NDA template for agencies
An NDA protects the confidential things an agency handles every day - client data, pricing, designs, logins - whether you're sharing them with a client, a freelancer or a partner. This mutual version is fair to both sides, so it's quick to sign. It often sits alongside your master service agreement. Copy it below, or keep signed agreements with each client in a branded client portal.
0/4 filled - the rest of the [prompts] you finish in your copy.
MUTUAL NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT This Agreement is made on [date] between: [Party A name] ("Party A"), and [Party B name] ("Party B") each a "party" and together the "parties". 1. PURPOSE The parties wish to explore or carry out [a working relationship / a project] (the "Purpose") and may share confidential information to do so. 2. CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION Any non-public information one party shares with the other - business plans, client lists, pricing, designs, files, credentials, or anything marked or reasonably understood to be confidential. 3. OBLIGATIONS Each party will: - use the other's confidential information only for the Purpose; - not disclose it to anyone except staff or contractors who need it and are under similar confidentiality obligations; - protect it with at least reasonable care. 4. EXCLUSIONS Confidential information does not include information that is or becomes public through no fault of the receiving party, was already known to it, is independently developed, or is rightfully received from a third party. 5. COMPELLED DISCLOSURE If a party is required by law to disclose, it will give prompt notice (where lawful) so the other can seek protection. 6. TERM This Agreement starts on the date above and runs for [2] years; the confidentiality obligations survive for [3] years after it ends. 7. RETURN OR DESTRUCTION On request, each party will return or destroy the other's confidential information. 8. NO LICENCE / NO OBLIGATION Nothing here grants any licence or IP rights, or obliges either party to proceed with the Purpose. 9. GOVERNING LAW This Agreement is governed by the laws of [state / country]. SIGNED Party A: __________________ Name: [name] Title: [title] Date: ________ Party B: __________________ Name: [name] Title: [title] Date: ________
pick a version, copy it, or download as .docx or .pdf — then make it yours.
How to fill it in
Make it mutual
A mutual NDA protects both sides - easier to get signed than a one-way one, and fairer when you'll both share sensitive things.
Define 'confidential', then carve out
Cover everything sensitive, then add the standard exclusions (public, already-known, independently developed) so it actually holds up.
Set a real term
Perpetual NDAs scare people off and rarely hold. A defined term with a survival period is the norm.
Tie disclosure to a purpose
Naming the Purpose stops the other side using your information for something else entirely.
Sign before you share
An NDA signed after you've handed over the secret protects nothing - sign before the pitch, the data, or the access.
A filled-in NDA
A realistic, filled-in version - so you can see what good looks like before you start.
MUTUAL NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT
This Agreement is made on 3 Mar 2026 between:
Northwind Studio Ltd ("Party A"), and
Acme Roasters Inc. ("Party B")
each a "party" and together the "parties".
1. PURPOSE
The parties wish to explore a brand and packaging project (the "Purpose") and may
share confidential information to do so.
2. CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION
Any non-public information one party shares with the other - including Acme's product
roadmap and pricing, and Northwind's processes and rates.
[Sections 3-5 as in the template - obligations, exclusions, compelled disclosure.]
6. TERM
Runs for 2 years; confidentiality survives for 3 years after it ends.
9. GOVERNING LAW
Governed by the laws of England & Wales.
SIGNED
Party A: __Maya R.__ Name: Maya Rourke Title: Principal Date: 3 Mar 2026
Party B: __Dana P.__ Name: Dana Park Title: CMO Date: 3 Mar 2026This is a starting template, not legal advice. An NDA is a binding contract - have a qualified lawyer review it before you rely on it.
Common mistakes
- Sharing the sensitive material first and sending the NDA afterwards - it protects nothing retroactively.
- A one-way NDA when both sides will share secrets - harder to sign and unfair.
- No exclusions, so the agreement covers information that's already public and won't hold up.
- A perpetual term that makes the other party's lawyer balk.
- Leaving governing law blank, so a dispute has no clear home.
Keep signed agreements where you can find them
A signed NDA buried in someone's inbox helps no one. Forge gives each client a branded portal where agreements, files, deliverables and invoices live together - so what was signed is always one click away.
Frequently asked questions
What is an NDA?
A non-disclosure agreement (NDA) is a contract where the parties agree to keep each other's confidential information private and use it only for an agreed purpose.
Should an agency use a mutual or one-way NDA?
Usually mutual - both the agency and the client tend to share sensitive information, and a mutual NDA is fairer and faster to get signed.
When should you sign an NDA?
Before any confidential information changes hands - a pitch, access to systems, or client data. Signing after the fact offers little protection.