Contract templates
Contract templates are your standard agreements, saved so you never start from a blank page. Write one with variables, and each client's contract fills in their own details.
Find them under Templates → Contracts, listed by Name and when each was Updated.
Creating a contract template
There are three ways in:
- New template opens the editor. Give it a Template Title, an optional Description saying when to use it, then write the body.
- Save as template from a contract you've already written. Often the better route, because you write a sharper contract against a real job than in the abstract.
- Add from CoreHue pulls one from the library of 34 ready-made agreements. Read the preview, then choose Add to library.
To make a variant, choose Duplicate in a template's ⋯ menu. Opening a template takes you straight into its editor.
Using a template
- In the list, choose Use template from a template's ⋯ menu to start a new contract from it.
- Inside a contract, choose Start from template.
- In a proposal's contract builder, or on a booking service, start from a template the same way.
Every time, the content is copied. See Creating a contract and Adding a contract and payment schedule to a proposal.
Write it with variables
Use variables instead of a placeholder like "CLIENT NAME HERE". CoreHue fills them in from the contact, the booking and the invoice, so you don't touch the template each time. For anything only your client knows, like an emergency contact or who shouldn't be photographed, add a blank they fill in while signing. See Variables and blanks in contracts.
What's in the library
The library covers most kinds of photography, including:
- General: Photography Services Agreement, Model Release, Model Release for a Minor, Property Release, Copyright Assignment Agreement.
- Weddings: Wedding Photography Agreement, Elopement and Micro-Wedding, Engagement Session, Second Shooter Agreement, Album and Print Order Addendum.
- Portraits: Portrait, Family, Newborn, Maternity, Boudoir, Senior and Graduation, and Mini Session agreements.
- Commercial and events: Commercial, Product and E-commerce, Food and Beverage, Fashion and Editorial, Personal Branding, Event, Corporate and Conference, Real Estate, Architectural, Sports and more.
Two or three usually cover it: a general one, a wedding one if you shoot weddings, and a commercial one if you do commercial work. Beyond that, variations are easier to handle by editing the contract for that job.
Read the numbers before you send
Starter and library contracts aren't vague outlines. They contain specific commitments with real numbers. The wedding agreement, for example, promises at least 400 edited images delivered within 8 to 12 weeks, a gallery available for at least 90 days, keeping the images for 12 months, a 30% retainer on signing and the balance 14 days before the wedding.
Every one of those is a promise you'd be held to, and some won't match how you work. Change each number to match how you work, and it's worth having a lawyer read your main contract once. Contract law varies by country, and a template is a starting point, not legal advice.
If you promise to keep a gallery online or store images for a set time, keep your own archive too. Galleries stay online while they're published, but if your account moves to Free and you're over your storage limit, the oldest galleries are restricted and their files deleted after 30 days. See When you're over your storage limit.
Editing a template later
Changes apply to contracts created afterwards. Anything already created, including signed contracts, keeps what it had.
If you started a contract from a template and improved it before saving, Update source template under Actions pushes your changes back to the template. It's only offered while you're writing that first draft.
A contract on a booking service is a copy too, so update it on the service as well. See Adding a contract and questionnaire to booking.
Deleting a template
Choose Delete in the ⋯ menu. It "permanently removes the template. Contracts already created from it are not affected."
Frequently asked questions
Are CoreHue's contract templates legally binding?
A signed contract can be legally binding, but CoreHue's contract templates are general starting points, not legal advice. Have a lawyer in your country check your main contract once. See Is an e-signed contract legally binding?
Will editing a template update contracts I've already sent?
No. Each contract keeps its own copy of the template's content. If a live contract has a mistake, deal with that contract directly.
Can I save a contract I wrote for one client as a template?
Yes. Open Actions in the contract editor and choose Save as template. Swap any client-specific wording for variables first.
Do contract templates count toward the Free plan limit?
No. Contract templates are unlimited on every plan. On Free, the cap is on contracts you send, 5 in total. See What's included on the Free plan.