Practical examples of service level agreement examples for web development projects

Real examples of service level agreement examples for web development

Let’s start where most developers and clients struggle: what does a good SLA clause actually look like on paper? These real‑world examples of service level agreement examples for web development are written in plain English, so you can copy, tweak, and drop them into your contracts.

Each example focuses on a different part of the web development lifecycle: launch, hosting, performance, security, support, and change requests. You don’t need to use all of them. Think of this as a menu you can customize depending on your pricing and risk tolerance.

Example of uptime and hosting SLA for web development

If you manage hosting for clients, uptime is non‑negotiable. Here’s a concrete example of a hosting and uptime clause you might see in the best examples of service level agreement examples for web development:

Uptime Commitment
The Provider will maintain a monthly uptime of 99.5% for the Production Website, excluding scheduled maintenance windows not exceeding 4 hours per month, and events outside the Provider’s reasonable control (e.g., data center outages, DDoS attacks, or third‑party network failures). Uptime is measured using third‑party monitoring tools and calculated as:
Uptime % = (Total Minutes − Unplanned Downtime Minutes) ÷ Total Minutes × 100.

Service Credits
If monthly uptime falls below 99.5%, the Client is entitled to a 5% credit on that month’s recurring hosting fee. If uptime falls below 98.5%, the credit increases to 15%.

Why this works:

• It defines a specific percentage and how it’s calculated.
• It distinguishes between planned and unplanned downtime.
• It ties poor performance to financial impact, which clients understand.

For context, many cloud providers publish their own uptime commitments and SLAs, which you can use as benchmarks. For example, major platforms document their SLAs in public terms pages and developer docs. Reading those can help you align your own promises with industry norms.

Examples of response‑time SLAs for support and incident handling

Once a site goes live, your inbox becomes the help desk. Clear response‑time language is one of the best examples of service level agreement examples for web development that instantly lowers stress for both sides.

Here’s an example of a priority‑based response‑time section:

Incident Priorities and Response Times
Incidents reported by the Client will be categorized by the Provider as follows:

• Priority 1 – Critical: Website is completely unavailable or payment/checkout is non‑functional.
Response time: Provider will acknowledge within 1 hour and begin work within 2 hours, 24/7.
Target resolution: Within 8 hours, subject to technical feasibility.

• Priority 2 – High: Significant functionality is impaired, but the website remains usable (e.g., forms not submitting, broken navigation on key pages).
Response time: Acknowledge within 4 business hours; begin work within 1 business day.
Target resolution: Within 3 business days.

• Priority 3 – Standard: Non‑critical bugs, layout issues, or minor content problems.
Response time: Acknowledge within 1 business day.
Target resolution: Within 10 business days, or scheduled in the next maintenance window.

This kind of language shows up repeatedly in real examples of service level agreement examples for web development because it does two important things:

• It separates emergencies from annoyances.
• It defines when you start working, not just when you’ll “look into it.”

If you don’t want to provide 24/7 support (most freelancers don’t), say so explicitly: “Business hours are Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Pacific Time, excluding U.S. federal holidays.”

Performance and Core Web Vitals: modern SLA examples

In 2024–2025, clients care about site speed not just for user experience but for search rankings. Google’s Core Web Vitals have made performance measurable in a way that belongs inside an SLA.

Here’s a performance‑focused example of an SLA clause:

Performance Targets
At launch, the Provider will optimize the website to meet the following performance targets when tested on a 4G connection using Google Lighthouse or equivalent tools:
• Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): ≤ 2.5 seconds on key landing pages.
• First Input Delay (or equivalent metric): ≤ 200 ms.
• Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): ≤ 0.1.
These targets apply to the latest versions of Chrome and Safari on desktop and mobile for users located in the United States.

Post‑Launch Degradation
The Provider is not responsible for performance degradation caused by Client‑installed plugins, third‑party scripts, or content (e.g., uncompressed images, embedded media) added after launch. The Provider may offer optimization services under a separate agreement.

This is one of the best examples of service level agreement examples for web development in 2024–2025 because it connects technical metrics to a test method and scope.

Security and patching: examples of SLAs that reduce risk

Security conversations often stay vague: “We take security seriously.” That’s useless in a dispute. Strong examples of service level agreement examples for web development spell out patching, backups, and incident handling.

Here’s a practical example of a security and maintenance section:

Software Updates and Patching
For websites under a Maintenance Plan, the Provider will apply security patches for the CMS core, theme, and plugins/modules within 7 business days of public release, subject to compatibility testing. Critical security patches, as defined by the software vendor, will be applied within 48 hours where technically feasible.

Backups
The Provider will maintain daily automated backups of the website files and database, retained for 30 days. Backups are stored in a geographically separate data center.

Security Incidents
In the event of a suspected security breach, the Provider will notify the Client within 24 hours of confirmation and will begin investigation and remediation within 1 business day.

For broader context on why timely patching matters, you can point clients to resources like the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) or the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), which publish guidance on software vulnerabilities and security practices.

Content changes and scope creep: examples that protect your time

Most web developers don’t lose money on code; they lose it on never‑ending content changes. The best examples of service level agreement examples for web development put hard edges around what’s included.

Here’s an example of a content and change‑request clause:

Included Content Updates
Under the Standard Maintenance Plan, the Provider will implement up to 3 hours per month of content updates, including text edits, image swaps, and blog post publishing, as requested by the Client. Unused hours do not roll over.

