Send scoped proposals and get formal client sign-off

Creating a proposal

Open Proposals from the main navigation sidebar. If you don't see it, make sure you're logged in as the agency owner or an admin.

1. 1
   Click New Proposal in the top right corner of the proposals screen.
2. 2
   Enter the proposal title — something descriptive like "Website Redesign — Acme Corp Q3" works well. This appears at the top of the client-facing page.
3. 3
   Set the client name and email. The client name appears on the proposal. The client email is where the notification is sent when you click Send.
4. 4
   Fill in Prepared By with your name or your agency name. This shows at the top of the proposal as the author.
5. 5
   Write the Introduction. Keep this personal — reference the client's specific situation, what you discussed, and why your approach fits their needs. 2–4 sentences is usually enough.
6. 6
   Write the Scope of Work. Be specific. List exactly what is included, what deliverables the client receives, how many revisions are included, and what is explicitly excluded. Vague scopes lead to scope creep disputes.
7. 7
   Write the Terms. Include payment schedule, ownership of deliverables, cancellation policy, revision limits, and any conditions like "work begins after 50% deposit received."
8. 8
   Add line items. Each line item has a description, quantity, rate per unit, and calculated amount. WorkRate totals these automatically and displays them in a clean table on the proposal.
9. 9
   Set a Valid Until date (optional but recommended). This creates urgency and protects you if your pricing changes.
10. 10
    Choose an accent color that matches your brand. This color is used for buttons and highlights on the client-facing proposal page.

Packages

Packages let you define pre-built bundles of services that you can drop into any proposal quickly. Instead of re-typing the same line items every time, you build the package once and reuse it.

1. 1
   Open the Packages tab inside the Proposals section of the sidebar.
2. 2
   Click New Package and give it a name — for example "Starter Website" or "Monthly SEO Retainer."
3. 3
   Add line items to the package: description, quantity, rate, and amount for each service included.
4. 4
   Save the package. It's now available to insert into any proposal you create.
5. 5
   When building a proposal, use the Add Package option to pull in the pre-built line items. You can still edit individual items after inserting.

Service plan cards

Service plan cards let you present tiered or recurring service options as visual pricing cards on the client-facing proposal — instead of a plain line item table. These work well for retainer-based or subscription-style pricing.

1. 1
   Inside a proposal, click Add Service Plan to insert a plan card.
2. 2
   Enter the plan name — for example "Growth Plan" or "Managed SEO — Standard."
3. 3
   Set the monthly price and an optional one-time setup fee. Both appear on the card.
4. 4
   Set the billing period — monthly, quarterly, or annually.
5. 5
   Add feature bullets — a short list of what's included. These display as checkmarked items on the card, making it easy for clients to compare options at a glance.
6. 6
   Save. The card renders on the client proposal page alongside or instead of a line item table, using your accent color.

Sending the proposal to the client

1. 1
   Review everything before sending — check the line items, totals, and the client email address. Once sent, the client immediately receives the email.
2. 2
   Click Send Proposal. WorkRate immediately emails the client with a link to their proposal page.
3. 3
   The proposal status changes from Draft to Sent. You'll see this in the proposals list.
4. 4
   The client receives a branded email with their name, the proposal title, and a button linking directly to the proposal page.
5. 5
   The client's proposal page shows everything — introduction, scope, terms, line items, total — and two buttons: Accept and Decline.

Tracking proposal status

The proposals list shows a status badge on every proposal so you always know where things stand.

Resending the proposal email

If a client says they didn't receive the email, or if it went to spam, you can resend it without creating a new proposal.

1. 1
   Open the proposal from the proposals list.
2. 2
   Click Resend Email. WorkRate sends a fresh email to the client's address on the proposal.
3. 3
   The proposal link remains the same — the client gets the same URL, same proposal content. Nothing resets.

Accepted proposals, client workspaces, and draft invoices

When a client accepts a proposal, WorkRate now helps move the deal into delivery automatically.

1. 1
   If the proposal is already linked to a client, WorkRate keeps that relationship in place.
2. 2
   If it is not linked, WorkRate looks for an existing client with the same email under your agency and links the proposal to that workspace.
3. 3
   If no matching client exists, WorkRate creates a new client workspace using the client name and email from the proposal.
4. 4
   WorkRate drafts an invoice using the proposal line items, agency invoice prefix, totals, and linked client. Review the draft before sending or collecting payment.

Deleting a proposal

1. 1
   Open the proposal from the proposals list.
2. 2
   Click Delete. WorkRate asks you to confirm before removing the proposal.
3. 3
   The proposal and all its line items are removed from the database. The public URL returns a 404.

Tips & best practices

• Always set a Valid Until date. It protects you from clients coming back 3 months later expecting the same price.
• Be specific in your scope. "Website design" is vague. "5 page designs in Figma, 2 revision rounds, delivered in Figma and exported assets" is clear.
• Include your terms. Payment schedule, deposit requirement, and cancellation policy should be in every proposal — not just implied.
• Use the accent color to match your brand. It makes the client page feel more professional than a generic form.
• Follow up after 48 hours if the status stays on Sent. The Viewed status tells you if they've even opened it — if not, follow up by phone or use Resend Email.

Troubleshooting