there examples of NDAs that let me show work privately but not publicly?
Yes. Many of the best examples of NDAs for freelance writers explicitly say you may use the work in a private portfolio, such as a password-protected page or one-on-one client calls, while banning public posting on your website or social media. This is especially common in ghostwriting and agency subcontracting.

Q3: Do I need a lawyer to review every NDA?
Not every single one, but getting at least one or two real NDAs reviewed early in your career can be smart. That gives you a baseline for what’s normal. You can then compare new agreements against those examples of NDAs for freelance writers and flag anything that looks unusually broad or risky.

Q4: Are mutual NDAs better for freelance writers?
Often, yes. A mutual NDA means both sides agree to protect each other’s confidential information. That matches how many freelancers actually work: you share proprietary processes, pricing, and sometimes subcontractor details. Mutual NDAs are increasingly common in 2024–2025, especially with experienced writers.

Q5: Where can I find safe examples of NDA templates to start from?
Look for sample agreements from reputable legal information sites or professional organizations, then adapt them. Always treat any template as a starting point, not plug-and-play legal advice. Compare those templates to the real examples of NDAs for freelance writers you’ve seen from clients and adjust terms like portfolio rights, term length, and definition of confidential information to match how you actually work.

The bottom line: once you’ve seen a range of real examples of NDAs for freelance writers—from simple blog work to regulated industries—you stop treating NDAs as mysterious legal traps and start treating them as negotiable business tools. That shift alone makes you a more confident, better-protected freelancer.