A client who keeps changing what they want isn’t necessarily acting in bad faith — they may be unclear about what they need, under pressure from others in the organisation, or genuinely discovering through the process what they actually want. Understanding what’s driving the changes helps you respond more effectively than just pushing back on every request.
Go back to the brief
When a client requests a change, the most useful first question is: “Is this change consistent with what we agreed the project is trying to achieve?” If yes, it might be a legitimate scope change. If it contradicts the original brief, that’s worth naming: “This is a different direction from what we originally agreed — can we discuss whether this is a change in what we’re aiming for?”
Distinguish revisions from scope changes
Your contract or statement of work should specify how many revision rounds are included. A revision is refining the agreed deliverable; a scope change is a new deliverable or a fundamentally different direction. Make this distinction explicit when it matters, and be consistent about applying it.
Slow down the process
Clients who change their minds frequently often do so because they haven’t thought through the implications. Slowing the process down — asking them to confirm changes in writing, giving them time to reflect — often results in fewer changes, because they self-filter before the request reaches you.
The change request email templates below give you ready-to-use responses for the most common change request scenarios, from minor revisions to significant scope changes.