Is It Out of Scope? — Web development
Is adding push notifications out of scope for a web development project?
Yes, unless it was named in the original feature list. Push notifications need a service worker, permission handling, and typically a backend to trigger and send them — a real feature with its own infrastructure, not a small add to an existing build.
The build is live and working as spec'd. The client asks for push notifications — reminders, updates, re-engagement pings — often assuming it's a quick addition since "the site already does other stuff." In reality it means a service worker, browser permission handling across different platforms (which behave inconsistently), and typically a backend service to decide what to send and to whom, plus a way to manage subscriptions and preferences.
Is it out of scope?
Yes, unless push notifications were named as a feature in the original functional spec. This is genuine new infrastructure — a service worker, a notification-sending backend, subscription management — not a config change or a plugin toggle, and it needs its own design and testing given how differently push behaves across browsers and platforms.
Clause typically implicated
Clause typically implicated
Deliverables clause→ — Lists the specific features built — push notifications require new infrastructure (service worker, backend, subscription handling) that has to be named explicitly to be included.
Example contract wording
Example contract wording (illustrative, not legal advice)
Push notifications weren't part of the original feature list. Adding them means a service worker, a backend to trigger and send notifications, and subscription/preference handling — plus testing across browsers, since support varies. I can scope this as a new feature with its own estimate; want me to put together a quote?
How MarginFlow flags it
MarginFlow checks the extracted feature list for anything related to push or in-app notifications before classifying — where nothing matches, the request is flagged outside_scope with an explanation noting the infrastructure involved (service worker, backend, cross-browser behavior) so the account manager can set realistic expectations about the size of the ask.