---
title: Contracts
description: Create contract templates, send agreements, collect signatures, and keep signed records attached.
section: Core workflows
order: 7
---

# Contracts

Contracts help you get agreement on the work before the shoot. In LYGHTBOX, contracts can be managed from project records and signed by clients online.

## Set up contract templates

Go to **Settings -> Contracts** and select **New Contract** to create reusable agreements for portrait sessions, weddings, events, mini sessions, or other work.

For each template:

1. Give it a clear name.
2. Choose **General** or a service category.
3. Write the contract content and insert supported contact and project/session merge tags where needed.
4. Save the template.
5. Optionally set it as the default.

Service categories help LYGHTBOX choose a relevant template for a project. A package can also have its own contract template under **Settings -> Services**. When a project has several possible matches, the package template takes priority, followed by a matching service category, the default template, and then the first available template.

Changing a template affects future contracts created from it. A contract already created for a project keeps its own content, and signed content stays with the signed record.

## Set the project requirement

The project **Contracts** card shows the overall contract status. In its menu, use **Required** to turn the requirement off for a project that does not need an agreement.

Turning the requirement off while a contract is active is a manual override and requires confirmation. A signed contract cannot be marked not required; void the signed agreement if it should no longer be valid.

## Create and publish a project contract

1. Open the project and select **Contracts** from the Contracts card.
2. In **Create Contract**, choose a template. LYGHTBOX preselects the package, service-category, or default template when one applies.
3. Review the contract name and full content. When the contract is viewed, merge tags use the current project and client details. The completed agreement keeps the content that was shown when it was signed.
4. Select **Save Draft** to keep the contract internal, or **Publish Contract** to make it signable.

Only one contract can be actively published or sent for a project at a time. If you need to replace it, sign or void the current active contract before publishing another.

## Send or share the contract

Publishing normally opens the send dialog when the project has an email conversation. Review the client email, subject, and message, then select **Send**. After the contract email is sent, its status moves from Published to Sent.

From **Existing Contracts**, you can:

- Open or copy a draft preview link.
- Open or copy the signing link for a published or sent contract.
- Send a published contract again.
- Edit a draft, published, or sent contract.
- Void a contract that should no longer be valid.

A draft link is for review only. The client can read the content, but the signature controls stay disabled until the contract is published. If a project does not have an email conversation, copy the published signing link and share it through your normal client communication.

## Client signing

Clients open the public contract page, review the agreement, and draw or type a signature. After they select **Sign Contract**, the page confirms the signature and shows the signed agreement, signature, and signing date.

The contract status updates to Signed and stays connected to the project and its client context. Published, sent, signed, and void contracts can also appear in the client's portal. Draft contracts do not.

## Understand contract status

- **Draft** - saved internally and available only through a preview link; it cannot be signed.
- **Published** - client-visible and ready to sign.
- **Sent** - the contract email has been sent to the client.
- **Signed** - the client's signature and signing date are on record.
- **Void** - the agreement is no longer valid and cannot be signed.

Voiding a signed contract makes it invalid and emails the recipient when a contact email is available. A void contract can be deleted from the project, but keeping it provides a useful record of what happened. Contract status also feeds project attention, automations, and client portal visibility.

## Related guides

- Pair contracts with [invoices and payments](/docs/invoices).
- Include contracts in [event booking flows](/docs/bookings).
- Show signed or open contracts in the [client portal](/docs/client-portal).