- Account suspension
- Overage fees
- Refund policy
- Backup responsibility
- Uptime guarantee
- Resource limits
are written in the contract.
In this guide we explain the most important clauses you need to watch out for in a hosting contract.
1. Uptime Guarantee (SLA)
The contract should contain wording like:
99.9% uptime guarantee, with a fee refund if not met
Otherwise, even if an uptime figure is stated, there may be no enforceable penalty.
| Uptime | Maximum Monthly Downtime |
|---|---|
| 99% | 7 hours |
| 99.5% | 3 hours |
| 99.9% | 43 min |
| 99.99% | 4 min |
Minimum acceptable SLA: 99.9%
2. Resource Limits (CPU, RAM, I/O)
Most hosting providers write "unlimited" but the contract contains limits.
Look for the following limits in the contract:
- CPU limit
- RAM limit
- I/O limit
- Entry Process limit
- Inode limit
Example:
| Limit | Low | Medium | Good |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | 1 Core | 2 Core | 4 Core |
| RAM | 512 MB | 1 GB | 2 GB |
| I/O | 1 MB/s | 5 MB/s | 10 MB/s |
| Entry Process | 10 | 25 | 50 |
3. Account Suspension Clause
This is a very critical clause. Watch out for wording like this:
"Accounts that excessively use system resources may be suspended without prior notice."
Because of this clause, your site can go offline without warning.
The safer wording you should look for:
"Users are notified before suspension and offered an upgrade option."
4. Who Is Responsible for Backups?
This is one of the most critical clauses. Some providers write the following in their contracts:
"Even if a backup service is provided, the company is not liable for data loss."
In that case, all responsibility rests with you.
Questions you should ask:
- Is there a daily backup?
- How many days are backups retained?
- Is free restore available?
- Who is responsible for backups?
5. Refund Policy
Things to watch out for:
| Clause | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| How many days for a refund | Reduces risk |
| Is the domain fee refunded | Usually not |
| Is the setup fee refunded | Mostly not |
| Is a discounted package refundable | Sometimes not |
Standard: 14–30 day money-back guarantee
6. Overage Fees
Some hosting providers automatically charge for exceeding limits.
Look for the following in the contract:
- "Overage fee"
- "Resource overuse fee"
- "Automatic upgrade"
- "Extra bandwidth fee"
If these clauses exist, unexpected invoices may arrive.
7. Contract Renewal Price
One of the biggest traps:
First year cheap, renewal very expensive.
Check:
| Plan | Initial Price | Renewal |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting | $30 | $120 |
| Hosting | $40 | $150 |
Always ask this question:
What is the renewal price?
8. Technical Support Scope
Saying "support is available" is not enough. The contract should clearly state:
| Support Type | Included? |
|---|---|
| Hosting issues | ✔ |
| WordPress issues | ? |
| Site migration | ? |
| Performance optimisation | ? |
| Email setup | ? |
9. Site Migration Clause
Things to check:
- Is it free?
- How many sites can be migrated?
- Is there downtime?
- Is migration guaranteed?
10. Contract Termination Clause
Pay attention to this:
How many days is data retained when an account is closed?
Ideal:
| Situation | Duration |
|---|---|
| Account closure | 7 days |
| Payment delay | 3 days |
| Suspension | 7 days |
Hosting Contract Verification Checklist
Use this checklist before purchasing hosting:
- [ ] Is there an uptime SLA?
- [ ] Are CPU/RAM limits stated?
- [ ] What are the account suspension conditions?
- [ ] Who is responsible for backups?
- [ ] Is there a money-back guarantee?
- [ ] Is the renewal price stated?
- [ ] Is there an overage fee?
- [ ] What is the support scope?
- [ ] Is free migration available?
- [ ] Is data deleted when the account is closed?
The Biggest Hosting Contract Traps
| Trap | Consequence |
|---|---|
| Unlimited hosting | Suspension for exceeding limits |
| Low initial price | High renewal price |
| Backup exists but no liability | Data loss |
| Overage fee | Additional invoice |
| Suspension clause | Site goes offline |
Conclusion
When choosing hosting, don't look only at:
- Price
- Disk space
- Traffic
What you really need to look at:
SLA + Resource limits + Backup + Renewal price + Suspension clause
Buying hosting without reading the contract is like renting an apartment without reading the lease.