Excluded Work
The following are not included and will be quoted separately: new feature development, redesign of existing page templates, integration with new third‑party services, or migration of more than 10 pages of content per month.

Change Request Process
All change requests must be submitted via email to [support@provider.com]. The Provider will confirm whether the request is covered under the Maintenance Plan or requires a separate estimate within 2 business days.

This kind of language is one of the clearest examples of service level agreement examples for web development that stops “Can you just…” requests from eating your weekends.

Accessibility and legal exposure: modern SLA examples

Accessibility is no longer optional window dressing. In the U.S., lawsuits related to inaccessible websites have increased, and many clients now expect at least baseline accessibility standards.

A modern SLA might include an example of accessibility language like this:

Accessibility Standard
The Provider will develop the website to be reasonably conformant with WCAG 2.1 Level AA guidelines at launch for all templates within the project scope. Conformance will be evaluated using automated tools and manual checks on a representative sample of pages.

Limitations
The Provider does not guarantee legal compliance under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or any other law, as interpretations continue to evolve. The Client is responsible for ongoing content accessibility (e.g., providing alt text, captions, and accessible documents). The Provider may offer periodic accessibility audits under a separate agreement.

For clients who want to understand why this matters, you can reference the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative and U.S. government guidance on digital accessibility, such as resources from ADA.gov.

Examples of service level agreement examples for web development retainers

Many freelancers and agencies now rely on monthly retainers for stability. Here’s how examples of service level agreement examples for web development can define that relationship clearly.

Consider this example of a retainer SLA:

Monthly Retainer Scope
The Client retains the Provider for 20 hours per month of web development and support services. Services may include bug fixes, minor feature enhancements, performance tuning, and content updates.

Availability and Scheduling
The Provider will allocate availability for up to 5 hours per week during business hours. Work is scheduled on a first‑come, first‑served basis upon receipt of written requests from the Client.

Overage and Unused Time
Hours used beyond 20 in a given month will be billed at the Provider’s standard hourly rate of $150/hour, subject to Client approval. Unused hours expire at the end of each month and do not roll over.

Reporting
The Provider will deliver a monthly report summarizing hours used, tasks completed, and any outstanding issues or risks.

This style of language appears in many real examples of service level agreement examples for web development because it sets expectations about availability, not just tasks.

How to use these examples without locking yourself into bad promises

Seeing detailed examples of service level agreement examples for web development is helpful, but copying them blindly can backfire. Before you paste anything into a contract, pressure‑test it against your actual capacity and tooling.

A few practical checks:

• Can you measure what you’re promising?
  If you commit to 99.9% uptime or specific response times, you need monitoring tools and a clear process. If you’re a solo freelancer, 99.9% and 24/7 coverage are probably unrealistic.

• Do your tools support your SLA?
  If you’re running WordPress on a budget shared host, don’t promise enterprise‑grade uptime. If you’re using a managed platform with documented SLAs, align your promises with theirs.

• Are you pricing for the risk?
  Strong SLAs justify higher retainers. If a client wants fast response times, strict uptime, and tight security commitments, that’s a premium service, not a throw‑in.

• Have you limited your liability?
  Pair SLA examples with a liability clause that caps your total exposure (for example, to 3–6 months of fees). Talk to a qualified attorney in your jurisdiction for wording that fits your situation; many law schools and bar associations offer small‑business clinics and resources via .gov or .edu sites.

FAQ: examples of SLA questions web developers get from clients

What are some common examples of service level agreement examples for web development?

Common examples include:

• Uptime commitments (e.g., 99.5% monthly uptime with service credits).
• Response‑time targets for different incident priorities.
• Performance metrics tied to Core Web Vitals.
• Security patching schedules and backup policies.
• Content update limits per month.
• Accessibility targets, such as WCAG 2.1 AA at launch.
• Retainer terms defining hours, availability, and overages.

These real examples of service level agreement examples for web development give you a menu of clauses to adapt, depending on whether you’re handling only build‑and‑hand‑off or long‑term maintenance.

Can you give an example of a simple SLA for a small website project?

Here’s a lean example of a simple SLA for a small business site:

The Provider will fix any launch‑blocking bugs reported within 30 days of go‑live at no additional charge. After that period, support is available under a separate Maintenance Plan. The Provider will respond to support emails within 2 business days during business hours. Hosting, backups, and security monitoring are the Client’s responsibility unless covered by a separate Hosting Agreement.

It’s not fancy, but it draws a clear line between the project and ongoing support.

Do freelancers really need detailed SLA examples, or are these only for big agencies?

Freelancers arguably need them more. Without clear examples of service level agreement examples for web development in your contracts, you become the default 24/7 support line for free. Even a basic SLA that defines response times, what’s included, and what costs extra can protect your schedule and your income.

Where can I learn more about standards that affect web development SLAs?

While SLAs themselves are contract tools, they’re shaped by technical and legal standards. Helpful references include:

• NIST Cybersecurity for security concepts you can translate into patching and backup commitments.
• W3C Web Accessibility Initiative for accessibility guidelines that inform accessibility clauses.
• Web.dev for up‑to‑date information on performance metrics like Core Web Vitals.

Use these to keep your own examples of service level agreement examples for web development aligned with current expectations in 2024–2025.

If you treat these examples as templates to be customized—not rigid scripts—you’ll end up with SLAs that are specific enough to be enforceable, realistic enough to honor, and strong enough to justify higher‑value web development work.