Scope Creep Examples — Web design
Analytics setup that was never part of the quote
The design engagement covered visual design and handoff. The client assumes analytics tracking is included and asks for it to be configured before launch.
The proposal scopes visual design and a clean handoff to the client's development team — nothing about analytics or tracking is mentioned anywhere in it. A few days before launch, the client asks whether analytics is "all set up and ready to go," clearly assuming it was bundled in, possibly because a previous vendor included it or because it feels like an obvious part of any website. It's a reasonable assumption on the client's part; it's also not what was quoted or priced.
Clause typically implicated
Clause typically implicated
Deliverables clause→ — The specific list of what's included is what settles an assumption gap like this — analytics setup either appears on it or it doesn't.
Suggested change-order wording
Suggested change-order wording (illustrative, not legal advice)
Analytics setup isn't part of our current scope, which covers design and handoff — good catch flagging it before launch though. I can add basic analytics tracking (page views, key events) as a quick add-on for [X], or point your dev team to the setup docs if they'd rather handle it. Which would be easier on your end?
How this usually resolves
Because analytics setup is usually fast for someone who does it often, many agencies just quote it as a small fixed-fee add-on rather than turning it into a drawn-out scope conversation — it resolves the immediate need without much friction either way.
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