Does my contract limit the number of revisions — and what happens if it doesn't?
The short answer
A revision-limit clause specifies how many rounds of changes are included in the project fee and, ideally, what happens when that limit is exceeded — typically an additional charge per round at a stated rate. Without a revision limit, language like 'revisions until client is satisfied' leaves the number of included rounds entirely open. In practice, this can mean a project that was priced as a single design pass turns into six, with no contractual basis to charge for the additional work. Scan your agreement to see whether a revision limit exists, how it is defined, and what happens when it is exceeded.
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What revision-limit clauses typically do
A revision clause defines the number of included rounds (e.g., two rounds of revisions per deliverable), what counts as one round (all changes requested at once versus each individual change), and what the additional charge is for rounds beyond the limit. Some clauses also define what constitutes a revision versus a new direction change — a meaningful distinction when a client's 'small tweak' involves reconceiving the whole project.
Satisfaction clauses are the highest-risk variant: 'revisions until client is satisfied' gives the client an indefinitely extensible right to request changes without triggering additional charges. The word 'satisfied' is not a measurable standard, and courts have generally found such clauses difficult to apply.
Why people worry
The pattern is well-documented: a client approves a design concept, receives the deliverable, then requests a series of changes — each one small on its own — that collectively require starting over. Without a revision limit, each request is covered by the original fee. Freelancers report this most often in creative fields: design, writing, and video editing, where deliverables are easy for clients to request changes to.
What to look for in your agreement
- The number of included revision rounds — and whether they apply per deliverable or to the project overall.
- How a 'round' is defined — all feedback submitted at once, or each individual request?
- What happens when the revision limit is exceeded — is an additional rate specified?
- Any 'until satisfied' or open-ended satisfaction language — worth flagging and replacing with a fixed number.
- Whether a direction change (new brief, new concept) is treated differently from a revision.
Questions to ask before signing
- Ask the client to confirm the number of revision rounds included and what each round covers.
- Ask the other party to replace 'until satisfied' language with a specific number of rounds before signing.
- Confirm the additional-round rate and how out-of-limit rounds are invoiced.
- Consider having the agreement reviewed if no revision limit is defined or the language is open-ended.
Why scan instead of guess
The general rule tells you the baseline. Your agreement tells you what you’re actually being asked to sign — and the wording is what binds. Dang reads the document and flags the clauses worth reviewing, in plain English.
The deterministic engine scores and decides what’s risky. The AI only enriches the plain-English wording — AI extracts, code decides, never the other way around.
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Common questions
What is a reasonable number of revision rounds to include?
Two to three rounds per deliverable is commonly reported in creative freelance agreements, though the right number depends on the project type and client. What matters most is that the number is in the contract — so both parties are working from the same expectation.
Can a client request unlimited revisions if the contract doesn't say?
If the contract doesn't define a limit, what the client can reasonably request is less clearly bounded. Open-ended revision language is one of the most commonly flagged issues in freelance agreement reviews. Defining the limit before signing is much easier than addressing it after the fact.
No account required · File deleted after analysis · Not legal advice. Dang reports contract findings in plain English — general information, not legal advice about your situation. For consequential decisions, consult a licensed attorney in your state.