Is It Out of Scope? — Web development
Is creating additional email templates out of scope for a web development project?
Yes, if transactional/marketing email wasn't part of the original build — coding and testing email templates across clients is its own workstream, separate from the site build even when triggered by site events.
The build may already include a few transactional emails (password reset, order confirmation) as part of core functionality — those are typically in scope because the feature they support is. A request for additional templates beyond that set — more transactional types, or marketing/newsletter templates entirely — is a different ask: coding and cross-client testing HTML email is genuinely its own skill and QA process, distinct from front-end web development even though both involve HTML/CSS.
Is it out of scope?
Yes, beyond whatever specific transactional emails were named in the original feature list. Email HTML has to survive a much less forgiving rendering environment than the web, and testing it properly (across Outlook, Gmail, Apple Mail, etc.) is its own task the original build's QA process didn't budget for.
Clause typically implicated
Clause typically implicated
Deliverables clause→ — Names the specific transactional emails included as part of a feature — additional templates beyond that list are new deliverables.
Example contract wording
Example contract wording (illustrative, not legal advice)
The build includes [X] transactional emails as part of [feature]. Additional templates — [new type/marketing emails] — are outside that scope; email HTML needs its own cross-client testing process separate from the site build. I can quote these at [$X] per template, or as a set. Let me know how many you need.
How MarginFlow flags it
MarginFlow checks the requested email template against the specific transactional emails named in the contract's feature list — a request beyond that named set is flagged outside_scope, with the explanation noting the separate testing/QA burden, which helps the account manager justify per-template pricing rather than folding it into general "small dev task" billing.