Create a contract
You create a contract from the Contracts register and need the Contracts Manager role for the Contracts module: members can view contracts but cannot create them. When you save, the contract opens on its Contract Details page, ready for linked records, files, and a renewal decision.
Add a contract to the register
Open Contracts.
Select "New Contract".
Enter the "Title". Every contract needs a title.
Choose the "Type": "Service / Maintenance", "Supply / Purchase", "Consultancy / Contractor", "Licence / Subscription", "Insurance Policy", "Lease / Tenancy", "Hire / Letting", "Employment", "Partnership", "Grant / Funding", or "Other".
Choose a "Category". This is optional. Categories are managed in Settings > Contracts on the "Categories" tab, and a category with an "AI Description" helps AI classify contracts into the correct category.
Enter "Contract Number", "Reference", and "Account Number". All three are optional identifiers.
Choose the "Owner". Every contract needs an owner.
Set the dates and renewal terms
These fields sit in the "Dates and Renewal" section of the form, and the contract's status follows the term you set here.
Set the "Start Date". Every contract needs a start date.
Set the "Expiry Date", or turn on "Auto-Renews" for a contract with no fixed expiry. Turning on "Auto-Renews" clears the "Expiry Date", and an expiry date is not required for auto-renewing contracts.
Enter the "Term", such as the length of the agreement. This is optional, but if you enter an amount you must also choose a period unit.
Enter the "Notice Period". This is optional, but if you enter an amount you must also choose a period unit.
Choose the "Renewal Frequency". This is optional. If none of the options fit, choose the other option and describe the schedule in "Renewal Frequency Details".
How the contract status is decided
The status is not chosen manually: it follows the term you set. A contract with no end date shows as "Open-ended". The status labels are "Active", "Ending", "Notice due" (notice is due within 90 days), "Notice missed", "Expired", "Ended", "Superseded", and "Open-ended".
Add the contract value
The value fields are hidden until you turn on "Has a Value", so skip this section for contracts with no money attached.
Turn on "Has a Value".
Choose the "Money Direction": "We Pay", "We Receive", or "No Value".
Enter the "Amount". This is required once the contract has a value.
Choose the "Currency".
Choose the "Payment Frequency". This is optional. If none of the options fit, choose the other option and describe the schedule in "Payment Frequency Details".
Finish and save
Add "Tags" to help you filter and find the contract later. This is optional.
Add "Notes" if you need to record anything else. This is optional.
Link related records in the "Linked Records" section if the contract should point to assets, documents, or people from the start. This is optional and can also be done after saving.
Select "Create Contract".
The contract opens on the Contract Details page, with the "Details", "Renewal Decision", "Linked Records", and "File Attachments" sections and comments in a side panel.
Next steps
Edit a contract
Link records to a contract
Attach files to a contract
Record a renewal decision
Set up contract categories