Most agencies don’t have a contract management problem. They have a contract management system problem, or rather, the absence of one.

Work through this checklist once and you’ll have more visibility into your contracts than most agencies twice your size.

Step 1 — Audit what you actually have

Before you can manage contracts, you need to know what exists.

List every active client relationship
Find the signed contract for each one (email, Drive, Dropbox, wherever it lives)
Record: client name, contract value, start date, end date, auto-renewal terms
Flag anything where you can’t find the signed document
Flag any relationships where work is ongoing but no signed contract exists

This step is uncomfortable. Do it anyway. You can’t manage what you can’t see.

Step 2 — Find out what’s expiring soon

Sort your list by expiry date.

Expiring in the next 30 days: needs immediate attention
Expiring in 31 to 60 days: renewal conversations should start now
Expiring in 61 to 90 days: start preparing proposals
Note the total value expiring in the next 90 days

That last number is your recurring revenue at risk. If it’s significant, treat it as urgent.

Step 3 — Set up alerts

Manual tracking breaks down. Alerts don’t.

Set reminders at 90, 60, 30 and 7 days before each expiry
Make sure the right person gets each alert, not just you
If you’re using a spreadsheet, add a “days to expiry” column and actually review it weekly
If you’re using Expiro, confirm alerts are configured for each contract

If you’re finding out about an expiry with less than 30 days to go, your system isn’t working.

Step 4 — Standardise your process

One master template per contract type (retainer, project, SOW)
Document who sends, who chases, when work can start
Make the rule simple: no work before it’s signed
One place for all signed contracts that the whole team can access

Step 5 — Build a renewal workflow

A renewal isn’t just paperwork. It’s your best chance to grow the account.

Schedule a review call 60 to 90 days before each expiry
Prepare a brief account review: what went well, what could improve, what’s worth discussing
Come with a proposal, not just a renewal form
Build a rate review into every annual renewal as standard

Agencies that treat renewals as growth conversations consistently earn more from existing clients.

Step 6 — Give your team visibility

If only one person knows when contracts expire, you have a single point of failure.

At least two people should have access to your contract data
Renewal alerts should go to the right team members, not just the account owner
If you use Slack, Teams or Discord, route alerts to a shared channel
Review the contract list as a team at least once a quarter

Step 7 — Keep it up to date

A system only works if it stays current.

Monthly calendar block to review what’s coming up
Update records when scope changes, rates change, or terms are amended
When a contract ends, close it properly: final invoice, handover, record update
When a new contract is signed, add it immediately

The parts that break down under pressure, the alerts, the team visibility, the keeping everything current, are exactly what a dedicated tool handles automatically.

Expiro is built for agencies who want contract management to run in the background. Automatic alerts, full team visibility, MRR tracked automatically. See how it’s built for agencies, how it compares to your current tools, or why it beats Google Sheets.

14-day free trial, no credit card required.

Contract management checklist for agencies