> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.getveles.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Creating a Contract
> Manually create contracts in Veles for backfilling existing agreements or recording deals that originated outside the quoting workflow.
Most contracts in Veles are created automatically when a Quote is [promoted](/get-started/calculator/quote-options#from-quote-to-order-promotion) to an Order and the Order is [activated](/get-started/orders/overview#order-creation-vs-activation). But there are situations where you need to create a contract manually -- backfilling an existing agreement that predates your Veles instance, recording a deal that was negotiated outside the platform, or migrating active contracts from a legacy system.
The manual contract creation wizard walks you through a 4-step process: Contract Details, Phases & Line Items, Documents, and Review & Activate.
Manual contract creation is a **backfill** operation. Double-check all dates, pricing, and billing details against the original signed agreement. Once a contract is activated, it becomes part of the revenue recognition process and requires a formal [amendment](/get-started/contract-management/overview#amendment) to modify or cancel.
***
## Starting a draft
To create a contract manually, navigate to the customer's account and click **Create Contract**. A confirmation dialog appears:
* The contract is created as a **draft** for the selected company.
* Drafts can be freely edited and deleted.
* Once activated, the contract is locked and becomes the source of truth.
Click **Create Draft** to enter the contract editor.
***
## Step 1: Contract Details
*Dates & billing*
The first step sets up the foundational terms that apply to every Phase and Line Item on the contract.
### Effective period
Set the **start date** and **end date** for the full contract duration. The **term** is calculated automatically from these dates.
Veles validates the dates and flags potential issues. For example, if you enter a start date of April 1, 2026 and an end date of April 1, 2027, Veles will note that this is "1 year and 1 day" and that a full 1-year term typically ends on March 31, 2027. Click **Fix** to auto-correct, or leave as-is if the dates match your signed agreement.
The effective period defines the outer boundaries of the contract. All [Phases](/get-started/contract-management/contract-phase) must fall within this range.
### Owner & billing
| Field | Description |
| ----------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Billing name** | The company or contact name used on invoices. |
| **Billing email** | The email address where invoices are sent. |
| **Address** | The full billing address: street, suite/unit, city, state, and postal code. |
If the billing contact differs from the primary company contact, update it here. Billing info is used for invoicing and appears on generated financial documents.
### Purchase order (optional)
If the customer has issued a purchase order, enter the PO number here. This associates the PO with the contract for reference and can appear on invoices.
### Contract owner
The team member responsible for managing this contract and its renewals. The owner appears in the [Renewals dashboard](/get-started/contract-management/renewal-reporting) and can be used as a filter.
Click **Save & Continue** to proceed to Step 2.
***
## Step 2: Phases & Line Items
This step defines the commercial structure of the contract: what's being sold, at what price, and across what time periods.
### Adding Phases
The timeline bar at the top shows the full contract period (from the effective dates set in Step 1) and tracks how much of the term is covered by Phases.
Click **+ Add Phase** to create a commitment interval. For each Phase, set:
* **Start date** and **end date** within the contract's effective period.
* Phases must be sequential and non-overlapping.
* Together, they should cover the full contract duration.
For a simple annual deal, create a single Phase spanning the full term. For multi-year or ramp deals, create one Phase per commitment interval.
### Adding Line Items
Within each Phase, add the products and pricing that define the customer's entitlements:
* Select products from your [price book](/get-started/pricing-and-packaging/overview).
* Set the **quantity** and **contracted price** for each product.
* Configure **billing cadence** (monthly, quarterly, annual, one-time).
For backfilled contracts, enter the actual contracted price from the signed agreement -- not the current list price. The contracted price becomes the authoritative baseline for future [amendments](/get-started/contract-management/overview#contracted-price-preservation) and [renewals](/get-started/contract-management/overview#renewal).
The summary panel on the left tracks your progress: number of Phases, Line Items, and Total Value update as you build.
Click **Save & Continue** to proceed to Step 3.
***
## Step 3: Documents
*Attachments*
Attach supporting documents to the contract for reference. This is where you store the signed agreement, SOWs, order forms, or any other documentation associated with the deal.
Click **+ Add Document** to upload files. Supported formats include **PDF**, **DOCX**, and common image formats (PNG, JPG).
Documents are attached to the contract record and accessible to anyone who can view the contract. They're for reference only -- they don't affect the contract's commercial terms or pricing.
Document upload is optional. You can activate a contract without attaching documents and add them later.
Click **Save & Continue** to proceed to Step 4.
***
## Step 4: Review & Activate
*Final check*
The final step presents a summary of the contract and a readiness checklist before activation.
### Activation checklist
Veles validates that the contract is complete and flags any missing elements:
| Check | Status |
| ---------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Effective period set** | Shows the date range and term length. |
| **Phases and line items** | Shows the count of Phases and Line Items. Incomplete if zero. |
| **Billing address provided** | Confirms billing details are entered. |
| **Owner assigned** | Shows the contract owner. |
| **Documents uploaded** | Optional. Shows whether supporting documents are attached. |
| **Special terms** | Confirms any special terms are recorded. |
Items with a green checkmark are complete. Items with a dash are either incomplete or optional.
### Contract details summary
Below the checklist, a summary displays the contract's key details (period, owner, billing address) and Phases & Line Items count. Click **Edit** on any section to go back and make changes.
### Activating
When you're ready, click **Activate Contract**.
**Activation is permanent.** Once activated, dates, pricing, and terms are locked. The contract becomes the system of record for this customer's entitlements. Future changes require a formal amendment.
If you're not ready to activate, you can save the contract as a draft and return later. Drafts can be freely edited and deleted.
After activation:
* The contract status changes from **Draft** to **Active**.
* [Contract Phases](/get-started/contract-management/contract-phase) and [Contract Lines](/get-started/contract-management/contract-line) become the authoritative entitlement record.
* The contract appears in the [Renewals dashboard](/get-started/contract-management/renewal-reporting) based on its end date.
* If [Stripe](/get-started/quickstart/connect-your-stripe-account) is connected, billing orchestration begins based on the contract's billing cadence.
***
## When to use manual contract creation
**Backfilling existing agreements.** When you first deploy Veles, your active customer contracts need to be entered into the system so that amendments, renewals, and reporting work correctly. Manual creation lets you record these agreements with their actual contracted pricing and terms.
**Off-platform deals.** If a deal was negotiated and signed outside of Veles (e.g., via email and a manually signed PDF), you can create the contract directly to bring it into the system of record.
**Migration from legacy CPQ.** When transitioning from another CPQ system, manual contract creation (or CSV import) establishes the baseline ARR and entitlement state in Veles.
For large-scale migrations with many contracts, contact the Veles team at [**hi@getveles.com**](mailto:hi@getveles.com) to discuss bulk import options rather than creating each contract individually.
***
## What's next
Understand the full contract lifecycle: amendments, renewals, and price preservation.
How Phases structure the commitment schedule on a contract.
The product-level entitlements that define what customers are paying for.
Track upcoming renewals from the Renewals dashboard.