Contracts and sub-agreements are both legally binding forms with e-signature support, but they serve different roles on a project. Understanding the difference helps you choose the right one for each situation.
At a glance: contracts vs sub-agreements
Feature
Contract
Sub-agreement
Quantity per project
One
Unlimited
Purpose
Primary agreement with the client
Additional documents that need a signature
Where it appears
Project info card and Forms tab
Forms tab only
Proposal connection
Can be included in a proposal
Cannot be included in a proposal
Both form types support e-signatures and produce legally binding agreements.
Contracts
Each project has one contract. That contract is your primary agreement with the client and typically outlines all the terms of working together.
Where to find and manage a contract
The contract appears in two places within a project. In the Project info card, there is a dedicated Contract row where you can add a contract using the Add a contract dropdown, see the contract's current status at a glance, and send it to the client using the inline send button that appears on the row.
Each project can have only one contract. If you need additional signed agreements on the same project, use sub-agreements instead.
Once a contract has been added, clicking the contract title in the Project info card opens a dropdown menu with the following actions:
View in forms — opens the contract in the form editor within the project
Open in new tab — opens the contract in a new browser tab
Upload PDF as signed contract — lets you upload a pre-signed PDF in place of sending the contract for digital signature, useful when a client has already signed outside of Dubsado
Apply to portal — makes the contract available in the client portal
Countersign — allows you to add your own signature to the contract after the client has signed (see countersign a contract for full details)
Remove — removes the contract from the project
The contract also appears in the project's Forms tab alongside all other forms on the project. It does not have special placement there — it appears in the unified form list with sub-agreements, questionnaires, and other forms.
Team members need contract visibility permissions to see the contract in the Project details card. Members without this role can still access forms through the Forms tab.
Contracts and proposals
Contracts can be bundled into proposals to create a streamlined booking experience. Toggle Include contract in the proposal settings to attach a contract template, then select the specific template using the Select contract for this proposal picker. For instructions, see connect a contract and invoice to a proposal.
Creating a contract template
To build a new contract template, navigate to Forms ➔ Form Templates ➔ New Form Template and select Contract as the form type. For guidance on building out the content, including how to add signature and initial fields, see add signature and initial fields to your contract and build a contract or sub-agreement template.
Sub-agreements
A sub-agreement supports e-signatures just like a contract, but you can have unlimited sub-agreements on a project. This makes sub-agreements the right tool for any additional signed documents beyond the primary agreement.
Sub-agreements behave like other forms — they live in the Forms tab of a project, not in the Project info card. You add them, manage them, and send them the same way you would any other form.
Sub-agreements cannot be included in proposals. If you need to bundle a signed agreement with a proposal, use a contract.
To create a sub-agreement template, navigate to Forms ➔ Form Templates ➔ New Form Template and select Sub-agreement as the form type.
When to use a sub-agreement
This is the question most users are working through when they land on this article. The short answer: if you need more than one signed document on a project, or if you need someone other than the primary client to sign, sub-agreements give you the flexibility to handle it.
Adding to or changing existing terms
Use a sub-agreement when something changes after the original contract is signed and you want a record of the updated agreement without deleting the original. For example, if a client wants to add services mid-project, you can create a sub-agreement that covers the additional scope. If a project needs to end early, a termination sub-agreement documents the agreement to do so. The original contract stays intact as a record of the initial terms.
Multiple signers on the same project
Each project has one contract, and that contract is signed by the primary contact. If you have other people involved in a project who each need to sign their own agreement — a co-client, a secondary contact, a third party — sub-agreements let you handle this without needing a separate project for each person.
The primary contact signs the contract. Everyone else signs a sub-agreement. You can customize the sub-agreement content and send it to whoever needs to sign.
If you don't have a sub-agreement template but need more than one person to sign, follow these steps to create a sub-agreement using your original contract template:
Navigate to Forms → Form templates.
Open the actions menu (three dots icon) on the contract template and select Duplicate.
Open the actions menu on the duplicated template and select Change Form Type.
In the Change Form Type dialog, select Sub-agreement and confirm.
Open the client's project → Forms tab → Add a Form → select the new sub-agreement template → Apply Template.
Select the sub-agreement in the form list → Share → Send.
In the email composer, edit the To field to address the additional signer instead of (or in addition to) the primary contact.
Common sub-agreement use cases
Sub-agreements are a good fit for any of the following:
Addendums for additional work or expanded scope
Early termination agreements
Non-disclosure agreements (NDAs)
Photo or video releases
Waivers
Design proofs requiring client sign-off
If you offer different services that each require different legal terms, build a sub-agreement template for each one. You can then quickly pull the right template into any project without starting from scratch.
FAQ
Can I convert a sub-agreement template into a contract (or vice versa)?
Yes. Navigate to Forms ➔ Form Templates, open the actions menu (three dots icon) on the template, and select Change Form Type. Choose the new type in the Change Form Type dialog and confirm. The template content stays the same — only the form type changes.
Can I include a sub-agreement in a proposal?
No. Only contracts can be included in proposals. Sub-agreements are sent separately from the Forms tab of a project.
What happens if I try to add a second contract to a project that already has one?
Each project can have only one contract. To replace it, you would need to remove the existing contract first. If you need an additional signed document on the project, use a sub-agreement instead.
How do I get multiple people to sign the same terms on one project?
Each project has one contract, which is signed by the primary contact. To have additional parties sign the same terms, duplicate the contract template, change its form type to Sub-agreement using Change Form Type in the template actions menu, then add the new sub-agreement template to the project's Forms tab. From there, you can send it and edit the To field in the email composer to address the additional signer.