FantasyReading a management agreement, clause by clause
The website is marketing. The contract is what binds. Where they disagree, the contract wins, which makes it the only document worth reading carefully.
This is general information, not legal advice. For an agreement involving significant income, a lawyer's review is money well spent.
Short answer
The website is marketing. The contract is what binds, and where the two disagree the contract wins, which makes it the only document worth reading carefully. Four clauses decide most of what goes wrong: how long the agreement runs and how you exit it, who holds the account login, what happens to content you produce during it, and whether any commission continues after it ends.
Reasonable looks like this: no fixed term, or a short one, with a notice period of thirty days or less and no penalty. Concerning looks like a six, twelve or twenty-four month minimum, automatic renewal without an opt-out window, or a termination fee. Watch the renewal clause specifically. A twelve-month term that renews automatically unless canceled in a narrow window is functionally a much longer commitment than it appears to be.
Work through it clause by clause
Thirteen things to find in the document in front of you. Tick each one you have actually located and understood, not the ones you assume are fine. The list at the bottom is what is still missing, in a form you can paste into an email and send.
Contract checklist
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0 of 13 confirmed
If more than three of these are unanswered after reading the whole agreement, that is not a document you are ready to sign. Send the list. An agency that answers all thirteen in writing has told you a great deal about how the working relationship will go, and so has one that does not.
Term and termination
What to look for: how long the agreement runs, how you exit, and how much notice is required.
Reasonable: no fixed term, or a short one, with a notice period of 30 days or less and no penalty. Concerning: a 6, 12, or 24-month minimum term, automatic renewal without an opt-out window, or a termination fee.
Watch specifically for auto-renewal clauses. A 12-month term that renews automatically unless canceled in a narrow window is functionally a much longer commitment than it appears.
Exclusivity
What to look for: whether you're barred from working with anyone else, and how widely that's drawn.
Some exclusivity is normal: an agency investing in your growth reasonably doesn't want a second agency working the same account. What deserves scrutiny is scope. Does it cover only accounts they manage, or all platforms including ones they don't touch? Does it prevent you from doing brand work or collaborations independently?
Post-termination restrictions
What to look for: anything that binds you after the relationship ends.
This is where the most damaging terms tend to sit, because they're read least carefully. Look for non-compete clauses preventing you from working with another agency for a period after leaving, ongoing commission on revenue earned after termination, or claims on content produced during the term.
A short tail on revenue directly attributable to their work can be defensible. A clause taking a percentage of everything you earn for a year after you've left is not, and it should be negotiated out or refused.
What a post-termination commission actually costs
The clause costs nothing while you are together. This is what it costs after.
Paid to an agency that no longer works for you
$9,600
Content ownership and license
What to look for: who owns what you create, and what rights the agency has to it.
You should retain full ownership. The agency needs a license to use your content for the purpose of running your account and promoting it. That's normal and necessary. What isn't normal is a perpetual, irrevocable license that survives termination, or any transfer of ownership.
Ask directly: after I leave, can you still use my content? The answer should be no, and it should be written that way.
Account ownership and access
What to look for: who owns the account itself, and who holds credentials.
The account should be yours in the agreement, not just in practice. If an agency creates the account during onboarding, be especially careful: the contract should still state that you own it and that it transfers to you on termination without conditions.
Commission and payment mechanics
What to look for: the figure, its basis, and the flow of money.
- Is the percentage stated numerically, or described vaguely?
- Is it calculated on gross or net? This matters more than the percentage.
- Do earnings go directly to your bank, or through an agency account first?
- Can the rate change, and does that require your agreement?
- Are there any charges beyond the commission?
Money routed through an agency account before reaching you introduces a point of failure that doesn't need to exist. Direct payout is both simpler and safer.
Performance obligations
What to look for: what the agency actually commits to doing.
Most agreements specify at length what the creator must do and remarkably little about the agency's side. Look for concrete obligations: chat coverage hours, reporting frequency, marketing activity. If the agency's duties are described only in general terms, you have no basis to say they've underperformed, and no leverage if they do.
Boundaries and content requirements
What to look for: anything obliging you to produce content you're not comfortable with.
Minimum content quotas are common and often reasonable. What should never appear is any requirement about the type of content, or language allowing the agency to accept custom requests on your behalf without your approval. Your boundaries should be documented and binding on them, not negotiable by them.
Dispute resolution and governing law
What to look for: where and how disputes get settled.
Note the governing state and whether there's a mandatory arbitration clause. Arbitration is common and not inherently sinister, but it limits your options if something goes seriously wrong. At minimum, know it's there before you sign rather than discovering it later.
The overall test
Read the agreement and ask one question: if this relationship went badly, what could I do about it?
If the answer is "leave with reasonable notice, keep my account and content, stop paying them," the contract is sound. If the answer involves waiting out a term, paying a fee, or losing access to your own work, the terms are the problem regardless of how good the agency seems on a call.
And if the website promised something the contract doesn't say, ask why. That gap is the single most useful thing you can find.