# What a white-label development agreement should cover | abuenoben > The conditions worth agreeing before an external developer starts delivering under an agency brand. Canonical URL: https://abuenoben.com/en/guides/white-label-development-agreement Language: en [All guides](/en/guides) The conditions worth agreeing before an external developer starts delivering under an agency brand. 2 min ยท Updated 2026-09-05 By [Armando Bueno Ben](/en/about) White-label is not just removing a logo. The agreement should protect the commercial relationship, client assets, delivery process and the technical partner's exit. 01 ## Confidentiality and commercial relationship - NDA from the moment sensitive information is shared. - No contact or client solicitation outside the agreed frame. - Meeting participation only when the agency requests it. - No publishing brands, screenshots or outcomes without explicit permission. 02 ## Ownership and technical control The agreement should state where repositories, domains, deployment accounts and documentation live. Delivery should not depend on a personal account the agency cannot access. - Ownership of code and deliverables. - Agency access to repository, CI and staging. - Secure, revocable credential management. - Inventory of third-party services and recurring costs. 03 ## Scope, acceptance and change A fixed price only makes sense when there is a verifiable outcome. If priorities change often, a retainer or support frame with visible capacity and limits is safer. - Deliverables and milestones. - Acceptance criteria. - Person responsible for validation. - How changes are approved and affect timing or budget. 04 ## Support, handoff and exit Closure should define included post-launch support, remaining documentation, access revocation and what another person needs to continue. A clean exit protects both agency and developer by preventing indefinite expectations and out-of-frame emergencies. 05 ## Example operating annex for a delivery This example organises working decisions; it does not replace contract terms. For a campaign website, the annex can identify included pages, the reference design and where each form sends data. It also records who supplies copy, consent requirements, analytics accounts and CRM access. A useful acceptance criterion would be: a valid submission creates one request in the agreed environment and displays confirmation; an error allows retrying without duplicating the request. Add the mobile, keyboard and publication checks included in scope. Acceptance comes from an identified agency owner. 06 ## When the client changes the request Adding another CRM, a language or a screen after scope approval requires recording the request, checking dependencies and agreeing its impact before implementation. A visual correction within the approved design and a new feature should be evaluated separately. - Keep the approved scope version. - Separate defects in the delivery from new requests. - Close with code, access, documentation and agreed pending work. Prepare the engagement - [How to outsource development without losing client control](/en/guides/outsource-development-without-losing-client-control) - [Technical brief checklist for agencies](/en/guides/agency-technical-brief-checklist) - [Retainer or fixed project: how to decide](/en/guides/retainer-or-fixed-project) Useful next step [See agency support](/en/agencies) ## A clear frame reduces risk before estimating. Download the operating brief or share the delivery so these rules can be adapted to the project. [Open the working framework](/en/agencies/working-framework)